Maddy
MADDY
I ’m curled up in bed, the soft blankets wrapped around me like a shield. Cat and Chiara are here, keeping me company, their presence comforting in a way I can’t put into words. They’ve been sitting with me for what feels like hours, Cat’s hand resting gently on my arm while Chiara keeps up a steady stream of conversation, trying to distract me. But I’m not really listening.
I’m still replaying everything in my head. The man, the knife, the way he pressed me down to the floor, the cold bite of the blade as it grazed my skin.
I shudder, squeezing my eyes shut, but the images won’t go away. It feels too real, too fresh.
“,” Cat says softly, her voice pulling me out of my thoughts. “You’re safe now. He’s gone.”
I nod, but I can’t stop shaking. My mind knows it’s over, but my body hasn’t caught up. The fear is still there, wrapped tightly around my chest like a vice. My throat feels raw, my mouth dry, and I know it’s because I screamed.
I screamed Mihai’s name.
It was the first word I’ve said since… since everything.
I haven’t spoken in weeks; I don’t even know how long it’s been. But tonight, in the middle of that terror, I found my voice again. And it wasn’t for anyone else. It was for him.
“?” Chiara’s voice breaks through my thoughts, and I blink up at her. She’s looking at me with that sharp, no-nonsense expression she always has, but there’s softness there too, concern. “You need anything? Want me to grab you some tea or something?”
I shake my head, forcing a small smile. I appreciate her asking, but there’s nothing they can do to fix this. The worst part is over, but the weight of what almost happened is still crushing me. I can’t shake the thought of how close I came to… what? Dying? Worse?
I don’t know. And I don’t want to know.
My phone vibrates on the nightstand, and I reach for it, already knowing who it’s from. Mihai’s been texting me every hour since he left the room—checking in and making sure I’m okay. I pull it into my lap, feeling the warmth spread through me as I see his name on the screen.
Mihai:
You okay?
I stare at the message, my fingers hovering over the screen as I try to think of how to respond. Part of me wants to just say yes and pretend like everything’s fine. It would be easier. Less messy.
But the truth is, I’m not okay. And I don’t want to lie. Not to him. So, I type out a quick response before I can overthink it.
:
No.
There’s a long pause, and I can almost feel his frustration through the silence. He hates this. Hates not being able to fix it. But there’s nothing he can do right now. Nothing anyone can do. His reply finally comes through:
Mihai:
I’m coming back.
My heart skips a beat, and I quickly type back.
:
No, you don’t have to. Cat and Chiara are here.
My phone buzzes again, pulling me from my thoughts.
Mihai:
I don’t care. I want to be there.
Before I can respond, Cat speaks softly, “He’s worried about you, you know.”
I nod, glancing at her. I know he’s worried. He wouldn’t have rushed in like that, wouldn’t have torn that man apart if he wasn’t. But it’s more than that. Mihai has become… something else to me. Something more than just a protector. I just don’t know what that means yet.
Chiara lets out a long sigh. “They’re doubling security. This place is locked down tighter than a nun’s cooch. No one’s getting in again.”
That should make me feel better, but the truth is, I don’t know if anything can make me feel completely safe right now. There’s a traitor amongst their most trusted—someone who wanted me dead. And if it hadn’t been for Mihai…
I stare at the message for a long moment, my heart twisting. I want him here too. But at the same time, I don’t want to be a burden. I don’t want him to feel like he has to drop everything for me.
:
It’s okay. Really.
A few seconds later, his response comes through, and I can almost hear the frustration in his voice.
Mihai:
It’s not okay.
I sigh, sinking deeper into the blankets as I hold the phone against my chest. He’s relentless. But in a way, it’s comforting. I’ve spent so long feeling like I’m drowning— like I’m all alone in this mess. But with Mihai, it’s different. He doesn’t let me go. Even when I’m pushing everyone away, he’s still there.
The girls keep talking quietly beside me, but I’m too caught up in my own thoughts to really follow the conversation. I keep thinking about how close everything came to falling apart tonight.
How I almost… died. And how the only name I could scream was Mihai’s.
I don’t know what that means. I don’t know what we mean. But I do know that when everything crumbled around me, he was the only person I wanted to save me.
My phone buzzes again, and I glance down at it.
Mihai:
You sure you don’t want me there right now?
I hesitate, biting my lip as I think about how to answer. Do I want him here? Yes. But am I ready to face him? To let him see how scared and vulnerable I still am? I’m not sure.
But then I think about how he held me earlier, the way he whispered to me in Romanian, the way he made me feel safe when nothing else could. And suddenly, the idea of him being here isn’t so scary anymore.
I take a deep breath and type.
:
Yes. I’m sure. You have things to take care of.
He responds almost immediately.
Mihai:
I want to take care of you too. But okay, if you’re sure. I’m just a text away. You need me, you call. I don’t care what time it is.
I smile. It’s a small, tentative thing, but it’s real. I can feel the tension in my body easing, just a little, knowing he’s there, knowing he’ll come if I need him.
Chiara catches my smile and raises an eyebrow. “What’s he saying?”
I shrug, showing her the screen.
Chiara smirks. “He’s got it bad for you.”
My eyes widen, and I feel my cheeks heat up. I quickly shake my head, typing out a message.
It’s not like that.
Chiara chuckles. “Sure, sure. But anyone can see the way he looks at you.”
Cat squeezes my arm gently. “That’s a good thing, . You deserve someone who looks out for you.”
I nod, but I’m not sure what to make of any of this. Mihai is… complicated. Intense. He’s not the type of person you just let in without thinking twice. And yet, here he is, working his way into my life whether I’m ready for it or not.
As the girls talk around me, their voices a soft hum in the background, I glance at my phone again, rereading Mihai’s messages. There’s something about him that makes me feel safer than I have in a long time. Even when everything else is falling apart, I know he’s there. He’ll always be there.
I can still feel his arms around me, his cologne wrapping around me like a promise. I can’t believe the guy I was so terrified of, could make me feel so safe.
Smiling, I type one last message before setting my phone aside.
:
Thank you for protecting me.