He threw his head back and laughed like a little child. I couldn't help but wonder if he was a minor; he appeared very much so.
"You're not saying anything," I eyed.
He ran his eyes through me rudely. "I should be getting a thank you; I just saved your life right now, you know."
He was right, but, "My mother told me to trust no stranger; you might be one with them for all I know."
"Your face is all over the media, Aurora," he said in an unbelievable tone.
That's not a lie, well.
"Thanks for saving me," I reluctantly gave in, still having my doubts.
Both men who had attacked me got up from the ground and ran off, leaving just us two in the lonely deserted street.
The whole scenario was funny, but I kept my lips pressed in a thin line.
"Does this belong to you?" He handed me a shiny black purse, which I recognized as mine.
I gasped, snatching it from his grip. "It is."
"No need to thank me," he grinned, running a hand to the back of his head.
Okay, maybe he's not that bad.
"I'm Grey."
I have a lot of questions, but I'll just put them behind me. For now, the important thing is I found my purse back. Except for a few broken ribs, a swollen cheek, and a strained ankle, I'm okay, totally okay. Everything's fine.
"Thanks a lot, Grey. I'll take my leave now." Right now, I just want to go home and soak myself in a bathtub filled with ice, and I don't mean Pierce's home, I mean my home.
"You're not scared they'll come back?" He questioned, and I paused for a moment.
Right, I skipped that part.
"I'll walk you," he offered.
When I got home, I saw Pierce sitting on the couch, looking worried. He ran to my side on sighting me.
"Where have you been?"
I was too tired to speak; all I wanted to do was sit in a corner and cry my eyes out. I could've really lost my life today without ever knowing the reason why.
"What happened to you?" His eyes roamed every inch and corner of my body. Not to mention that my hair was in a disheveled mess, I reeked and smelled of dirt, I also sustained various wounds, which were quite visible to the human eye.
I leaned on Pierce for support, and he caught me with both arms. My lips trembled, and my eyes were barely open, no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get myself to speak. I burst into tears with Pierce's arm tightly wrapped around my back.
"It's okay," he cooed.
When I was done crying, I narrated my ordeal with the unknown men to him. He listened carefully without interrupting my speech, but I could see his muscles tense up every now and then.
"I will find out who's responsible and make them pay," he swore.
I felt relieved knowing I had him by my side, but I couldn't help but think this was in a way connected to him. Up until now, my only enemy was my evil boss, but since I got entangled with him, I'm sure the number has tripled.
A week has gone by, and still no news about my attackers. Pierce was frustrated; he'd made several calls yet the men could still not be identified. Someone had tampered with the CCTV cameras around; it was a smooth operation. I couldn't help but worry that the person behind this was a mighty foe, although I suspected Johanna she denied it like there was no tomorrow.
"How many times do I have to tell you that it was not my doing?" Johanna argued.
Pierce asked to have her fired using the incident as an excuse, but there was no concrete evidence that it was her doing, but he said he had a gut feeling, and you know what? I felt it too.
"You can't fire me over this; I'll take you to court if I have to."
He banged his fists on the table, causing Johanna and me to flinch. I was seated at the table next to his, while Johanna stood in our middle.
"If it's not you, who then?"
"How the heck am I supposed to know that?" She sneered. "Listen, if I wanted your fiance dead, trust me, she wouldn't be seated here right now, listening to this conversation."
Clearly, that was a threat.
Johanna spun around and headed for the door; she spared us one last look.
"Unless you have solid evidence that it was I who ordered your fiance's attack, I will not be taking a step out of this company. You will be forced to see my face every day, whether you like it or not. I wish you both an absolutely horrible ending."
The door closed with a loud thud, and Johanna's footsteps echoed down the corridor. Immediately she was gone, Pierce fell into his seat, frustrated.
I hate to see him this way.
Drawing closer to him, I said in a soft tone, "We can take this slow, you know; I'm not in a rush to find the culprit."
He turned to me with his face hard as a rock. "As long as there is someone out there who wants to harm you, Aurora, I will not be getting a single sleep until I put them behind bars."
This new Pierce was driving me insane; he was so invested in catching the bag thief that he didn't realize he was neglecting me. Although I understood, it was still frustrating to watch.
It was a Sunday, and he had gone visiting his family; he asked me to come with him, but I declined. Scenes of my encounter with his mother from that day still haunt my dreams at night.
Pierce had warned me several times to keep the door locked and stay indoors; he was initially hesitant to leave me alone, but after assuring him I'd adhere to all his rules, he finally dropped his guard. What he didn't know was that I had other plans.
My routine every day included heading to work with Pierce in his car, getting off work together, him making dinner, and us falling asleep in each other's arms. No doubt it sounds romantic, but I needed some fresh air; I felt suffocated.
I settled for black leggings and a white T-shirt Pierce bought me days ago. Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I confirmed I was good to go. I grabbed a face cap off the stand and headed out.
I hailed a cab and gave him the address to my old place. A cold wave of wind attacked me as I stuck my face out the window while the driver sped down the highway; finally, I was breathing again.
On getting to my place, I found everywhere peaceful and quiet, unlike how I expected it to be. There were no reporters in sight, which I was thankful for. I considered moving back, but I don't know how Pierce would react to that.
"Aurora?"
Standing behind me was my landlady, an old woman in her sixties.
"I haven't seen you in a long while," She said. "Where have you been?"
I trailed my hand behind my head, not sure of a befitting reply.
"Uh, I've been crashing somewhere else."
She smiled and walked past me but soon came to a stop.
"A man has been coming to visit you almost every day since you left."
I was shocked by the sudden information.
"I see him standing in front of your door," she continued. "He never knocks; he just stands still, staring in a daze. It's like he knows you're not in. I found it weird and confronted him one day, but he left in a hurry. I haven't seen him since then."
"Thanks," I forced a smile.
She replied with a slight nod and turned to her apartment, which was just opposite mine.
The moment I walked into my room, I knew I was home again. I threw myself on the couch and inhaled. Right now, a cold bath was what I desired. I got up from the couch and headed for the bathroom, stripping along the way as I hummed Taylor Swift.
I lost track of time, looking outside I was faced with a dark sky.
Shit!
I had to make sure I was home before Pierce, or else I would be in for a good scolding.
I leaped out of bed and started to get dressed; I was halfway through when I sensed something. I leaned in carefully to decipher what it was. It was the sound of keys, and it was coming from my door.
Immediately, I hopped into the closet as I heard the door kick open.
Soon, footsteps approached my bedroom, and I remained couched like a potato in the closet, with my heart hammering rapidly in my chest.
Just who the heck?