Love's Redemption

There was no response. My scalp tingled with fear.

But I couldn't back down now. I mustered my courage and demanded, "Who is it?"

"It's me!" Two words echoed.

Then came footsteps and an explanation, "Your blind date from the café this evening."

Him?

I couldn't believe it. We'd met only once, and now he was following me. It was terrifying.

The hallway was pitch dark. Even with a bit of moonlight seeping in through the windows, I could only make out the shapes a couple of paces in front of me.

He wasn't close enough for me to see him yet.

I gripped my keys tightly and was ready to defend myself as I asked, "Why are you following me?"

"Don't misunderstand. I mean no harm. I just wanted to protect you. It's not safe for a woman to walk alone at night," he explained. Then, he finally stepped into view.

I nearly laughed at his explanation.

Following me like this scared me to death, and he thought that made me safe.

We'd only met once, and we hadn't even agreed on anything. Yet he wanted to protect me? I wasn't naive enough to believe that.

But provoking him now wouldn't help. So, I kept calm to ensure my safety. I suppressed my anger and said, "Thank you for your concern. I'm home now. You can leave."

As I spoke, he came up from the stairway corner and said, "I'm a bit thirsty. Could I have some water?"

His lousy excuse made his intentions clear. I gripped my keys even tighter and refused, "It's too late. It's not a good time."

He stepped closer, "You're going to date me, so what's the inconvenience?"

As he got nearer, my fear peaked. "Stay back."

"It's just water. What's inconvenient about that?" His smile in the darkness was sinister.

Despite my preparation, my hands were shaking. But I resolved to stab him with my car key if he got too close.

As he stepped onto the last stair, I lunged with my keys. But before I could reach him, a cold breeze brushed my cheek. With a bang, the man flew back like someone hit by a force in a martial arts drama.

He slammed into the hallway wall, bounced off, and landed face-first on the stairs.

The crash and rebound looked painfully severe.

I was about to turn around when a familiar voice sounded beside me. "You went on a blind date?"

It was Brandon.

Before I could answer, I heard him coldly say to the man sprawled on the stairs, "Leave now. If you're still here after a minute has passed, I'm calling the police and reporting you for harassment and trespassing."This content © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.

The man stirred at the sound. He was clearly in pain, but he managed to get up after a few seconds.

His face was bloody; I wasn't sure where he'd gotten hit. He looked at me.

The next moment, Brandon covered my face using his hand as he glared at the man. "Do you want to lose your eyes?"

The man fled in fear, leaving just Brandon and me in the hallway. His hand still shielded my face, and I was almost leaning into his chest. Neither of us spoke.

The silence was suffocating. I moved Brandon's hand aside and was about to speak when he beat me to it, "You went on a blind date with someone like that?"

His words were blunt but true.

I hadn't expected my blind date to be so dangerous.

Looking at Brandon's stern face and remembering his rejection, I spoke in frustration. "Who told you not to agree?"

Brandon fell silent. I asked, "Why are you here?"

Brandon replied, "I'm looking for you."