WHEN I OPENED MY EYES

CHAPTER 4: 

Darkness didn’t come all once. It slowly swallowed me. Piece by piece.

The sound of tires still echoed in my ears. My body felt weightless. I felt like I was floating away from the pain and fear.

For a moment there was nothing. No Kieran. No house. No running. Just silence.

Then I heard voices. They were distant and muffled. Someone said, "Is she breathing?" Another voice said, "Call an ambulance!”

My consciousness flickered like a dying light. Pain came next. It was sharp and sudden. It was everywhere. My chest tightened as air rushed into my lungs. A broken gasp escaped me. I dragged myself back into my body.

“She’s alive!" someone shouted. The voice was now. It was clear. It was a man. He sounded urgent.

I tried to open my eyes. They wouldn’t cooperate. My lashes fluttered weakly. The world was still dark.

“Hey… hey can you hear me?" That voice again. He was closer. He was above me. He sounded warm. Not angry. Not cold. Not dangerous.

My fingers twitched slightly against the ground. It was a movement.. It was enough.

“I think she’s coming around, " the man said quickly.

Everything felt heavy. My body. My head. My thoughts. It was like trying to swim through water. Slow. Exhausting. Painful.

I forced my eyes open. Just a little. Blinding light hit me. I flinched. The world came back in fragments. Blurred shapes. Shadows. Movement.

Then I saw a face. He was hovering above me. I couldn’t make out the details clearly.. I saw enough. Dark hair. Sharp jawline. Eyes focused on me with concern.

“Hey " he said softly. His voice was steady but urgent. "Stay with me okay?”

My lips parted.. No sound came out. Everything hurts. Even breathing.

“Ambulance is on the way, " someone else said in the background.

I blinked slowly. I tried to understand where I was. The street. The cold ground beneath me. The faint smell of rubber and dust in the air.

Then it hit me. Kieran. My body tensed. Panic sliced through the fog in my mind.

I tried to move. I tried to sit up.. A sharp pain shot through my side. A weak cry escaped my lips.

“Hey—no no don’t move, " the man said quickly. He gently pressed a hand near my shoulder. He wasn’t forcing. He was just steadying.

“K…" My voice cracked. It was barely audible. "Kieran…”

The name felt like poison on my tongue. His expression changed. Confusion. Concern.

“Who’s Kieran?" he asked.

My heart raced wildly. Fear clawed its way back into my chest.

“He… he’s coming " I whispered. My voice trembled. "I need to go…”

I tried to push myself up. I ignored the pain. I ignored the dizziness. I ignored the weakness.

I had to leave. I had to get before—

“Amara!”

The voice cut through everything. It was loud. It was familiar. It was terrifying.

My blood ran cold. No. No no no. He found me. Already.

My body froze. My eyes darted past the man above me.. There he was. Standing a few feet away. Breathing hard. Eyes locked on me. Kieran.

Relief flashed across his face. Then possession. Then anger. All within seconds.

“There you are, " he said. His voice was tight. He stepped closer.

Panic exploded inside me. My fingers gripped weakly at the stranger’s sleeve. "Please…" I whispered. "Don’t let him take me…”

The man above me stiffened slightly. His gaze shifted from me to Kieran. He assessed. He measured. He understood.

Something in his posture changed. It was subtle.. It was real. Protective.

“I think you should stay back, " the stranger said calmly. He stood up slightly. He positioned himself between me and Kieran.

Kieran stopped. His eyes narrowed.

“. Who the hell are you?" he asked coldly.

“Someone who just stopped her from getting killed by my car " the man replied evenly.

The tension between them snapped tight instantly. Kieran’s jaw clenched.

“That’s my wife, " he said. His tone was sharp with ownership. "Step aside.”

My heart pounded harder. The word wife felt like chains tightening around me

I shook my head weakly. Tears slipped down the sides of my face.

“No…" I whispered. "Please…”

The stranger glanced down at me briefly. Just for a second.. It was enough. He saw it. The fear. The desperation. The truth.

When he looked back at Kieran his expression had hardened.

“She doesn’t look like she wants to go with you, " he said.

Kieran let out a laugh. It was humorless.

“She’s confused, " he replied. "She’s hurt. That’s my responsibility.”

“No, " I whispered again. My voice trembled. "No, no…”

My hands shook. I tried to pull myself.. My body refused to cooperate.

Pain anchored me in place. Helpless. Trapped. Not again. Please… not again.

“Amara, " Kieran said. His voice softened suddenly. He took another step forward.

The words should have comforted me. Once upon a time they would have.. Now… They only made everything worse.

I flinched. Actually flinched.

That was the moment everything changed. The stranger saw it. Clear as day.

The way my body reacted to him. The way fear replaced everything. The silence that followed was heavy. Loaded.

Then—

“I don’t think she’s safe with you.”

The words were calm.. Firm. Unshakable.

Kieran’s eyes darkened instantly.

“You’re crossing a line, " he said coldly.

“And you’re standing close to someone who’s asking for help " the stranger replied just as calmly.

Sirens echoed in the distance. Loud. Approaching.

My heart leaped. Help. Real help.

Kieran heard it too. His expression shifted. Not fear. Not exactly.. Calculation. Fast. Sharp. Dangerous.

His eyes flicked to me again. Then back to the stranger. Then to the road.

We all knew what was happening. Time was running out.

“Amara, " he said. His voice was low now. It was intense. "Don’t do this.”

Tears blurred my vision.

“I’m not doing anything " I whispered. "I’m just… trying to live.”

Something flickered across his face. Something raw.. It didn’t last.

The sirens got louder. Closer. Almost here.

The stranger stepped forward. He blocked Kieran fully now.

A silent warning. A clear line drawn.

For a moment it looked like Kieran might push past him. Might force his way. Might take me anyway.

My breath caught. My entire body tensed. Waiting. Bracing.

Then—

He stopped. His jaw clenched tightly. He looked down at me one time.

Something unreadable passed through his eyes. Not defeat. Never that. Something else.

A promise. A warning.

“I’m not done, " he said quietly.

The words sent a chill through me.

Then he turned.. I walked away.

Just like that.

The tension snapped. My body sagged instantly. The strength drained out of me all at once.

The sirens arrived seconds later. Bright lights. Voices. Movement everywhere.

Hands carefully lifted me. Questions I couldn’t answer.

“Stay with us, miss.”

“You’re going to be okay.”

“We’ve got you.”

Got me. The words echoed faintly in my mind as everything started to fade

This time… It felt different. Not like falling. Not, like fear. Something softer. Something uncertain.

As they lifted me onto the stretcher my gaze drifted weakly to the side. Searching. Finding. Him. The stranger.

Standing a step away. Watching. Making sure I was safe.

Our eyes met for a second.. At that moment… Something shifted.

Something was very quiet.

Something was really important to me.

I did not know his name. I had no idea.

I also did not know why he stayed with me.

But for the time, in what felt like a very long time

I did not feel totally alone, it was a good feeling.

My eyes got blurry again. Darkness started to move in around the edges.

The last thing I heard before it all went quiet was an asking

“Ma’am can you please tell me your name?”

My lips mo

ved a little bit. They were trying to form words.

It was a question I should be able to answer easily.

The word just would not come out.

Because all of a sudden

I was not so sure anymore I was really confused.