Trust You?

"I'll protect you," he had said, and the weight of those words pressed down on me like a boulder.

I stood there in disbelief, my jaw hanging open as his words echoed in my mind. My heart raced wildly in my chest, the sound of its thumping drowning out everything else around me. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks, a blush spreading like wildfire across my face. My hands had turned clammy, the familiar sensation of nervousness overwhelming me.

But I couldn't afford to be distracted by these feelings, not now. Not when the stakes were so high. I had to push aside the rush of emotions threatening to consume me and focus on the task at hand. There was too much on the line, and I couldn't let myself be led astray by the overwhelming rush of adrenaline and conflicting emotions.

Taking a deep breath, I met his gaze and steadied myself. "Thank you," I managed to croak out, my voice barely above a whisper. I knew I couldn't let myself be swayed by the rush of emotions coursing through me, no matter how tempting it was to let myself get lost in them. There was too much at stake, and I had to keep my focus sharp and my wits about me.

"Just help me out with Nadia." he apathetically asked.

My forehead furrowed. "You kept on asking me the same thing. What's with Nadia, and why do you want to get rid of her? Why did you ask her out at first if you wanted to leave her in the end? Tsk! Pathetic."

He didn't say a word, instead he carried me to his car, and I was so stunned to even utter a word, I just found myself being comfortable in his arms. His face was so close to mine and I could even hear his breath. 

I shook my head once more to get the idea inside my head out. 

He carefully placed me in his passenger seat, and he sat in the driver's seat and started the engine.

We were so quiet the whole time and no one even wanted to end the deafening silence between us. I was about to close myself to have a rest when he suddenly spoke.

"Nadia's not my girlfriend. My father and her father just set us up on a date because of her wish."

"Are you a young boy?" I sarcastically replied.

"It's not as easy as you think it is. I cannot hurt Nadia."

"And is that because?"

He went silent again, so I think I crossed the line. But I also think I have the right to ask since he's asking me for something that'll only benefit him and will worsen my situation with Nadia.

I tried to look at him but when I met his gaze, I immediately looked at the window and cleared my throat.

"I just can't."

I sighed and nodded. Aside from being impossible, what else is the talent of this man?

"No one has ever dared provoke Nadia like that, not because they don't want to mess with her, but because their parents don't want to mess with her father. I need someone who can pretend to be my girlfriend, so they will stop this nonsense and Nadia will stop her craziness." 

"Sounds interesting, but I still have lots of matters to deal with," I replied, sounding like I didn't care because I didn't.

"Then deal with it."

"Have you gone mad?" 

"You will go through every hardship while making the plan with me, but I'll be there to protect you by all means. You can trust me with your matter too. I'll be there to help you with anything, in exchange for it."

His words may be fluttering, but I need more than protection.

"Anything?" I emphasized the word I wanted to hear to make sure I could benefit from this kind of deal.

"Anything."

"Then deal."

He dropped me off in front of my place and I didn't even bother to say bye or thank you, I just immediately went inside to take a very deep breath.

Everything is going smoothly now. The next thing to do is to find the guy who almost killed me because of a heart attack earlier.

I don't know if he could be an enemy or an ally, but it is now or never.

_

It's been 3 days since the incident and I bravely went back to the place where I was almost kidnapped or if not, I don't know what it is. As I arrived at the place, I expected him to be there, but not. Curiosity has driven me crazy these days.

I sighed when I realized how hopeless I was, so I went back to the university to not get suspicious of Alex and Lara. 

I staggered through the crowded street, the pain in my left stomach intensifying with each step. A stinging sensation radiated through my body, and when I reached down to touch the source, my hand came away slick with blood. Dizziness crept over me, and I could barely stand as the world blurred around me. Before my vision faded to black, I caught a glimpse of his concerned face, a sight I had never seen before. Was I in his arms again?

Is this a dream? If it is, why do you have to visit my dream with that kind of face, Canim? 

I tried to reach for his handsome yet worried face as I struggled to maintain consciousness. I felt a firm grip around me and heard his urgent voice. "Stay with me," he implored.

"You're going to be okay. Just focus on breathing." His words were a lifeline, grounding me amid the chaos and pain.

I clung to his presence, willing myself to stay present despite the overwhelming waves of nausea and weakness. His arms enveloped me, offering a sense of safety and security that I desperately needed at that moment.

As the commotion of the crowd swirled around us, I held onto his reassurance, determined to survive whatever ordeal had befallen me. In that fleeting moment, I found unexpected solace in the embrace of the one person whose concern had pierced through my haze of distress.