Chapter 3: Craving Danger

The scorching rays of the sun were what finally woke me up. I was about to shift positions to ease the stiffness in my neck when it hit me, I wasn’t even lying down. I’d dozed off sitting upright by the bed because of one demanding patient who’d claimed my bed for himself last night.

Speaking of that patient...

I quickly lifted my head and nearly had a heart attack when I saw the bed empty.

Panic surged through me as I searched every corner of my house, even the toilet, just in case he squeezed himself in there somehow. But nope, nothing. The bastard was gone. Vanished. He really ran off.

And not even a single goodbye?

Not a thank you?

Not even a number?

Unbelievable.

“God, life is tough! It’s hard being a good citizen in this country when you have to help people like that,” I grumbled loudly to myself, trying to shake off the irritation buzzing in my head.

Since it was still early, I decided to head back to bed and catch up on the good sleep I missed. I didn’t even enjoy my nap earlier, after all, some guy stole my spot and knocked me out of my own bed. My body was sore from sleeping while sitting up, and in the end, he just up and left me like that?

The audacity.

“Why couldn’t he have just let me sleep beside him?” my shameless brain whispered.

No matter how annoyed I was at that guy, it was still his body, his ridiculous physique that kept popping into my head.

Just as I was about to lie down on my bed, I noticed a piece of paper resting on the bedside table. I grabbed it right away and read it, maybe it was some kind of parting gift that could help pay for Mama’s hospital bills.

“Hey, let’s meet again.

–Your boss”

My irritation flared up as I read his cheap note. Not a single word of thanks, not even a hint of payment, just a reminder that he saw me as some kind of servant.

“Boss, huh? That guy’s got some nerve. Just because I took care of him, he thinks he can call himself my boss?” I muttered to myself, like I was talking to a complete lunatic.

Inhale, exhale, I kept repeating the rhythm, trying hard to calm myself down. “He’s ruining my day so early,” I grumbled to no one but myself.

I honestly didn’t know how else to settle my nerves. And I doubted sleep would come anyway because every time I thought of him, irritation just kept looping in my mind. So, I decided to just eat out instead.

After my shower, I stood in front of the mirror and stared at the reflection that looked so far from who I really was.

Short hair, flat chest, wearing men’s clothes, that was the persona I faced every day. Meanwhile, the real me had been buried long ago, and I wasn’t even sure if I could ever bring her back.

“When will I ever be free from their control?” I asked myself sadly, haunted by all the struggles I never got to live.

If it weren’t for the debts and responsibilities I ran away from, I probably wouldn’t hide the woman inside me. But it’s okay, for Mama, I’m willing to put myself last.

I let out a deep, heavy sigh and pushed all those worries out of my mind.

I finally stepped out of the house and headed to my favorite eatery. Honestly, I only come here when I have extra cash or just got paid because most of the time, I eat at home to save money. But since my mood is pretty low today, I decided to let myself enjoy for once.

My order arrived quickly, so the moment I sat down, I dove right in.

I suddenly stopped eating when a man paused beside me. When I looked up, there he was, smiling right at me. “Hi, can I sit here?”

I furrowed my brow, confused by his behavior. For one, I didn’t even know him, and two, there were plenty of empty tables around, so it was odd that he came over just to sit with me.

There was something about this guy… something… something handsome.

“Sure, have a seat,” I said with a smile. It’s not every day a good-looking guy comes up to me. For a woman like me, who’s been denying her feminine side, this felt like a rare blessing.

I wasn’t planning on bothering the handsome guy in front of me, I just wanted to keep eating when suddenly he spoke up. “Hi, I’m Jett.”

I tilted my head, puzzled and a bit thrown off by his weird move. Who actually comes over to sit at your table and then introduces themselves like that?

But well, since he was handsome, I introduced myself too. “I’m Alli.”

“Alli? What a feminine name, bro,” he said with a chuckle. I wasn’t sure if he was teasing or just joking, so I didn’t respond right away.

He must’ve sensed I was a little offended because his expression quickly turned serious, and he went quiet.

“So, you’re probably wondering why I’m even talking to you, right?” he said with a friendly smile. “I just wanted to thank you for taking care of my cousin.”

“Cousin?” I repeated, brows furrowing.

I mentally scanned all the people I’ve helped recently, then boom, the memory of those abs... I mean, that guy’s face, came crashing back. The one I took care of last night... the one who ditched me without a word.

“You mean the guy who’s scared of hospitals? The one with a bodybuilder frame but freaks out over a little wound? The guy who ran off and left me hanging?” I fired off my questions one after another, and he just kept nodding like a bobblehead.

“That’s the one! He’s my cousin,” he said with a laugh, probably because of all the shade I just threw at the guy.

“He’s actually waiting for you somewhere. He asked me to come pick you up and bring you there.”

“He’s waiting for me? Why? I mean... why go through all this trouble? Wouldn’t it have made more sense for him to come here instead of sending you like some errand boy?” I asked, genuinely confused.

I mean, he was the one who owed me, not the other way around. If he was nearby, why didn’t he just show up himself?

“I don’t really know either,” he said with a shrug. “He just told me you two had some kind of agreement to meet again, so... here I am, picking you up.”

My temper flared all over again the second those words left his mouth.

Agreement? What agreement? There was no such thing. He decided that on his own, and worse, he wrote it on a piece of paper while I was fast asleep. And now he wants me delivered to him like some kind of package?

I stood up abruptly and shot a sharp glare at the guy in front of me. “Let’s go. Take me to him.”

I knew this was risky. I knew there was danger in blindly following someone I barely knew. But what could I do?

I love being in danger.

After all, I grew up surrounded by it.