Today's shift was over and I decided to go for a run to clear my head.
Running always helped me. It kept me focused on what I had to do.
20 minutes into my run and I felt like someone was following me. I decided to continue and not let myself be distracted by what could only be my imagination. But it wasn't. Not long after I felt myself being pushed to a tree. A strong man was standing over me, touching me, trying to kiss and undress me. I tried to scream, to push the man away from me, but I was too weak. Tears poured down my cheeks. When I lost all hope of someone trying to rescue me, I heard a noise coming from a bush not far from us. The aggressor got scared and ran away, leaving me alone half naked on the ground. After what felt like an eternity, I found my phone.
- "Can you please come and get me?", I said unable to control my tears.
- "Care, what happend? Are you ok? I'll come pick you up, just tell me the address"
* minutes later*
- "Oh my God. Are you ok? Caroline what happend??"
I couldn't talk, as much as I tried to, words just didn't come out. All I did was cry. Finally, I was able to speak
- "I'm sorry I called you. I didn't know who else to call, I didn't want to scare Claire", i said not looking at him.
- "It's alright. I'm happy that you think I'm trustworthy", Neil said with a small smile on his face, trying to make me feel better.
He covered me with his jacket and picked me up taking me to his car.
- "Let's get you home."
"We're home. I'm sorry I have to Wake you up."
He picked me up once more and he took me to the apartment. He placed me on the bed and he pull the blanket on me.
- "I'll go now", he said, "call me if you need anything." and then he went to the room.
- "Neil..."
- "Yeah?"
- "Can you please stay with me?", I said being about to cry.
- "Yeah, I'll stay with you. Everything's ok, I'm here"
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Having him next to me made me feel safe. The way his arms were wrapped around me made my heart beat faster. There was something about him that made me feel this way, that made me feel happy. I fell asleep almost instantly, with a small smile on my face. The next morning I woke up to an empty bed. The part he slept in was perfectly arranged, as if he hadn't been there. I just turned to see a note and a white rose on my bedside table.
"I couldn't let myself to wake you up. You looked so peaceful. I had to go to work early. I'll see you later, let me know when you wake up. Xoxo - N"
A large smile forme on my face. And then it hit me. I was falling for him.
***
NEIL
I just got out of shower when my phone begane to ring.
"Who could it be at this hour?!"
My face light up as I saw her name pop up on the screen, but only to be replaced with a concerned look when I heard her crying on the other side of the line
- "Can you please come and get me?", she said obviously crying.
I can't remember how I got dressed and how I got to where she was. All I remember is her standing on the ground, leaning on a tree, almost half naked, crying. I
covered her with my jacket and took her to the car. She fell asleep on the way home, and for once, she seemed peaceful.
As I was about to leave her apartment she called me.
- "Can you please stay with me?"
It hurt to see her like that. The strong woman i knew at the hospital became a scared girl unable to stop crying.
Early in the morning I got a call, I had to get to the hospital. I left her a note and a white rose on her nightstand and then I left. As I got to the car ai sighted "Shit, I think I'm falling for her."
