Big, Bold and Beautiful

Chapter 3

I wake up suddenly in a cold sweat when I hear my phone ring. I check the time on the screen and it reads 2.47am and I let out an exhausted sigh. I had only managed to sleep for just over an hour. I decide to get up and get the day started seeing as I know I won't be able to fall back asleep anyways.

The cityscape view through the large glass doors on my right is breathtaking and I approach the doors with the intent of absorbing the view better. For every step that I take my toes sink into the lush burgundy carpet that covers the entire expanse of the hotel room. The grey heavy curtains that stand firmly on one side of the doors feel soft to the touch and I lean my heavy head on them.

I let out an exhausted sigh and tears begin prickling the corner of my eyes but I hold them back and tell myself to get a grip. I had dissolved into a ball of tears almost immediately after I had stepped into the hotel room. Crying wouldn't bring Matt back. The best I could do for him at this point was find out the inner working of his murder and all the events that led up to it.

Perhaps once the sun had risen I could go back down to the police station. After having had overcome the shock I believed that I could better help the detectives and police officers.

My phone let out another chime which, at the moment, seemed deafeningly loud in the dead silence of the room. I picked my phone up from the mahogany night stand and realized that I had an incoming call from Kamal who happened to be my most trusted friend. Part of me was afraid of picking up because I knew he would try and consolidate me but I just wanted to be alone for the time being. However, ignoring his call was not going to make him stop. Knowing him it would only encourage him to continue calling me.

I picked up the call with a heavy heart and I could fell a ball forming inside my throat. I took a seat on the bed and continued to appreciate the view outside the glass doors.

"Where are you?" he said in a breath so rushed I had to strain to decipher what he had intended to say. "Cara I'm coming to get you and I need you to tell me where you are." I pinched the space between my eyes and shook my head. I needed space right now and part of me feared he wouldn't respect that even though his intentions were pure and he was only trying to help.

"Kamal love, I just need some space right now. I know that you are worried but I assure that I am safe." I said in a very clear voice. I needed him to understand that at the time being space was what I needed.

"I do not feel comfortable leaving you alone right now. I just think that maybe if you had someone with you it would help make you feel a little bit better."

I wasn't even surprised. Kamal was incredibly caring and loving, at times almost too much.

"No. I just need space and I greatly appreciate the gesture but I think I should deal with the situation in whatever way that I see fit!" I said angrily but I soon regretted snapping at him. It had been a rough couple of hours and I just so desperately needed things to stop going wrong.

"Cara I love you and I know you are hurting" he sighed then continued. "I just want you to know that I am always here for you, okay love?"

"Yeah I know. If I need you I will be sure to give you a call. I love you" and with that I cut the call.

I had just thrown the phone beside me onto the large queen size bed when I heard a soft chuckle coming from behind me. Every fiber of my being froze and my blood ran cold. How had someone been in the room with me and I had not realized? I spun around and let out a loud gasp and stumbled backwards. A man I had never before encountered stood right at the entrance to the bathroom that connected from my hotel room. At that moment I realized that my fear had just cost me. By stepping backwards I had unintentionally put more space between my phone and myself. The landline that the hotel provided sat at the other side of the bed making it far out of my reach.

He smiled sheepishly and stood straight after having had been leaning against the door frame and brushed down his pitch black jacket. When he took a small step in my direction I trembled and whimpered. I had gone through my fair share of shitty situations in the last couple of hours and I really did not need this right now. I sucked in a deep breath and let out what could have possibly been the loudest scream I had ever released.

I hoped that however was in the room next door was not a heavy sleeper and would manage to hear me and alert security. The handsome stranger raised his hands and approached me with a tentative look on his face as though I were a wild animal he was afraid of frightening. I grabbed the large glass vase that sat on the small table near the large glass doors and waved it in front of me frantically.

"If you take another step towards me I swear I will hurt you." I threatened in my most confident voice. The stranger had the audacity to look offended. What kind of psychopath broke into someone's room at 2 am in the morning and was surprised at the lack of enthusiasm of said person?

"You have no idea who I am do you?" he softly said and continued toward me ever so slowly despite my warning but for every step that he took towards me I took another one backward without ever dropping the vase that was clenched in my trembling hands. I stopped when the movement of my legs was suddenly halted by the glass doors behind me. My inability to move seemed to steer him onward and his steps suddenly became more urgent. In three short strides he had managed to be standing right in front of me with no regard for my personal space.

I let out another blood curling scream and tried to run around him but it was of no use. He grabbed me by the shoulders just before I sprang away from my spot and surprisingly his hold was gentle. Firm but gentle. I was terrified beyond belief but part of me refused to show this man that his presence scared me. I remained quiet and stared back defiantly at him hoping that my eyes would not betray me and show just how scared I was.

"Cara I need you to come with me. If you stay here any longer you might die" after his statement he let go of my shoulders and backed up slightly. He then placed his hands into the pockets of his dark colored jeans and stared back at me as if waiting for a response.

The only sound that ensued after he had becomesilent was the loud smack that echoed through the room after I slapped him.

*************

-Hello everyone

hope you had yourself a lovely day. i am back with yet another update. please do let me know how i am doing thus far.

be sure to stay safe

how do we feel about cara slapping our beautiful stranger?the picture i included above i how i envision him. thoughts?

lots of love