When the clock hit 4 in the morning Dalia got tired of staring at the roof. She could've sworn she had memorised every pattern the wood had. Emmanuel had been living with her for a total of 11 hours and she was already going crazy. Not because he was doing something in particular, but because he was a threat, to the life she loved.
She got out of the bed, but on a pair of running shorts, a sports bra and her sneakers. She grabbed her AirPods, her phone and the case that secured it to her arm and went downstairs. She filled a bottle with water and put her hair up in a ponytail and went through the back door, going down to the beach.
The cold embraced at first, but once she started running her body got warmer. When she was back at Cambridge she used to run every morning before class. She was usually followed by a pair of bodyguards and had to wear different clothes, but the feeling was the same. She used to run from her responsibilities, she used to run to clear her head, to try and see things under a different light. And in that moment, she was running away from the man sleeping in her guest room, even if just figuratively.
Dalia hadn't run in years, she had stopped once her plan was complete. Her best ideas had come to her while running, the path getting clearer the faster she went. He body was out of shape, she realised after just half an hour of running. She stopped for air, resting her hand on her knees. She took a deep breath and made her way back to her house.
When she entered the lights were off, just as she'd left them. She made her way to the kitchen and started the coffee pot and went to the refrigerator and picked a Tupperware with pineapple she had cut a few days ago. When the coffee was done she poured herself a cup and sat on the kitchen counter, her phone in one hand and a fork in the other. The news were as always, nothing new on her disappearance. She was chewing on a piece of fruit absentmindedly, scrolling on her phone.
"You do know chairs were invented for a reason" When she heard the voice she jumped back, bumping her head on a cabinet door and dropping the fork to the floor, where it landed with a loud clank. Her eyes filled with little white dots and she could feel a headache growing.
"Jesus fucking Christ" she screamed, putting the phone safely on the marble before inspecting the bump that was growing on the back of her head. She didn't want to look at the man in danger of throwing a set of knives that was just beside her at him.
"I'm so sorry" he went to the freezer and grabbed a bag of frozen berries and handed it to her. She took it reluctantly and jumped from the counter, the motion making her dizzy. He went to grab her, but she took a step back, grabbing the surface to steady herself. "Let me take a look at it. You could have a concussion" He sounded guilty, so she nodded and took a step forward and turned around.
"If I do have one it's because of you" she accused him, sounding more aggressive than she intended to. "It's nothing. I don't break easily" she said trying to get away from him, but she grabbed her by the elbow, preventing her from getting away.
"That was not stated on my job description. Quite the opposite, really" Dalia couldn't help but laugh at that, not because she found it funny, but because he had the audacity to make jokes at her expense. "You have a small cut, but doesn't seem like you need stitches" he moved away from her and she felt cold suddenly, making her realize she was wearing next to nothing, which made her feel self-conscious. She made a mental note to wear more clothes while in the house.
She was about to leave the kitchen to go change, but she almost collided with Emmanuel again. He had a wet cloth in his hand and she motioned to her to turn around again, making an obvious effort not to look at her.
YOU ARE READING
72 Hours
Romance"That was so corny" That was Dalia's response. He took the bracelet and locked it in her wrist "And we've been engaged since I was 5" "Yes, I know. My parents felt the need to wait until I was in love and off age to tell me" he retorted. "See. I hav...
