Chapter 27 #2
I do not hesitate. I pull my wrist free while their attention is on him and hurry toward the motorcycle, my legs trembling beneath me.
Relief and leftover terror swirl together inside my chest as I climb on behind him and wrap my arms tightly around his waist. His body is warm beneath my fingers, solid and grounding, and I cling to it as if it is the only stable thing left in the world.
He does not say a word to the men. He simply turns his head slightly and gives them one sharp, icy look. It is enough.
Their expressions shift, amusement fading into irritation, then something closer to unease. One mutters a curse. Another steps back. Within seconds they retreat, dissolving into the shadows they came from as if they had never been here at all.
Dr. Nathaniel revs the engine once, the sound deep and steady, and then we speed away.
The city lights blur past us in streaks of gold and white. Cold wind lashes against my face and slips through my hair, but I barely feel it. I only feel the solid warmth of him beneath my hands and the gradual slowing of my heartbeat as distance grows between us and the alley.
He drives smoothly, confidently, never jerking or swerving, every movement controlled as if he is fully aware of my trembling grip without needing to look back.
A few minutes later, he pulls up outside a quiet café glowing with soft golden light. Inside, the air is warm and smells faintly of fresh pastries and brewed coffee, the calm atmosphere so different from the alley that it almost feels unreal.
We sit across from each other at a small table, and I wrap my hands around the warm cup he orders for me, letting the heat seep into my chilled fingers.
He watches me carefully, his dark eyes steady and observant. "What were you doing walking through that alley all by yourself?"
I explain, my voice still slightly unsteady, telling him about meeting Maddie near the bridge café, about how we talked longer than I planned, and how I chose the shortcut because I thought it would be quicker.
He listens without interrupting, his attention fixed entirely on me, as if every word matters.
"You should not take risks like that right now, Iris." He says at last, his tone calm but firm. "Not with everything happening around you."
I wipe my eyes and hesitate for a moment before asking, "What about you? What were you doing in that area?"
Dr. Nathaniel leans back slightly in his chair.
"I was riding past the far end of the alley." He says. "I noticed a silhouette further inside. A woman." He pauses briefly. "At first I did not realize it was you."
My stomach tightens at the thought of how close that moment came to going differently.
Tears rise again, blurring my vision. "Every time something bad happens near me, someone ends up dead. I’m scared that because I was with you tonight, something might happen to you too."
For a moment, he does not respond. He simply looks at me, really looks, as if weighing every word I just said. Something shifts in his expression. Not surprise exactly, but a quiet recognition, like he has just realized something he did not expect to hear.
The tension in his gaze softens first, the sharp focus fading into something warmer, almost contemplative. Then, slowly, the corner of his mouth lifts.
It is the first smile I have ever seen from him.
There is something unfair about it, the way that single expression transforms him from intimidating to breathtaking. His features are already striking in a sharp, sculpted way, but the smile adds warmth to the angles, life to the stillness.
It makes him look less like a man carved from stone and more like someone real, someone human, someone dangerously easy to trust.
"I am very capable of taking care of myself, Iris." He says quietly. "You should focus on keeping yourself safe instead of worrying about me."
A strange warmth spreads through me at his words, even though the fear still lingers. I tell him more about the stalker. Dr. Nathaniel listens thoughtfully, his expression thoughtful rather than alarmed, as if he is piecing together something invisible.
"Has he ever hurt you when he was with you?" He asks.
"No." I admit. "He never really harms me. He always pulls back at the last moment. That is what confuses me the most."
He nods slowly, absorbing that detail. "That is important. It suggests control, not chaos. We can talk more about it during our next session, if you would like."
I nod, though my mind is still tangled in everything we discussed.
A few minutes later, we leave the café together.
The ride back to my building is slower and quieter. He takes longer roads instead of shortcuts, as if he wants to stretch the feeling of safety for as long as possible.
When we stop outside my door, he remains on the bike while I unlock it, his eyes scanning the dark street carefully, alert and watchful, like he is memorizing every shadow.
I turn back to him before going inside. "Thank you for tonight. I do not know what would have happened if you had not shown up."
He looks at me for a moment, his expression unreadable, then puts his helmet back on. "Stay safe, Iris."
The engine roars softly as he drives away into the night. I watch until his taillight disappears around the corner, and only then does a sudden realization settle over me, heavy and unsettling.
Despite everything, the fear, the confusion, the danger, I feel safest when he is near me.
That thought lingers long after I step inside and close the door, wrapping around my chest like both comfort and warning at the same time.