Meeting You

Chapter 1

Driving through the night was peaceful. It was one of the things loved to do when your thoughts became too heavy to bear. You had suffered your fair share of pain and regret like most 20 year olds, however, unlike most 20 year olds, you were not free per sé. Free is a funny word, isn't it? It means that you are not under the control or power of anyone, that you are not imprisoned or caged. Technically you were free, you weren't locked up in a cage, but you felt suffocated, tied up by the mental and emotional chains you yourself got in at the ripe age of 17.

Tonight would be different, you had told yourself this many nights before but nothing ever changed. After being in the same routine for so long, you needed a rush of adrenaline, something to make you feel alive, even if for a few seconds, something to make you forget. To achieve this, you had borrowed your older brother's Red Nissan GTR. It was one of your brother's most priced possessions, so he had warned you plenty before giving you the keys. The car was beautiful, and the drive was so smooth; what caught your attention the most was how little effort you had to make to hit 100 MPH. Swerving around cars you began to speed up, the thrill of driving fast had been an escape for you since you began driving, it was just you and the road at 2 a.m, just peace.

Coming up on the curve, already hitting 95MPH you decided to speed up a little more, see if you could turn without slowing down, but your calculations were wrong.

You lost control of the wheel and you felt the car spin violently for about 30 seconds then it came to an abrupt stop. Looking around you, you noticed nothing had actually happened to the car, which was a relief because your brother would kill you if it had. However you were now facing the opposite side of the highway on the edge of the bridge. Looking around you were thinking of how to turn so you could face the right way when you were blinded by bright headlights. Great, the cops, you thought to yourself rolling your eyes. You stayed in place and waited, not many cars were out at this time so you hadn't hit anyone and not many people if any had seen what happened, so how did they know?

The driver got out of the car, but for some reason he was not wearing a uniform, you also noticed the car does not look like a patrol, maybe he was undercover, you thought to yourself, You couldn't see the person's face, but you could see they walked with determination, You saw as he came up next to your window and knocked on it, then he leaned down to look at you, upon seeing his face, your heart began beating at an alarming rate, maybe even faster than it beat while you were spinning.

"Are you okay?" His voice was low, but oh so different.

"Yes," your voice was almost a whisper.

"Listen I saw everything, I am a doctor, do you mind if I check if you are truly okay?"

"Huh? So you are not a cop? Uh, really, I am fine, there's no need. I just want to go home."

He sighed, "I know it must be difficult talking to a stranger, I will call you an ambulance then."

I hate hospitals, I replied with more desperation, "No, no! I don't want to go to any hospitals, please, I just want to go home."

"Then you have to let me check you, miss."

Miss… ha, I hadn't been a miss for almost 3 years now, that word seemed so foreign, but I guess it made sense, he didn't know me.

I thought for a second, I guess having a doctor check me was better than going to an actual hospital, it couldn't hurt, right?

A part of me thought it would be okay to get out of the car, although a smaller part of me knew my mother would yell at me for being so trusting with a stranger at 2 a.m.

Without much thought I pulled the door open and got out of the car, it was then that I truly saw him under the light of the moon, he was taller than me, but not what the world would consider tall, maybe 5'8 or 5'9, with pale skin and a slim build.

"Ahem," he took a small flashlight from his pocket, "Please follow my finger with your eyes."

I did as I was told.

"Do you feel pain anywhere?"

Without thinking I shook my head no.

He nodded then asked me to walk back and forth and count with my fingers, he asked me simple questions to which I answered effortlessly.

"Okay, I think I have proven I am okay," I said while pulling my hair up in a ponytail, when he looked at me with concern filled eyes.

"Did you always have that bruise on your neck?"

"What bruise?" I asked as he pushed me to the side mirror.

It was green turning purple, and it went into my shirt and around the left side of my neck to my back, I hadn't felt pain until I actually saw it.

"There might be something fractured, you really need to go to the hospital."

I know normal people have no problem with hospitals, or check ups or anything similar, but I was not normal and I couldn't tell him why because he was a stranger but I promised myself I would never go back to a hospital and I was not going to break that promise.

I resolved he shouldn't care, it was my decision, to be honest I still didn't know why he had stopped to help, was he really just a good Samaritan? Did that exist anymore?

"I said I won't go to a hospital, I am fine! I just want to go home" It came out a little more harsh than I had originally intended.

He looked at me and clenched his jaw, "Fine, then I will have to escort you there to make sure you don't hurt anyone else on your way there!"

I rolled my eyes at his demand, "Why do you even care!? You can just leave you know."

"As a doctor I made a vow to save people's lives, to me that means I will try even if I am not at a hospital, I know you are not okay so I won't let you hurt yourself or anyone else." He opened my car door, "Get in, I will follow you home." I got in as he closed it for me, then he leaned down again and close to my ear, "Don't try to speed, I also have a very fast car." I flipped him off and saw as he went to get in his car.

I drove slower than usual, I guess I was trying to process what had happened, more so, how fast it had happened. My brother will never let me use his car if I tell him, my parents will be very disappointed if they hear how reckless I had been, not only while driving but while talking to a stranger in the middle of the night, and my husband, ugh, the less he knew, the better.

Arriving at my house I parked the car outside, and turned my headlights off, I didn't want anyone to notice a stranger had followed me home. I got out of the car as he parked behind me and did the same.

"Can I have your number?" He asked nonchalantly.

"Why?"

"Since you don't want to go to the hospital, it is only fair for me to check up on you, to make sure you're really okay. Usually, you won't feel pain until a few days after due to the adrenaline and shock."

He was so analytical, it made you wonder how many years he had had to study medicine to know this, he didn't look old, at all.

I took my phone out, without hesitating I became bold, "Put your number here instead."

He was dubious, "Are you really going to call me then?" he asked as he typed his number on my phone.

I nodded and when he gave it back I called him, he took his phone out feeling the vibration and showed me his screen, "Is this you?"

"Yep," I said while showing him my screen.

"Okay then, if you don't call me I will call you." He hesitated, then smiled, "And if you block me, just remember I know where you live."

"Fair enough, doctor."

He looked over to my house then back at me, "Go on inside, I won't leave until I see you go in."

Reality hit me then, I had to go back into my hell.

As I opened the door I saw him drive off, tonight had definitely been weird.

I got ready for bed and went to lay down on my side of the bed. I looked up at the ceiling trying to process all the events that had transpired tonight.

He was a doctor who saved lives, but he couldn't save me.

Then I felt the body next to me move closer to me as my husband wrapped his hand around my waist.

"I missed you," He said as he began groping me. I closed my eyes, he swiftly pulled my panties down and inserted himself in me, groaning. I hated this, and I hated him, but I couldn't escape. I was imprisoned again, and while he was enjoying himself, I was praying for it to end quickly. I went to my happy place, my body had to be there but my mind didn't. In that moment, a face appeared in my mind, that pale face I had seen earlier, he looked worried, and his words rang in my head again, "I will save you."