Chapter 14

-Jianna-

**"I KNOW WHO YOU ARE."**

Just those words. Nothing else. I trembled. My knees wobbled. I began to go down.

"Whoa! Whoa! Hey!"

A pair of strong arms caught me before I could hit the ground. I looked up and saw a man with piercing green eyes and a chiseled jawline staring down at me.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice husky and rough.

I nodded, unable to form words. My vision started to blur and my surroundings started to turn. I felt like I was going to throw up.

"Jianna. Are you ok? Hey. I got you." said the voice. It sounds familiar. Safe. I looked up and it was James.

"J I'm here. What happened?" When he called me "J" I found myself letting go. I wept in his arms just like I did that day on the way to the hospital. He took me to a nearby bench and let me cry.

When I didn't have any more tears to shed, I looked up at him. He had his arms around me still but he was staring at something that wasn't there. He felt me shifting and looked down at me.

"Hey," he whispered, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

"H-hey," I said in between gasps. I tried to get up but he kept me in his arms.

"What happened?" he said softly.

"Umm... I-I got a note. I don't know who's it from but i-it said that they know me. I don't even know me." I said, remembering the note again made me tremble. James felt it and held me close tighter.

"Hey. Hey. You're ok. I'm here. J, I'm here. Everything's going to be okay." he held me closer and I felt his warmth on me. I buried my face into his chest and let out a deep sigh. James's arms were like a shield that protected me from everything that could harm me. He whispered soothing words into my ear and I felt myself calming down.

"It's ok, J. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise," he said, his voice gentle and comforting.

I took a deep breath and looked up at him. His strong jawline and deep green eyes were the only things I could see. They were like an anchor amid a storm that threatened to consume me.

"Thank you. Again." I whispered. "You seem to keep catching me in the most unfortunate circumstances. Are you sure you sure you're not stalking me?" I chuckled lightly.

He gave me a warm smile. "Seems like it. Did you want me to go?" he asked, but he kept his arms around me.

"N-no. Please. Can you stay with me for a bit?" I panicked. I didn't want him to go. I felt safe with him.

"I'll stay as long as you want me to," he shushed.

We stood up from the bench and headed to the subway. He kept his arm on me and I felt the world quiet around me. Like there was only the two of us.

We got into the subway and surprisingly found a seat. He took his arm off me and ushered me to sit by the window. As soon as he was seated beside me, his arm wrapped around my shoulder again. I leaned into him, feeling his warmth and comfort radiate through my body.

"J, do you have any idea who could have sent the note?" he asked me softly.

I looked at him and his eyes were full of concern. I shook my head.

He nodded understandingly. "Yeah, I get that. But if someone is following you, or harassing you in any way, you need to tell me. We can get the police involved if needed. I won't let anything happen to you," he said, his tone serious.

I nodded again, feeling a sudden warmth spreading through my chest. It was a strange feeling. It's not the feeling I had when Sebastian kissed me. Butterflies weren't fluttering in my stomach; I wasn't feeling the giddy thrill of a crush. No, this was something deeper, something stronger. It was the feeling of safety, of being cared for, of being protected.

"Let's get you home," he said, standing up and taking my hand. We got off at the next station and walked out to the street. It was a quiet night, but I felt like we were in our little world. James walked me to my apartment building, and we stood outside the door for a moment. I wasn't entirely sure how to feel, but it wasn't uncomfortable. We just stood there and took in the night.

"Thanks for tonight, James. I don't know what would have happened if you didn't show up when you did," I said, smiling up at him.

"Anytime, J. I guess I'm unlucky that way," he chuckled.

"Oh! I see how it is." I giggled and tried to punch him in the arm. He grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me in for a tight embrace.

As his arms engulfed me, I could feel the heat radiating from his body. His breath was like a gentle wind, filling me with a sense of security and safety. His arms were an impenetrable fortress that shielded me from any evil lurking in the shadows. I felt my heart beating faster, my mind racing with thoughts that I couldn't quite decipher. I closed my eyes and let myself bask in the feeling of being held. I felt a sense of belonging with him that I couldn't explain, a feeling that had been absent in my life for as long as I could remember. I didn't want to let go, but eventually, he eased his arms and looked down at me.

We looked at each other for a long moment, and I felt a sudden urge to kiss him and I could tell that he did too. It was a strange feeling, one that made me second-guess myself, but I knew I couldn't. It's not fair to Sebastian. It's not fair to James. And I'm too vulnerable right now to be able to invest in something this intense.

I stood up straight and looked at him, "Thanks for taking me home James. I really appreciate what you did for me tonight."

He felt the shift in my mood and his expression went from soft to puzzled to icy cold. "Sure. Anytime, J." he put his hands in the pocket of his leather jacket and I saw the pain in his eyes even though his expression remained impassive. He began to leave and I started to put my keys into my door when I remembered something that bothered me.

"Hey, James?" I called out to him. He was at the bottom of my stairs already. He's quick. He turned around and I saw a glint of hope in his face.

"Yeah?" his voice sounded hopeful.

"Why do you call me J? I've never told you that it's a nickname or anything. No one else calls me that." I asked legitimately curious because I only knew about that name in my dream.

James scratched the back of his neck, a sheepish grin on his face. "I don't know, it just felt right. It suits you, J."

I nodded, feeling a small smile tug at the corners of my lips. "Oh. Okay, I was just curious. Goodnight, James."

The expression on his face fell again, "Goodnight, Jianna."

I watched him walk away, feeling a sense of loss wash over me. I didn't understand why I felt so drawn to him, but I knew that I couldn't pursue those feelings.

I went inside and locked the door behind me. I stood by the doorway for a couple of minutes when I got a knock at the door. I got scared again. What if it's the mystery man and he followed us and waited for James to leave? I was hesitant to open the door but I figured I couldn't be scared forever. Before I opened the door, I asked who it was. "Who is it?" I tried to make my voice as steady as I could.

"It's James." the voice said.

"Oh," I said, startled.

"Did you forget something?" I asked as I opened the door.

He just stood there staring at me. He was panting like he just ran a marathon and the look in his eyes was incredibly savage but there was a longing in them.

"James? Are you ok?" I asked trying to get him out of his apparent trance.

"I just needed to know something," he tried to say in between breaths.

"What is it?" I tilted my head and looked at him with concern.

He stepped forward and grabbed me by the waist, pulling me close to him. His lips crashed down on mine, hungry and demanding. I was caught off guard, but I couldn't resist the intense emotions radiating from him. I kissed him back with equal fervor, my hands wrapping around his neck as I melted into his embrace. He pushed me backward into my apartment and pinned me against the wall, his body pressing against mine. I heard my door close and I assumed that his foot closed the door. I don't even care at this point, my whole body was overcome with the spontaneity of the situation and the passion coming from James's lips.

Our bodies pressed together, the intensity between us almost agonizing. I felt his hands wander all over me, exploring every inch of my body. It was like he was looking for something and would not stop until he found it. And I was more than willing to be consumed by him.

After what felt like an eternity, we pulled away from each other, gasping for air. I looked at him, my heart racing, my mind a jumble of emotions. He looked back at me, his eyes full of raw emotion.

He leaned his forehead into mine, "I've been wanting to do that since the day I met you," he said, his voice husky with desire. He kissed my forehead and looked at me.

"Before you say anything, I don't want anything out of this but I just had to know," he said sadly.

"James...I" I started to say.

"No. It's ok. Don't." he said. He started backing up to get to the door.

"James." I tried to analyze the situation.

He turned around and opened the door.

Standing at my doorway looking like he was about to knock at my door,

"Sebastian," I said, surprised