Tara's earlier happiness vanished in an instant. It felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her, leaving her chilled to the bone. She felt a pang of guilt—Selena had worked so hard to cook dinner for her, yet she hadn't even noticed Selena's burn.
Without hesitation, Tara grabbed a jacket, picked up her phone, and headed out to buy burn ointment.
Selena called after her, but Tara didn't stop, leaving Selena no choice but to wait on the couch. She'd worn sleeves to cover the burn precisely to prevent Tara from noticing and running out at this hour to find medicine. Most of the nearby pharmacies were probably closed by now—it was nearly 9:30, and this was a quiet neighborhood with little nightlife. The streets would be mostly empty, and it wasn't safe.
After ten minutes, Selena grew anxious. She attempted to grab her own coat, but the pain in her wrist intensified, so she gave up and stepped outside as she was.
At the gate, the night wind cut sharply, and within moments, Selena was shivering. She checked her phone—twenty minutes had passed, and still no sign of Tara. She'd sent her a message, asking her to come back if she couldn't find anything, but Tara hadn't replied. She even opened her contacts to call her, only to realize she'd never saved Tara's number.
Frustrated, she turned off her screen and kept her eyes fixed down the empty street, braving the cold wind.
Noticing her standing outside, the old security guard approached. "Waiting for your boyfriend to get off work?" he chuckled. "Come wait inside, dear. It's freezing out here."
Selena hugged herself for warmth, offering a polite smile. "Thank you, but it's okay. She should be back soon. And it's not my boyfriend—just a friend."
The guard, seeing she wouldn't budge, laughed and headed back into his warm booth.
Selena was concerned that if she went inside, Tara might miss her, and she wouldn't know right away if anything had gone wrong on the way back. If her intern got into trouble buying her medicine, the rumors would ruin her reputation as a manager.
Meanwhile, Tara had tried the closest pharmacy, but the medicine they offered didn't meet her standards. Knowing how serious Selena's burn was, she wanted the best ointment available. She remembered a particularly effective cream from her childhood burn, and the pharmacist informed her the only store that carried it was four miles away.
Wasting no time, she jogged the entire distance, as there were no shared bikes nearby. This older part of town lacked amenities, and Tara's rented apartment was in an area with minimal services.
It wasn't until she finally had the medicine in hand, relief settling in, that she noticed Selena's messages. She paused long enough to catch her breath, her mouth filled with the taste of blood from running so hard.
As she neared the entrance to the neighborhood, under the dim streetlights, Tara noticed a group of young men loitering. Cigarettes hung from their mouths, thin trails of smoke blurring their faces, but their unruly attitudes were unmistakable.
Spotting Tara walking toward them, one of the men, evidently the leader, tossed his cigarette to the ground, crushing it with his foot as he slid his hands into his pockets, attempting a "cool" pose. "Hey there, pretty girl," he whistled. "What're you doing out here all alone? How about some company?"
Tara tucked the ointment securely into her pocket, ensuring it wouldn't fall out, then fixed the group with a cold stare. "Move."
"Oooh, feisty one, huh? Haven't heard of me—Derek, from Central High?" he sneered, his group advancing with him.
He reached out to jab a finger against her shoulder in a taunting, dismissive way.
Tara glanced at the offending finger, her face hardening. She let go of the polite, restrained persona she wore every day, her sharp gaze darkening with a fierce, determined edge.
Seeing her change, Derek hesitated, a sudden chill running down his spine. Something was off.
Before he could process it, she had grabbed him and flipped him over her shoulder, slamming him to the ground. He let out a yelp as she delivered a swift kick to his back, forcing a groan from him. "Alright, alright, I give!" he gasped.
Standing over him with cold disdain, she lowered her voice. "You've clearly never heard of Tara from this neighborhood, have you? Next time I catch you harassing women, I'll make sure you can't father children," she said, each word dripping with scorn. Her tone cut through them, making the whole group shudder and agree frantically.
After making sure they'd had enough, she checked the time and sprinted back toward the apartment, worried Selena would be anxious from waiting. That familiar metallic taste rose in her mouth again, but she pushed through.
As she turned the corner of the final alleyway, she saw Selena standing under a streetlight.
Her hair was tousled by the wind, her arms folded for warmth. The soft amber light cast a glow around her, making her look almost ethereal, like a moonlit figure rather than someone of this world.
With the ointment clenched in her hand, Tara paused, a sudden urge to wrap her arms around Selena overcoming her.
Selena, as if sensing her presence, looked up. Her eyes, slightly damp from the biting wind, met Tara's. The two shared a quiet look before Tara walked up, slipping off her jacket and draping it over Selena's shoulders. "Why'd you come outside? It's freezing—why didn't you wear a coat?"
Seeing that Tara was safe, Selena's unease finally eased. She had felt an inexplicable worry earlier, as though something would happen. "I was just worried; you didn't come back. You didn't run into any trouble, did you?"
Tara grinned, her two little dimples showing, giving her a mischievous yet innocent look. "No trouble at all. Let's go home."
Back at the apartment, Tara led Selena to the small table and had her sit down, then crouched by her side to open the ointment. Using a cotton swab, she gently applied it to the burn, her movements careful, almost reverent.
"All done."
Selena pulled her hand back, looking at her. "You look so skinny, but you're surprisingly strong. Do you work out?" she asked, recalling how effortlessly Tara had carried heavy groceries from the store.
Putting away the ointment, Tara gave a vague nod. In reality, her strength came from practicing Muay Thai, but she didn't know how Selena might react to her interest in such a rough sport. A friend had once scolded her, saying, "Why would a girl learn something like that? Muscle doesn't look good on girls." Remembering that, she simply replied, "Yeah, I work out."
Selena stood up as well, glancing at her own figure. "Sitting in the office every day has been bad for my waistline. Do you think I should join you at the gym?"
Tara glanced at Selena's waist, noticing how trim and toned she was. "Boss, you're in great shape. But exercising more is always good for your health."
Selena's lips curved into a sly smile, her eyes glinting with mischief as she held Tara's gaze. She took Tara's hand, guiding it to rest at her waist. Tara's breath caught, but she let Selena's hand stay there, feeling the soft, silken fabric beneath her fingers.
Selena leaned in close, her voice a low murmur against Tara's ear. "What do you think of my shape?"