Please Don't Leave Me Behind Again (Completed)

Chapter Eleven

Thank you for all your wonderful support and lovely comments. You guys crack me up and I love reading your reactions to the chapters. It motivates me to keep going the direction I'm going towards for this story. Now that most of the introductions are done (don't worry, Sean and Owen will be introduced soon), the plot will be picking up a bit more. As always, please comment and let me know what you think!

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**| Sang's POV |**

The boys all stopped to discuss their plans while we were here. I was too distracted to pay attention, still taking in all the stores and different people. This place was huge and incredible. I've never been to a mall before so I felt like I walked into a foreign world. It was so busy here.

A display caught my attention and I wandered away, wanting to get a closer look. The display was within the window of a huge bookstore and held dozens of hardcover books, put together in a beautiful display of colors. My fingers twitched, wanting to get my hands on them, to open them and read them. To see what kind of worlds their covers hid underneath.

I was so focused on the display that I didn't notice anything else around me and ended up bumping into someone. I stumbled sideways and a hand reached out and grabbed my shoulder, right where one of my bruises was, and steadied me.

I flinched at the pain and stepped back, away from the man.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going," I said, flustered at my clumsiness. How could I nearly walk right into someone? I wasn't that blind.

"No, it is my fault," the stranger said in a European accent though I didn't know from which country. I looked the man over quickly. He was in his late twenties with dirty blonde hair and dark green eyes. Wide jaw with a stubble along the chin. His eyes were calculating and observant as he took me in.

I suppressed a shiver and shifted on my feet, my nerves taking over. He made me uncomfortable.

"I should have been more careful. I noticed you were distracted with the display case in the bookstore window. Do you like books?" He tilted his head to the side. It was a normal question but I really didn't want to talk to him. I wasn't one to talk to people normally despite how natural talking with the boys was. When I talked to them, I forgot how uncomfortable strangers made me feel.

I nodded at his question and he smiled down at me.

"Books are good."

I could only nod again and he frowned slightly. I didn't like the way he looked at me, like I was someone familiar to him. I definitely didn't know who he was and I've never met him but he talked to me like he knew me. I shifted on my feet again and pushed my lip into my teeth, wishing I knew how to get away from him without seeming rude.

"Sang," a deep voice called out and I turned, watching Silas stalk over with the rest of the boys trailing behind him. His face was furrowed in anger as he eyed the man before me with laser focus. His hands were clenched at his sides and I remembered why I called him my Yperánthropos (Superman). He was here to save me despite there being no real danger.

"Are you okay?" Kota asked as Silas tugged on my arm, putting more distance between me and the stranger. He then moved to stand in front of me, arms crossed at the chest, muscles bulging.

If I didn't know he was still that big teddy bear I knew at ten years old, I would have ran away screaming. The stranger didn't seem to mind that Silas loomed over him. In fact, he only looked amused if the twinkle in his eyes said anything.

My heart warmed at the thought that Silas was still so protective over me. I've been ignoring him since our conversation on the ride over. I just couldn't wrap my head around the fact that he was standing in front of me, his wide back stiff as he tried to protect me from some threat.