Chapter Four

The sound of the rooster made Haelyn’s eyes slowly open. There was no chandelier. No expensive lighting. Just wood and a simple fan that wasn’t even turned on. Her whole body ached. Her feet burned. Her head felt heavy.

She sat up carefully and she froze.

She was not wearing her dress.

Instead, a large, oversized men’s shirt covered her body. It smelled clean and smelled like organic ingredients.

“What the hell…?” she whispered. She looked around the room. Simple bed. Wooden furniture.

A window with thin curtains that moved slightly with the morning breeze. No sign of her phone, her suitcase, or her clothes.

She pushed the blanket off and swung her legs over the side of the bed. The moment her feet touched the floor, pain shot through them.

“Ow!”

She quickly pulled one foot back, wincing. When she looked down, she saw that both of her feet were wrapped in clean bandages. There were smaller bandages on her arms too, covering scratches and cuts she didn’t remember getting treated.

“Hello?” she called out. Her voice was hoarse.

No answer.

She walked out of the room slowly, holding the wall for support, and made her way down the stairs.

The house was quiet.

Empty.

She looked around.

There was a small living room with an old couch, a wooden coffee table, and a few framed photographs hanging on the wall. The kitchen was connected to the living room, and there was a wooden dining table near the windows.“Is anyone here?” she said louder, her irritation growing. “Hello?!”

Still nothing.

Fields stretched out into the distance. There were wooden fences, a few horses moving slowly in the grass, and a barn off to the side. The sky was clear, and everything looked peaceful — which only made her more frustrated.

“No,” she muttered under her breath. “No way.”

She was standing in the middle of a stranger’s living room, barefoot, wearing nothing but a man’s shirt, with no phone and no idea where she was.

She stood in the middle of the living room, barefoot, wearing only a stranger’s shirt, completely confused and starting to get angry.

Her parents were going to hear about this.

If she ever got her phone back.

Then the front door opened.

Haelyn turned around fast.

And what she saw made her breath hitch.

A man stepped inside and he was shirtless.

He was tall and broad-shouldered, with a muscular build that made it obvious he spent most of his time doing physical work. His skin was tanned, his blonde hair slightly messy, and a few scars marked his chest and torso. His pants were covered in a little dirt, and there was a light layer of sweat on his skin.

He stopped when he saw her.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Haelyn’s eyes widened. “Who the hell are you?” she demanded, gripping the bottom of the shirt. “And why am I wearing your clothes?”

The man didn’t answer. He just looked at her calmly, his expression unreadable.

That only annoyed her more.

“Did you kidnap me?” she continued, voice rising. “Where are my clothes? Where’s my phone? And why the hell did you bring me here?”

He closed the door behind him slowly, still watching her.

Haelyn took a step back, trying to look confident even though her legs were still shaky.

“You better start talking,” she said, eyes narrowing. “Because I swear, if you touched me—”

“I didn’t,” he finally said. His voice was deep. Calm.

Haelyn stared at him, breathing hard. “That's a lie because if you didn't touch me, why am I wearing your shirt?”

He walked forward. “I had no choice. Your dress was ripped, you had bloody arms. You looked like you needed help.”

Then the memories flooded back.

The hefty men.

That strange house.

The way they grabbed her.

Finding people to help her.

The pain.

The running.

She took a step back, fingers clutching the oversized shirt. “Those men…” her voice came out shaky. “They were trying to kill me.”

He didn’t move any closer. He just stood there, watching her carefully.

“I know,” he said. “You were in bad shape when I found you.”

Haelyn’s eyes narrowed slightly, “where exactly did you find me?”

“On the beach,” he answered. “Two towns over.”

Her jaw dropped.

“Two towns over?” she repeated.

“I had to drop something off for a friend,” he said simply. “I was heading back when I saw people gathered near the water. At first I thought someone had drowned.”

Haelyn’s stomach turned.

“There were already a few people standing around when I got there,” he continued. “A woman was on the phone calling for help. You were just lying there, barely conscious. Your feet were torn up. Your dress was ripped. You kept muttering something about men chasing you.”

Haelyn swallowed. “What happened after that?” she asked.

“They wanted to wait for the ambulance,” he said. “But you grabbed my wrist when I knelt down to check on you. You were weak, but you kept saying don’t let them take you. You looked terrified.”

He paused for a moment. “So I made a decision. I told them I knew you. I picked you up, put you in my truck, and brought you here.”

Haelyn stared at him. “You just… took me?” she said. “What if those people thought you were kidnapping me?”

“Some of them did,” Caleb admitted. “One man tried to stop me. I told him you were my responsibility and that I was taking you somewhere safe. Then I left before the police could get there.”

Haelyn’s mouth opened, then closed again.

“You cleaned me up,” she said slowly, looking down at the bandages on her arms and feet. “And changed my clothes.”

Caleb gave a small nod. “Your dress was ruined. I wasn’t going to leave you like that.”

Haelyn’s mind was spinning. The men. The beach. Strangers seeing her half-conscious. And now this quiet, shirtless sexy man is standing in front of her.

She looked up at him again, “so let me get this straight,” she said. “You found me half-dead on a beach in another town, ignored the people calling an ambulance, put me in your truck, brought me to your house, stripped me, put me in your shirt, and now you’re standing there like this is normal?”

He nodded. “I didn’t strip you,” he said. “I changed you. And no… none of this is normal.”

“I need my phone. I need to call my parents.”

Dean was quiet for a moment before answering.

“Your phone wasn’t on you when I found you. You must have dropped it while you were running.”

Haelyn closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, trying not to completely lose it.

No phone.

No clothes.

No money.

And the only person around was the man she didn't know.

When she opened her eyes again, Dean was still standing there, watching her carefully, like he was making sure she wouldn’t collapse.

“You should sit down,” he said. “Your feet are still in bad shape.”

Haelyn shot him a look. “Don’t tell me what to do.”

Still, she didn’t argue further. Her body was starting to feel too heavy. After a few seconds, she moved over to the couch and sat down carefully, pulling the shirt lower over her thighs as she did.

Dean stayed where he was, giving her space.

Haelyn let out a shaky breath, “who even are you?” she asked.

He held her gaze.

“My name is Dean,” he said. “And from what I was told… I’m the man you’re supposed to marry.”