Chapter 2

Willow

A loud sound comes from the darkness making my whole body freeze. I should turn around and go back inside but I can’t move. Fear is clawing at me. All I have to do is drop the bags in my hand and run back inside, that’s it.

Just run Willow!

There’s another crash that startles me out of my frozen state and I do drop the bags but then I hear a scared meow and a cat rushes out of the darkness.

I put a hand over my heart and finally take in a few much-needed breaths.

“Oh my God! You scared the heck out of me!” I whisper to the cat. “Why are you sneaking around like that?”

The cat walks over to me and rubs its body along my legs. I want to stay mad at the crazy thing but he’s a sweetheart so I can’t bring myself to be upset. Instead, I promise him a snack after I throw out the trash. He follows me to the large garbage bins behind the bar like an adorable bodyguard.

“Thank you for your gallant service, sir.” I say giving him a playful bow.

He meows up at me, clearly impatient for his treat, so I forget my role playing and walk toward the back door. Another sound has me stopping in my tracks again. I really need to learn to run when I’m scared, but when I ran before it only meant he would chase me. The pain was so much worse when he would catch me….

“Did you happen to bring a friend with you?” I ask the cat as if he could answer me.

No one comes out to join us, so I let myself relax but I pick up my pace. I reach the back door and pull it with too much force making it slam against the wall.

“My nerves are a mess tonight.” I look down at the cat and he tilts his head at me. “Stay here, okay? My boss will have my head if he sees a cat running through the bar ok the security video tomorrow.”

He meows up at me and I take it as him agreeing to my terms. I walk back into the bar and close the door behind me locking it just to be safe. Everything I do is to make sure I’m safe because who else will do it if I don’t? I relied on the wrong person once and he hurt me. So much so that I don’t know if I will ever feel safe again. Pushing away the bad memories creeping up into my mind I walk into the kitchen and grab some leftovers that I planned on taking home tonight and put them in a separate to-go container.

I hear the front door open, and I peek through the doorway that looks out into the bar. It’s well past three in the morning now, so technically we’re closed but there is always someone who shows up really early like this. Most of the time it’s a regular and I fix them a quick drink and then they leave, but I don’t recognize any of three guys that just walked in. I set down the little meal box for the cat and push through the half-shuddered doors into the main bar.

“Sorry boys, the bar’s closed.” I call out to them.

They turn in unison to look at me and my heart stutters at the sight of them. I’m not sure if it’s the anxiety I get anytime I meet a strange man or it’s because they are insanely handsome.

“Right. That would explain why it’s so empty.” The guy talking looks sheepish and adorably awkward.

“Are you guys lost?” I ask because they sure look it.

“Not exactly. We’re on a road trip or sorts and needed a place to rest before we continued on.” One of the other guys says.

He looks like he could be part of a Korean boy group or an actor.

“Right. Well like I said we’re closed but I can get you guys a drink if you like.”

I should be scared of being alone with three strange men in a bar at three in the morning but I'm not. They are all very tall and muscular, especially the shy one but I don’t get a sense they’re dangerous. Of course I’m not sure if I’m the best judge given my track record, but this feels a little different. I just can’t put my finger on it.

“We don’t want to get you in trouble. I’d you can point us in the direction of a hotel that would be great.” The shy one says.

“Well, that would be about twenty miles down. It’s a trucker stop too but they have a few rooms you can usually get. Truckers prefer sleeping in their trucks to be safe, but when they’re not alone a room is nice to have.”

“I’m not sure if I want to sleep in a room where a bunch of truckers have been having off hours fun.” The third guy says.

“Yeah I wouldn’t recommend it. Who knows how often they clean those rooms. The next major town is about an hour further down. So, stay for a drink. What’s your poison?” I ask them as I move over to the bar and grab three glasses.

“I’ll have a beer please.” Shy guy says.

“Same.” The pretty one says.

“I’ll have a whisky straight.” The third guy says.

“Coming right up!” I grab a few glasses and start to pour the two beers and I move extra carefully.

I can feel their eyes on me, and I don’t want to make a fool of myself spilling beer everywhere or something.

“Can I ask your name?” The one that looks like a k-pop star asks.

He has a slight accent that’s kind of adorable. I smile at him, but my face starts to feel too warm when he smiles back.

“Willow.” I stutter out.

“It’s nice to meet you Willow. I’m Han, this is Ash, and the quiet one is Tate.” He points at each of the guys, and they give me smiles of their own.

“Nice to meet you guys. Han…is that short for something?” I ask.

He smiles an inside melting smile and nods. “Jeong Haneul.”

“You’re Korean!” I blurt out.

That makes him laugh. “I am.”

I pull on my small bunch of Korean phrases I’ve gathered over the years. “Mannaseo bangapseumnida!” I say with a bow.

His smile grows. “That’s very good! You speak Korean?”

I shake my head. “Only what I’ve picked up from music and TV.”

“It is still impressive, and your pronunciation is very good.”

“Thank you!”

We all go very quiet, and I can’t seem to think of a single thing to say until I notice the to go box on the counter.

“Crap!” I grab the box. “I’m sorry I need step outside really quick.”

“Sure.” The shy one says.

I walk quickly to the back door and open it to the angry meows of a very annoyed cat.

“I’m sorry buddy. I got held up.” I set the box down and open it for him.

He steps close and sniffs at it. I wait for his reaction and when he finally starts to eat I slowly move away. My back collides with something hard, and I whirl around with a scream in my throat when I see one of the guys there.

“What are you doing?” That fear that hadn’t set in when I first saw them comes up now.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I was looking for the bathroom.” He steps back to give me space and doesn’t look threatening necessarily, but my dormant fears have sarked to life.

“I-it’s there.” I point to the door further down the hallway.

He glances over his shoulder and gives me a big smile when he turns around to look at me again. “Thanks.”

I expect his warm smile and gentle energy to fall and his dark side to creep out. He’ll crowd me against the door making it impossible to escape and then threaten me with pain if I don’t do as he asks. My whole body seizes up in fear, but he doesn’t do any of those things. Instead, he turns and walks down the hall and through the door without another word.

My racing heart thunders so loudly in my ears, and I feel dizzy like I might pass out any second. I suck in a few deep breaths and try to let all the fear seep out little by little. Once I feel like I can move without falling over, I head back toward the door leading back into the main bar. I stop short when I hear the two remaining guys talking quietly to each other.

“It’s too soon Han, we need to keep going. Besides we don’t know that Ash will agree.”

“He has to feel it like we do. This isn’t like before.” Han replies. “I think we should stay longer.”

What are they talking about?

“She’s the one, I know she is.” Han says confidently.

“We’ll see.”