6. Savior

"Your girl?" Henry sounded flabbergasted.  

Even Innessa stared at her savior, dumbfounded. Despite all the fear, she felt a little dip in her stomach.  

The girl would be out of her damn mind to feel butterflies in such a dire situation.  

"Are you deaf?"  

Innessa gulped as her eyes darted to his Adam's apple. He had such a deep manly voice, and his British accent was the cherry on top.  

His attitude was that of a vicious king, as if he didn't care that he was one against three of them. He could easily tell her to get lost, but instead, he decided to help her. She couldn't thank him enough for that.  

If he wasn't there, then she didn't even want to think about what Henry and his friends might've done to her.  

Henry flinched at his direct insult. "Prove that you guys are dating," Henry said, though he looked scared. He was pulling on a brave facade, but his friends were already stepping back.  

Innessa stiffened when the tall, huge man holding her pulled her closer through her waist. His free hand moved up, and he grabbed the nape of her neck dominantly, his fingers slowly threading into her silky locks, sensually pressing on her scalp. He tugged her head back, earning a startled gasp from her.  

Her eyes broadened when her eyes met those smoldering eyes, which looked like the darkest and ethereal shade of sunset she had ever seen. He pulled her closer, and her heart lurched in her mouth.  

He'd kiss me!

Innessa gripped his jacket tighter. One of her palms rested on his chest as she tried to stop him. But he only inched closer. He was so tall and looked huge in front of her. She was facing the sky because of his grip while he hovered over her.  

She was completely at his mercy. Scared. Thrilled. And slightly tempted. The thought left her baffled.  

He inched so close that his hot breath caressed her trembling lips. Her eyes shut tightly, and with tense shoulders, she braced herself as if he wasn't going to kiss her but rather kill her.  

There was no guarantee. What if she dies because of the kiss? After all, it was her first kiss. The way her heart was beating, at the edge of bursting out of her chest, could lead her to a sudden stroke.  

Innessaaaaaaa! It's a sin. Snap out of it!

All the rational thoughts flew out of the window of her mind when his lips ghosted over hers, a slight graze and a jolt of electrifying current zapped through her spine.  

Just when she was about to give in, he pulled back, and she felt his warmth gone.  

"Why the f*ck do I prove anything to you, Smith. You sure you want to mess with me?" His deep voice filled the silence as she felt the vibration of his voice through her palm resting on his chest.  

Her savior let go of her, and she had to grab the wall to support herself because her legs were jelly.  

He prowled over to Henry in two long strides, and Innessa watched, stunned at how vicious he looked in front of Henry. Henry wasn't short; he was 6 feet, but her savior looked like 6'2. 

There was something dark and ruthless about his whole vibe. He could easily be taken for a gangster.  

"You want to lose a bone or two?" Her savior sneered menacingly while dropping his head to Henry's height, who stepped back with an ashen face. Without another word, he hurried out of there while his friends had already left.  

Once Henry stepped into the club through the back door.  

Mr. Knight in shining armor turned to face her. Her breath hitched when his dark eyes met her gaze.  

Innessa swallowed thickly as she tried to come up with an explanation, but her system had malfunctioned because of his presence.  

Now, as it was just the two of them, he looked very intimidating. No wonder Henry was scared of him.  

He stopped right in front of her at a two-foot distance.  

Innessa was the first to break eye contact. His gaze was so intense, piercing through her soul. There was something so different about his eyes.  

"T... Thank you," She stuttered, holding her hands together while staring at the floor, which looked interesting all of a sudden.  

Two days back, I got to know I have a girlfriend in the psychology department. The funny part was I didn't even know her," He rasped, voice a deep baritone potent with a British accent.  

Her stomach squeezed into tight knots, and she felt like crying. Innessa was embarrassed out of her damn mind as her cheeks flushed red in shame.  

So, he knew.  

God, it's time to summon me.

"I... I'm sorry," Her voice was small as she lowered her face further. Just wanting to disappear from the face of the earth.  

"For?" 

"I'msorrybutIhadnochoicebuttouseyournametoescapemybullies-" She was mumbling, which came to a screeching halt when something cold touched under her chin.  

It was his phone as he raised her face and made her look at him. 

"Much better," He rasped.  

"I don't understand mumbling," he said calmly.  

Her eyes widened when their gaze clashed, and she flushed because of his words. Innessa quickly averted her gaze and fixed it on his shoulder, trying to calm her heart down. She was nervous out of her wits.  

