She wanted to die.
He wanted to live.
•••
A hand grabbed onto my wrist, yanking me back just as the train rushed past, before I'd even had time to comprehend whether or not I'd carry out the action. I stumbled back into the person's chest, my hear...
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If I could I would never let go of Romeo's hand.
His grip was strong and firm, yet gentle enough to make me feel secure as he guided me along the busier city streets. Neither of us had made a move to let go, so an unspoken agreement was made for the two of us to stay connected in a way that had never been initially intended.
I had no clue what I was doing, blindly following after a stranger who knew things about me no one else did. Although I'd tried to deter him, so far he'd been intent on his decision at trying to help me, and I could only hope he'd see it through.
After asking him a thousand times where we were going - only to be met with a smug smirk in return - I gave up on my attempts, allowing us to fall into a comfortable silence while we strolled along the street together. Relentless in my nagging, I'd pestered him throughout the entire time we meandered our way out of the train station, mildly frustrated at the lack of control I had. Despite his silence, I suspected a part of him enjoyed it: the enjoyment of knowing something I didn't and choosing to withhold it from me.
The sky was getting darker now, an inky black muse as a few clouds hovered above us, diminishing any possibility of a clear night to see the stars. Perhaps they might clear away as time went on, but I very much doubted the likeliness of that occurring.
All around us a few people bustled past, some seeming to be jet-lagged tourists on their way back to hotels, while others were about to begin their night out, dressed up in small groups as they took stumbling steps past us, the wispy smell of cigarettes and mellow tones of alcohol drifting through the air.
Each time we passed someone, Romeo's hold on my hand tightened noticeably, his jaw tensing ever so slightly throughout the duration of our passing before he relaxed it again.
I only realised I had been staring at him for quite a while when his mesmerising eyes met mine, flicking to me for a split second as though to confirm his thoughts that I was staring, before he continued looking straight ahead, a small grin on his lips. "Is there a reason you're staring Cass?"
My eyebrows raised at the shortened version of my name, revelling in how smooth it sounded coming from his deep tone of voice. "No particular reason," I shrugged, hesitating before tearing my eyes away from his, "Just... don't be so worried, okay? You're turning into me!"
Romeo smiled briefly, his eyes returning back to mine. "I just don't want anything to happen to you Cassie; you're still a kid." I scrunched my face up at his words, irritated that he thought I wasn't capable of protecting myself. "Okay, okay, let me rephrase that: you're a young girl walking the streets of London in the middle of the night. You can't blame me for wanting to be cautious."
"Because I'm a girl I can't protect myself?"
He shook his head as he drew in a breath. "Because certain men exist you wouldn't stand a chance." When he put it like that, he did have a point.
