Chapter 5

He wound down the glass on the passenger side, the one closest to where Alicia stood.

“Hello, Alicia!” he called, smiling as he leaned a little toward her.

But Alicia was too weighed down to notice. Her thoughts dragged her inward. Her hands gripped her bag straps, and she looked past him. Whoever had stopped in front of her with a car was not worth a glance, let alone an answer.

When Dylan realized she was not even going to look his way, he pushed open the door, stepped out, and shut it behind him. His footsteps carried him closer to where she stood.

Something made Alicia turn once without thinking, then she turned again as her mind caught the face. Her eyes widened as she recognized him.

“Dylan!” The name slipped out before she could stop it.

“It’s me, Alicia,” Dylan said softly, stretching out his hands toward her for a hug.

They fell into a warm embrace, though Alicia pulled back almost as quickly as she had leaned in.

“Aly, you still don’t like me after all this time, do you?” Dylan asked, searching her face.

Alicia forced a smile, one that did not reach her eyes.

“Well well… what is this beautiful lady doing out here all alone with her bags and luggage? Are you stranded, Aly? I could help you out,” Dylan said, grinning widely. He tried to pick up one of her boxes.

“Dylan, I’m fine, please,” Alicia responded weakly, tugging at his hands on the box.

“Hey, Alicia, listen. I know you are not interested in me becoming your lover, and you have made it clear to me so many times. But please allow me to help you out of here. I cannot leave you stranded in this place.” 

He looked around, examining the area carefully. “This place seems so lonely and dangerous too, for a very beautiful lady like you to be out here all by yourself.”

Alicia scoffed, looking away from him.

“Please, just let me help you,” Dylan pressed, his tone softer now.

This time when he reached for the boxes again, Alicia did not resist. He took both from her hands and put them in the boot, leaving her with only her two smaller hand bags.

Dylan had always liked Alicia, maybe even loved her in his own way. From the first time he met her, she stood out to him. She was calm, not the kind of girl who laughed at every silly joke or ran after attention. And that was strange for him, because he was used to girls who fell easily for his smile and his playful words. But Alicia was different, and maybe that was why he could not get her out of his heart.

Dylan was known to be a flirty guy. He liked being around women, he liked teasing them, and he liked the attention he got from them. But with Alicia it was not just about fun. Around her he wanted to be taken seriously. He wanted her to see the real side of him, not just the easygoing man everyone thought he was.

The problem was that Alicia never saw him as her type of man. Dylan was a handsome man no doubt, but Alicia wanted someone more. Someone confident and strong, but not so loud. A man who was reserved, steady, and a little serious. Dylan was sweet, yes, but to her he was still that playful guy who loved too much attention.

Still, his feelings for her did not change. He kept hoping that one day she would see that with her, he was not pretending.

He opened the car door for her, and she slid in. Then he returned to his seat and started the engine.

They had gotten to the highway now. Dylan turned toward Alicia after a long, awkward moment of silence.

“So… where have you been all these years, Aly?” He asked, steering them toward his street.

Alicia thought hard about the answer she would give to Dylan, but her mind went blank.

“Are you okay, Alicia? You look so worried.” His eyes stayed on the road as he spoke.

“I’m… I’m fine…” she stammered, shifting uncomfortably on her seat.

“You don’t look okay,” Dylan said gently, still not looking at her. Inside, he wondered if he was the reason for her unease.

There was a moment of silence again. It lasted until they were almost at the street of Dylan’s residence, less than a kilometer away.

“You can stay at my place, Alicia. I don’t want you stuck,” he said with a small smile.

“No, please, Dylan, thank you. You have done enough for me already.”

“Alicia, come on. You cannot keep refusing to accept my help, even in the smallest way.”

“Dylan, I would rather find somewhere else to stay than be a burden to you.” Alicia said these words as if she meant them, but in truth she would not risk spending a night in Dylan’s house. She did not want to get entangled with him in any way.

Dylan suspected as much, but he didn’t know how to push further. “Do you have any friends around here you could stay with tonight?” he asked as he pulled the car to the side of the road.

The question triggered a memory that brought pain to her. She thought of her husband and what transpired between them, and how she did not even want to stay with Emily, her friend, because she did not want to be anywhere close to that vicinity. She raised her hand to wipe away the tears that were beginning to gather in her eyes. It was then that Dylan noticed the ring on her finger.

“Oh!” he muttered, barely above a whisper. At that moment he understood why she was really holding back from him.

Alicia adjusted in her seat, fighting not to break down in tears in front of Dylan. She covered her face with both hands.

“I have a friend who rents houses around this vicinity. Let me call him to know if there is any available house close by.” He said.

Alicia spoke softly, “Thank you so much, Dylan,” her voice filled with gratitude. She dropped her hands and lowered her gaze to her bags, not wanting him to see her tears.

Dylan pulled out his phone, scrolling through his contacts. Just then, a young woman stormed toward the car, yelling his name.