LIA POV
I had said it before I realized what it meant. I can't believe I was getting needy in front of a man. How did I get here? How could I have fallen in love when I detested men? Pat and Feed had also warned me sternly to stay away from every man. What's wrong with me?!!! I wanted to scream but I held it in so that Greg wouldn't think I had lost a screw up there.
“Well, if you want me to stay, I will,” he said and grinned. His grin said it all. He also wasn't eager to depart just yet. We walked into the house and I prepared a meal for us. While we ate, he did the same thing he had done the previous night - stealing glances at me.
“I can see you so stop it already,” I said, munching the mouthful I took in.
“See me how?” he asked, feigning ignorance.
“Stealing glances at me. It makes me uncomfortable, you know,” I said.
“What can I do? Your face gives me joy,” he said without hesitation. My heart slipped over ten beats, I felt it would explode. I was short of words so I simply giggled and continued eating while avoiding his gaze.
“The man who came over yesterday,” he said and that got my attention. He was referring to Pat. I had hoped he wouldn't get curious and start asking questions. I turned to face him without saying a word.
“Who is he? What's his name and how did you guys ever meet?” he asked.
I bet he had more questions demanding for answers but I couldn't divulge any information just yet. What if I was just love-starved which made me catch feelings so soon. Where do I begin my harassment story? I was engrossed in my thoughts so he tapped my hand.
“You zoned out completely. You don't want to talk about it?” he asked. I moved my head in disapproval. He sighed then took my left hand in his.
“Oftentimes, what I see whenever I look at you is a woman calling for help, wishing to be saved. You don't have to carry the burden all alone. I'm willing to help you carry it,” he said then moved his hand to caress my hair and face. “You don't have to stand his humiliation. Whatever story you have in the past doesn't determine your future. And just so you would know, I really don't give a shit about anything that happened as long as there's a change and you're ready for it,” he explained with his softest tone of voice. To be honest, isn't he dreamy? I moved my hand over his and intertwined it in his. He jerked a bit and I chuckled. He was hiding his surprise.
“I know that you've got my back and that fills my heart with joy. However, I prefer to avoid the topic for now. I don't even want to think about it,” I said, standing up from the chair.
“When it's the right time, I'll tell you everything,” I whispered and walked into the kitchen. When I stepped back out, he had already worn his coat.
“Leaving already?” I asked, pouting my lips without noticing I did. I didn't want to see him leave. I wanted to be around him all day. I could just follow him to his place but that might insinuate something else.
“Yeah, something came up. Thanks for the food. I'll catch up with you later,” he said and made for the door. I sensed that he was mad at me for hoarding information about myself. I couldn't mutter a ‘bye bye’ because I was sad to watch him leave. He had rubbed off on me even though I denied it.
GREG POV
I could not take it anymore. I was getting strong urges to get close to Lia. When she told me not to leave, I was on cloud nine as if I had just won a lottery but I could not stay as I wished I would.
A dark figure had been tailing us from the academy. I deliberately ate the meal at Lia's just to be sure and the dumb man could not even cover his tracks. I could see him through the window. I confirmed he was still there when Lia went into the kitchen then I grabbed my coat. She could not hide her sadness but I had to finish up the business without informing her. She could not even be aware of it. She'd be too scared.
I stepped out of the house and went into my car. I started the engine and drove off. I had set a trap for him. I knew he wasn't out to get me but Lia so I had to give him the chance. I parked my car at a distance then approached Lia’s house slowly. The man was unaware of my presence since it was dark and I had given him the confirmation that I was out of sight. He gawked at Lia through the window and made for her door but before he could be self-aware, I latched on him and dragged him from her front lawn. She didn't notice that something was going on. Perfect!
“You did not do your homework properly. If you did, you'd have discovered that you tailed the wrong person,” I said and pounced on the guy. I admit that he was strong. He gave me a kick in my tummy and brought out a pocket knife.
“Wrong move, man,” I said then grabbed his hand swiftly before he could start calculating. I threw him off balance then punched and slammed him against the wall. When he had grown weak, I grinned then whispered to his ears.
“I'll only keep you alive if you tell me who had sent you but I know you wouldn't so I'll just take your phone instead,” I said, pressing down his arm.
“You — You —,” he shouted. I grabbed his phone from his pocket and searched. Due to the nature of my job, I could pick up information instantly. My eyes captured the contact numbers then I dropped his phone and smashed him against the other side of the wall. He had become terribly weak.
“Since you've refused to bulge, I’ll just have to teach you a few lessons,” I said and picked a stick lying on the ground. “Next time, inform your boss that you missed Lia,” I raised the plank and dropped it on his hand. He screamed then winced in pain. “The next time I see you around her, you won't be walking out of here alive,” I said and walked away from the scene. In a few minutes, I was in my car. I logged into my agency's database and inputted the contact number.
“Pat Richardson?! Why's he trying to hurt his daughter?” I wondered.