"I... I'm sorry. That night I... I bumped into you when Henry was chasing me; you might not remember me. But Henry left me alone after seeing you. So, when he cornered me next time I... I used your name to get out of the situation," she said sheepishly while fidgeting with her fingers.  

"So, you told them I'm your boyfriend?" 

"Y... Yes. I'm sorry," she said in a small voice, feeling like crying.  

"What's your name?" 

"Innessa..." She met his gaze.  

"Innessa Laskin," she said.  

"Innessa," Her name in his voice sounded so exotic and good.  

"Do you know who I am?" 

"Issac Knight," She breathed, chewing on her bottom lip in nervousness.  

"And?" 

"Thank you for saving me," she said, peering a glance at him, only to find him peering down at her vehemently.  

"Here," She stared at his phone, dumbfounded.  

"Put your number in," he said as she hesitantly grabbed his phone and was about to put her number in, but then paused, meeting his eyes.  

"Uh, why?" 

He cocked a perfect brow at her. A faint smirk curved his lips.  

"Don't you think your fake boyfriend should have your number so if they bother you again, you could reach out to him?"  

"Oh, yes. You're right," She mumbled, putting her number in and handing him the phone. He saved it and called her.  

"Where's your phone?" 

"I... In the club." 

"Come," he said, walking ahead of her into the club, and she cluelessly followed him.  

Innessa went to the sitting area, and Scarlett was already there. Innessa turned to face him, only to bump into him because he was too close. Her nose throbbed because his chest was like a wall of cement.  

"Sorry," She blurted, stepping back.  

"Thank you for the help. My friend is there, I'll go home with her," she said, staring at Scarlett, who looked worried. Darla walked over to Scarlett, and they both started talking.  

"Very well," he said, turning on his heels and walking away from there. She watched as his tall frame disappeared through the crowd.  

Innessa walked over to her friends, and they looked at her worriedly. "I thought someone abducted you," Scarlett said in a serious tone. 

"Don't be so dramatic," Darla smiled. "Where were you?" She asked.  

"I... I met one of my classmates and was talking to her," She lied.  

"Babe, next time take your phone and bag along, just so we know you aren't kidnapped," Scarlett mused as the girls stepped out of the club and headed home.  

Innessa changed into her pajamas and tossed her weight on the bed as the earlier events reeled in her head nonstop.  

Her savior was such a kind man. He handled the situation so smoothly and acted so well. It almost felt real to the point she got butterflies when he referred to her as my girl.  

Innessa opened her I*******m. She was already following Scarlett and Darla. She typed Isaac's name in the search bar. She scrolled through when her eyes fell on the familiar profile picture. It was Issac leaning against his Mustang.

She opened his profile, and to her surprise, it was public.  

She scrolled through his posts, which were very few; a couple of them were black and dark aesthetic blurred pictures of him. One picture of the fighting ring in particular caught her eye.  

There was a picture in which he was standing with two other guys. They looked almost identical, and they were as handsome as him. She read the caption, which had a hashtag brothers. Issac had brothers?  

There was not a single picture of a girl. And from his profile, it looked like he was single. Not only this, but he also agreed to help her, which only meant he was single because if he had a girlfriend, she would be against such a notion, guaranteed. He was so handsome, and tall, with that bad-boy vibe, but such a gentleman. It was weird that a guy like him was single. Maybe he was single by choice.  

She clicked on his following list and noticed that he had followed some athletes. She scrolled down searching for any girl when her phone vibrated with a message, and as she read the text, her phone fell on her face in shock.  

She winced in pain. It freaking hurts.  

Innessa abruptly sat up straight as she stared at the text.  

'Issac here, save my number.'  

She read it a couple of times, feeling unfamiliar butterflies doing tango in her belly.  

Inhaling deeply, she calmed her nerves down and typed.  

'Okay.' 

He read the message, and no reply came.  

'Thanks for helping me out.' 

'No worries. Meet me at the parking lot after your classes tomorrow.' 

She blinked at the text, thinking she read it wrong.  

Despite asking him why. Like a dumbo, she typed and sent.  

'Okay 😊' 

He read the message, and she flopped back on the bed with a sigh, touching her lips. Thank God, he didn't kiss her. For a minute, she thought he'd kiss her, and the way he held her.  

Innessa slapped both of her cheeks hard, causing them to sting.  

Forgive me, God, I'll protect my thoughts and keep them pure.

She thought with determination and snuggled into her sheets as she drifted into a deep slumber.