Chapter 5

The door casually opened with the third knock, with Ian standing and holding the doorknob. I had tried talking him into holding a weapon in case he needed it, so he actually had one right now hidden in his trousers. My kitchen knife.

I waited for the danger, ready to act out in any way that I could, but then, as soon as the door was open, Ian suddenly paused. I watched him suddenly spread a smile at whoever was at the door, shake their hands, and extend the door much wider for them to come in.

Raising a curious brow, I adjusted from my defensive position and slowly came out into view as the footsteps made it in, and instantly, I made a pause. Then my curiosity went higher.

The cops?

How are they here?

I had dialed Ian, not them, hadn't I?

"I called 911 on my way," Ian explained just then, as if reading my thoughts as he slammed the door shut after they were all in. There were about five officers. Four males and a blonde female cop. "I figured you obviously meant to call the cops when you dialed me, so... just in case I couldn't handle whatever was in here for too long, I had to call them for some backup while I came over."

"Oh," I whispered, and slowly traced my eyes back to the officers. Nodding my greeting to them, I inhaled a calming breath and smoothed a hand up my lower arm to get myself fully back in composure before finally adding as I exhaled.

"Welcome."

"Thank you, Miss."

"Iris," I completed for the blonde officer. "Iris McCarthy."

Yeah, I had to use that.

There was no way I was going to use the surname from my marriage to Isak around here. It would be better to stay incognito by all means, even if he already found me. Remembering the fact that he already found me, I almost released a frustrated sigh.

Nature just had to be somehow against me.

"We received a report from your friend that a suspected-dangerous man came around trying to get in."

"Yeah," I stuttered, nodding.

Somehow, my eyes kept glancing back at Ian before returning to the officers.

If he had mentioned this part of the story earlier to me about calling the cops, I really would have persuaded him to make the officers turn around by apologizing that it was a false alarm because right now, this suddenly didn't really seem like a good position for me.

The questioning. They would want to know who I suspected it was. They would want to have names.

I wasn't about to go give them my background story with my estranged forced husband in front of Ian. I hadn't even told Ian I was married yet. Well, ex-married or whatever. This would be a disaster if it went ahead.

"Do you know anyone who could have tried to break in?" The female asked again, pointing her pen to a little note as she kept a soft questioning gaze on me. "This area is pretty safe, actually," she added. "We haven't had any such reports around here for a long time, so maybe..."

"No, I don't know anyone." I immediately shook my head. "I'm not that kind of person. I don't know anyone who might have just tried to come here specifically and attack me. It was just some man; I've never seen him before."

God. Iris. My subconscious dramatically squealed in shock at my lies, and I almost screwed my eyes shut to imaginatively slap the damn thing shut.

"You're sure?" It was Ian this time.

He was walking over to me now with a lot of concern and worry etched on his face. One that caused me to have a momentary slowdown inside because I had never seen anyone so physically worried before... Not even my parents. And I just met Ian last week.

My breath continued to slow as he stood in front of me and held my shoulders.

"Maybe just try to think?" He suggested it, looking so scared in between his concerns. Maybe I might be hurt later on by that same intruder. I watched him raise his hand with a suggestive shrug and scratch at his hair. "Maybe back at the resort? Did you bump into anyone who maybe didn't react so nice to it like me and also gave off hitman vibes? Did you exchange a word feud? Did anyone threaten you?"

"No. Ian." I popped a chuckle and stepped a little bit backwards.

He knew all of these were ridiculous!

"No!" I shook my head, smiling now, as I shoved him gently out of my way to walk towards the officers as I gently wrapped my arms around my body.

"I think it's probably an intruder that just came into the area; it's possible," I said. "I'd appreciate a bit more security around my house if we could get that. No strange faces. I literally don't know anyone here."

"Noted. We'll surely look into that," the cop responded while I bit down on my lip and wrapped my arms more around my body before looking back to Ian behind.

"He's here now, though. Ian. I think I'm safe for now. I don't think the intruder will be returning anytime soon since he left after seeing someone arrive." I turned back to the cops.

"Sure, but be on the lookout. If anything suspicious catches your eye again, quickly call us. Before then, we'd have done our best to tighten up security, Miss McCarthy. We're sorry this happened."

"Sure." I briskly nodded and looked over all their faces as they started to retreat back towards the door while I trailed. "I appreciate that you dropped by on time. Thank you very much."

Once again, it was the woman who responded, and after watching them walk down the short staircase and back towards their car, I finally closed the door again.

"Iris, this doesn't feel right," Ian said the moment I turned back around in the room.

"The intruder?" I asked him without moving from the doorway as he leaned off the polished wooden table that was behind him.

"Yeah. I've lived around here for so long; we've never had anything like this. The cops were right with their words. I think... even if you don't know who it was, Iris. We should still find out. It's probably someone after you, and you have no idea. We should figure out who it was. Anything he must have left... He was already walking through the door again. "An ID?" He asked as he searched around. "Maybe something was accidentally dropped?"

"Ian, there's nothing. This isn't a movie." I reached out to pull him back gently by the shirt as I stepped out too.

Turning back around to me, he shook his head.

"You seem so sure this intruder won't return! We can't think that, Iris."

"I never said I was sure there wouldn't be a return."

"Exactly, so we need to do something," he cut in, just really cautious that his friend might get hurt. "I don't believe it's just some random dude. I'll try to make the cops look more into finding out who stepped in, and then... in the meantime, maybe you could come stay over at my house." He shrugged.

"What?" I chuckled, almost not believing he had just suggested that.

Rolling his eyes playfully at me, he walked past me and moved back inside.

"My house is safer than any other around here, trust me."

Now he was bragging, and I couldn't help laughing as I followed him back inside.

"I am not going to live in your house, Ian." I shut the door.

He really is so crazily worried about me! A hot guy is worrying about my safety. And inviting me to his house if I wanted to feel safer. What a universe!

"You'll love my house, Iris." He shrugged again and leaned against the counter to chug down the glass of water he had just taken from the kitchen tap. At least he was much calmer now, and most of the buzz from the worry had steamed off of him.

"I'm not staying at your house, sir." I responded with a not-so-mean side glare and went to turn off my tap properly before shooting him a thankful smile and turning around to him.

"The cops will handle it; they already have a heads-up on the issue. I think I'll be great, Ian. You don't have to worry." I sighed, showing at least my thanks through my weak, grateful smile at him. "I think that stranger is going to get caught if he comes around here again."

"Okay." He simply shrugged and dropped the empty cup before smiling back at me as he started out of the kitchen.

"Wait." I quickly leaned off the counter.

"Yeah?" He turned back around.

I swallowed and accessed his wrongly worn coat before looking back into his eyes.

"Thank you so much." I spoke slowly. "For coming over that quick when you got the call."

"It's nothing, Iris."

"Okay." I nodded. "But still…"

"Still, nothing," he interrupted, and lazily shook his head at me. "Friends, right?"

"Uh…" I stuttered, blinking slowly at him.

It still all seemed too good to be true, especially hearing him say with his own words that we were actually friends. Him and me. Together.

"Yeah," I finally answered and beamed at him. "Friends."