He lost his way to me? What was that supposed to mean? The shop owner never did tell me who he was talking about. To tell you the truth, it freaked me out a bit. He obviously knew what and who he was referring to but left me totally in the dark. He could mean my father, but he didn't know my father, did he? Who else could it be? These were the queries I pondered while making my way to the restaurant. I also debated about telling my friends about the previous events. Maybe this man was known in the area for being crazy. Or maybe I'm the one being crazy. Ugh! I'm on the verge of gaslighting myself!
All of that disappeared when I turned the corner, however. There on the street were the creeps from earlier; the ones who banged on the window. It took them a second to see me and by then my brain had hatched a plan. You see, back in Europe I ran into situations like this. Not all the time but enough to know what to do. Quickly, I spun around and started walking in the opposite direction with a confident posture. This didn't work though, as proven when they began trailing me. Gees, it was usually one guy stocking me back home. I wasn't used to crowds of men but that didn't deter my plan. I was just getting ready to make a run for it, grabbing hold of my backpack straps. "Hey, where are you going, beautiful?!" One hollered out to me. Screw this! My feet adjusted, getting ready to bolt. But before I could make a move, a large strong hand reached out to grab me from behind.
That scared me. Or at least it did until I immediately shot my head over to see Jacob standing there. His strong grip didn't release on my arm. His stare was firm, furious, concerned, and kind all at once. "Don't make any sudden movements. Just stay by my side." Without thinking, my head nodding swiftly. Taking this to be my consent, Jacob moved his arm around mine in an escorting fashion. Then he walked the both of us back onto the street, looking more confident and determined than ever. Actually… it all happened so fast and I was so stunned to run into Jacob like that, I wasn't really that afraid anymore.
It took me ten seconds to realize what Jacob was doing. The looks on those creeps faces, Jacob's smug expression and deadly eyes, his arm protectively cradling mine and keeping me close. I knew when we walked past them, he was making a statement- an important statement. Jacob wasn't someone you'd want to go up against; he was physically too strong. Everything about him- from his demeanor to the glares he shot each and every one of them- were a declaration. He was clearly saying that they were not going to touch me; don't even look at me. I was not for them, and he was assertive that he felt it safe enough to take me by them.
Ok, I'm not gonna lie- that was one of the best moments of my life. How to describe it? Have you ever seen Howl's Moving Castle? Remember that scene where Howl escorts Sophie to the bakery? It was just like that. Someone so beautiful and strong coming to the rescue, and without being called. Jacob must have given off this air because the jerks instantly backed down, getting out of our way as we passed. Once we were down the street, Jacob looked down at me from the corner of his eye; he didn't let go of my arm.
"What are you doing wandering around out here so late?" His voice wasn't harsh per se, more so concerned. "I… I was going to…. wait, where did you come from?" Everything suddenly hit me like a title wave. I was here, with Jacob….. holding onto his arm. What?! How did this happen? Jacob's lips curled into a kind grin at my jumbled reaction. "I was out on a walk when I smelt… I mean when I heard your voice." "I don't remember saying anything," I didn't mean to say that out loud. "Uh, um… well….. Where to? I'll be your escort this evening." "Awe, you don't have to do that, Jacob. I'm just going to meet my friends." "No, I have to. I…."
Jacob's feet coming to a sudden, unexpected halt caught me off guard. Still holding onto my wrist, he made me turn in such a way as to look back at him. His eyes were pretty wide now, for some reason. "Where did you go?!" He demanded, alarming me a tad. "Uh, what do you mean?" "Why is he…! Um, I mean….. I just…. who else did you see tonight?" "Just my friends? Oh, and this man who owns a bookshop." "Bookshop? Wait… did he touch you?!" Jacob's voice panicked. I also flinched when he grabbed both my shoulders, holding me firmly in place. "W-what's wrong?! No, of course he didn't touch me. Wait, why? Is he a predator?!" "Yes! I mean… not in "that" way. Uh…. so, he didn't hurt you then?" "No? Why…? Hang on, how did you know about him?! Or that I saw him tonight?" I forced myself out of Jacob's grasp. His face went from puzzled to very distressed.
"Look, let's just go talk about this somewhere, Athénaïs," he went into instant repair mode. Too late. I wanted answers and I wanted them now. All the glorious feelings from earlier were all but gone. There were too many secrets flying around for my liking. "What's going on, Jacob?" My arms crossed for emphasis. "I'll tell you, I just…. we need to do this somewhere else, please." "I can't. My friends are waiting for me," that and my stomach thought that now was a perfect time to growl. Hearing this, he watched me for a second longer before sighing heavily. "Alright, come. I'll take you to meet your friends." I was about to deny his offer but for some bizarre reason, I couldn't formulate the words in my head. It was like, despite everything, I still wanted to be near him…. as insane as that sounds. And no; I still have no clue where these feelings came from. Instead, I remember my hand reaching out to take Jacob's, with his long fingers curling protectively around mine.
The restaurant, or rather diner- a different one than I frequented with my father- wasn't a far walk. Jacob didn't let go of my hand the whole way; he didn't say anything either. But I did catch him peaking at me through the corner of his eye a couple of times. This made me smile; deep, deep down I smiled. This grin vanished at the sight of Jessica and glasses-girl standing outside, presumably waiting for me. "Erm, hi guys. I'm sorry I'm late." "Where were you?" Glasses-girl asked me first; I really should learn her name sometime. "Uh, well…" "We messaged you." "Yeah, we waited but… we were like starving and um….."
Both their eyes drifted up to the tall, broad figure coming up behind me. Their expressions were priceless; shocked and exhilarated all at once. Jacob flashed his classic brilliant grin; the one that made hearts stop. "Sorry I made Athénaïs late. We just ran into each other and….. got talking," his smile grew. This guy, I eyed him pleasantly surprised. He's smooth; I'll give him that. My friends gave these splendid smiles too, shaking their heads speedily. "N-no. No, we totally understand. We mean….. that happens, right?" It does? "Um, we were…" "We were just leaving," we watched as they went by us. "So, Amsterdam, do you wanna….?"
"Uh, I think I should make sure Athénaïs gets something to eat," Jacob quickly intervened. I blinked back to him; the sincerity and desperation in his tone… Everything he said in regard to me sounded….. so heartfelt, and natural… if that's not too narcissistic. It was so organic- this raw affection- that my head nodded before I could fully comprehend the scenario. "I'll drive you home myself," super-relieved, Jacob's posture instantly relaxed. The girls also noticed, their grins beginning to fade. "That's so thoughtful," glasses-girl turned to face me. "It's really thoughtful," Jessica tacked on. "Y-yes, thank you, Jacob," I managed to blurt out. Then I spun to address my friends as they began to make their exit.
"So, I'll… we'll see you at school tomorrow?" "Sounds good," I said, still kind of foggy from this evening's events. "See ya." Jacob waited until they were gone before smiling down to me; a striking smile. I still had questions, I slowly realized as my feet turned back in his direction. So many questions… "Shall we?" Jacob's hand reached out for mine; the perfect complement to his flawless smile. Yes, I needed to start asking questions; there were just too many variables to ignore. A radiant smile began to blossom over my own lips. Still, whenever he looked at me like that, with those endless eyes and authentic elated expression….. I had questions, but when he looked at me and I seriously considered it, I don't think I actually cared if I got the answers.
