Chapter 6

The door to my room banged shut, and in the next minute, I was down on the floor, squatting against the door with my feet on the cold tiled floor and my hands hugging tightly around my knees.

All of those things had just ended a few minutes ago, and I just needed time to think right now.

All I felt was weak. And tired. And disappointed.

I was so disappointed in how things were turning out.

This was not the plan at all when I left Isak's house and bought this apartment.

I had planned to stay here and remain hidden for as long as it'd take until he finally agreed to sign the divorce papers.

How did he find me so easily?

Why was Isak constantly such a thorn in my life, even in the process of trying to finally be free from him?

Just to confirm everything I already knew, I slid out my phone and opened up the pictures once again, and it all came back into view on the screen, as clear as the moment it had occurred. His retreating figure. His clothes. His car and plate number. Everything.

It was Isak, no denying that.

How the hell did he find me so early?

My eyes went shut so tight as I buried my face into my thighs and dragged my hands into my hair.

He always had his ways.

He was just so unpredictable, and hell, it was the most depressing thing right now.

Just then, the sound of the front door closing reverberated through the house, causing me to slowly raise my face again and finally stand.

It was Ian.

He had gone out for a while to get us some pizza because he wanted to stay for a little longer to be sure no one returned since I refused to go over to his place.

Within a few minutes, I had washed my face under the cold running water from the tap just to feel a bit rejuvenated before finally leaving my room and appearing back in the living room where Ian was waiting.

An hour later, we were both seated on the couch with our second pizza order.

Somehow, the details of whatever had happened in the morning faded off the more we talked and the more I got to know about him. Not anything basic. Just the things he liked and the things I liked.

It felt so long since I had that kind of talk with anyone. It used to be Arthur. But after him, being with Isak had almost made me completely forget what it was like to simply sit like this and laugh and get to know a person you think you may like.

I knew I was not supposed to like or be attracted to Ian because I was still literally married to Isak since he wouldn't sign the divorce papers, but... Gosh, it was already all so tiring. Everything is with Isak. I never liked him. I never bonded with him in any way. And Ian is so different.

He's nice. He's everything opposite of Isak. And I like him.

Staring at the TV, I put another slice of pizza in my mouth and sighed silently as I chewed.

The living room was silent again except for the sound from the TV, and Ian was just as focused as I was, watching the screen as he ate gently from the food.

I watched him for a while and then took my eyes away.

It had been so comfortable talking to him all the while that we talked. It had been easy to talk to him since the day I met him, and I almost felt the willingness to open up to him about my life, but even if I wanted to, wouldn't it screw everything up?

Apart from the fact that my intentions for not telling the cops and him were to keep my identity to myself and protect my family, I also couldn't tell him because he probably would disappear after he leaves and never return. I would end up scaring this new-found friend of mine with my divorce tales.

I didn't want that.

It would be better to remain this way since I hardly knew anything about his personal life either. So it was all equal.

No sad stories have to be told.

"You're cold?" He suddenly asked at the same time that the woolen blanket that had been over the couch draped over my shoulders.

I shut my mouth from starting to say that I was fine and then muttered a quiet thank you instead.

The warmth from the blanket had spread immediately through me, and I hadn't even realized I was cold until then, while being drowned in all of my thoughts.

Then Ian spoke again and nudged my hands, holding what was to be my next slice of pizza.

"You were shivering. Your hands."

‘Right,’ I muttered inside once I looked over at my hands and then dumped them in my lap as I slumped back into the couch.

I hadn't even noticed.

"You okay?" He asked again, and I nodded.

"Yeah."

When I looked at him, his eyes were still on me, as though contemplating asking some more, but he ended up changing his mind as he returned his eyes to the screen while my gaze went to the open window and the sun outside, reminding me that it was evening and that meant Ian would soon be gone.

I hadn't thought about it specifically until now, but... what if Isak returned in the middle of the night?

From what I had known about him in the past two years, he was capable of going to any length to get whatever he wanted.

What if he made it in and sneaked into my apartment?

A lot of things could happen and go wrong on my side.

I probably do not have my phone.

He could rape me and then bundle me back to his house.

The thought of it all already made me shiver again and draw my blankets closer, and I knew that this time, Ian must have noticed again.

True to it, his gaze was back at me.

"Iris?"

"It's getting late," I interrupted, swallowing before looking back to the window.

"Iris, do you want me to stay?"

"Huh?" I immediately turned back to him.

His face was genuinely asking.

There was no mocking or laughing expression at all, and at this point, I wondered how I was ever lucky to bump into Ian. But then, I shouldn't do that to him; he already did enough for me today.

"No." I quickly shook my head. "Why would I want that?"

"You look scared."

"I'm not!" My voice almost went a pitch higher. Maybe from the vulnerable feeling of being caught.

Ian kept silent. And the more I kept staring back at him as he stood, the more my thoughts kept straying to Isak.

I'd have to be really alert tonight.

I'd make plans.

I have my phone close by in bed. Maybe in my pockets. And then maybe set a trap by the door. Something or anything to alert me whenever Isak arrives or anyone tries to sneak in by nightfall.

Aware that I was doing so horribly badly at hiding my anxiety, I shifted my gaze from Ian and back to my pizza box.

"I'll be fine," I muttered to him.

"Do you want me to stay, Iris? Say the word, and I will."

I lowered my gaze at him in confusion, and then silence hung.

It was a minute or two before I tried to speak again. My voice cracked, and my question was almost in a whisper.

"Why?"

Contrary to what I thought, Ian didn't answer immediately. He stared back at me for a while. He squinted his eyes. He exhaled slowly with one of his hands in his pajama pocket. And then he did something again with his eyes before the couch sank in as he settled back beside me.

"I don't know," was his answer. "But if you want the truth, I actually don't want to have the first friend I've ever made get hurt by some psycho intruder." He gave a little sad smile. "I don't think I can leave freely, knowing there might be potential danger when there's no one around, so if in any way you wish for me to stay..." He paused, squinting his soft green eyes into mine again. "I'm not bothered by it. Iris. You can ask."

Remaining silent, I tried to hold the feeling in my chest as I stared back at him.

Ian reminded me of almost everything about Arthur, but in a more unique way.

I already felt so vulnerable with him at that moment, and with a slow nod, I gave him my answer.

"I'm scared," I whispered.