CHAPTER THREE

ALIYA

“What part of let her go don't you fucking understand!” an unfamiliar voice sounded right behind me and in the second that followed, I heard a loud cracking sound and his hand was off me.

I peeled my eyes open to find him on the ground with his hand covering his nose and blood spilling from between his fingers.

“Who the fuck are you?!” The creepy man yelled, pissed at whoever just punched him.

His back was to me and I could only make out his frame from the black hoodie that he wore. From the looks of things, he was about 6’4 perhaps? But definitely well built.

He tsked, kneeling beside the man on the ground. “Do you know the one thing I hate more than cheats? It's scumbags like you who try to take advantage of women!” He yelled, delivering another punch to his face. “Don't you fucking know what a ‘no’ means?” He gave another punch. “It,” punch. “Means,” punch. “She's not,” another punch. “Interested,” and a final punch before he let him go.

The man on the ground dropped unconscious with his face badly disfigured that I feared if he was still alive.

But hey! All that matters is that I'm safe, right? He got what he deserved.

The other man stood up, his back still to me as he began walking away.

“Hey!” I called after him but his steps were so quick that I had to run after him in these heels.

Terrible choice by the way.

“Hey!” I called again as I caught up to him.

“What?” He said in a deadtone, displeased by the fact that I was calling out to him.

Rude much?

He turned around to face me and I had to take a step back, intimidated by him. Even in these 6 inch heels, he effortlessly towered above me and I had to lift my head to look at him but because of the moonlight shadows, I couldn't get a clear glimpse of his face.

“Oh um, I just wanted to say thank you, for um…for what you did back there,” I whispered as heat crept up my neck.

“Weren't taught not to wander alone, especially in places like this?” His voice was deep but harsh and it felt like he was almost accusing me for what just happened.

“What? I wasn't wandering —” I tried to defend myself, to let him know that the creep was following me and I was only trying to get away from him but he cut me off.

“You should thank your stars that nothing happened tonight. You might not be as lucky next time,” he said, his eyes scanning the little dress I had on which was already ripped on the arm.

I felt a wave of anger surge through me. Maybe because of what just happened or because he was clearly insinuating that I was at fault for that creep trying to force himself on me, but I found myself snapping my fingers in his face.

“Hey Mister whatever you call yourself. Clearly you think you're some kind of hero for coming when you did but that doesn't give you any right to assume things like that. If you're just going to judge someone based on the ten seconds that you've met them, then guess what I think. I think you're an egotistical human that thinks he's some kind of saviour and the world should be at his mercy. Why? Because apparently he…” I trailed off as a huge migraine rippled through me, my head spun and I was seconds away from passing out. Then, I felt a huge bile rush to my throat and I couldn't hold it in anymore.

Before I could turn around to throw up, I found myself emptying my guts on the man in front of me.

Suddenly, my eyelids felt very heavy and my knees felt weak. The last thing I heard was a curse from him before everything went black.