I'll Take You Away From Him

Chapter 10

When we arrive at Will's place, the late hour and the emotional turmoil of the day weigh heavily on me. I'm incredibly tired. Plus, I realize that I don't know the area we've ended up in. However, I notice that the apartment is nice, spacious, and modernly furnished.

He is definitely wealthy… That's not what I'm thinking all about of course, but it's hard not to think about it, as it could play a significant role in my life situation right now and I still can't quite believe that everything is turning out so perfectly.

However, it could change at any moment. We are on his territory, and nobody knows where I am. And he most likely suspects that too.

He can do anything to me.

“Come in, don't be shy,” Will pulls me out of my stupor as he takes off his shoes and walks deeper into the apartment. “Do you want something to eat or drink?” I hear his voice and, having taken off my shoes, follow the sound.

“Water, please,” I said.

Will fills a cup with water from a filter near the kitchen sink and hands it to me. After taking a few greedy sips, I return the cup, feeling shy under his attentive gaze.

The realization that we are alone in a closed space is hitting me more and more with each passing moment. I don’t know him at all actually and with that I’m even more surprised that I trust him that much despite the logic.

And to my horror, I understand that if Will takes the initiative—I won’t object. I might seem frivolous, but I can't help it. I'm drawn to him too much.

“Are you sure you don’t want to eat?”

“No. I had dinner before coming to you.”

Before running away to him, actually. And truthfully, I hardly ate, but I have no appetite.

“Alright, I’ll see where to place you,” he says and leaves the kitchen.

I watch him go, feeling bewildered and not fully understanding what he means.

Place me?

A few minutes later, Will returns. He stops in the doorway and gestures for me to follow him. He leads me to a bedroom, and from the furnishings I conclude that it’s probably for guests.

Nothing extra: a bed, a nightstand, a wardrobe, a mirror and a pouf—that's all.

“If you need anything, just say so. The bathroom is further down the corridor; you can use everything you need, just please return everything to its place. If you want, we can watch a movie before going to sleep.”

I stand at a loss, staring ahead. There’s fresh bedding on the bed, a blanket, a pillow. And there’s a towel. And judging by everything, I’ll be sleeping here alone.

Disappointment comes from somewhere, even though on his part it’s very… right.

But I so much wanted to…

“No, I guess it is really time to sleep. Thank you. For everything,” I finally said, turning to him and trying to smile as gently as possible, though I didn't dare to approach or hug him. It’s as if a wall has suddenly grown between us.

I imagined something, but he probably doesn’t need any of it. Doesn’t need me. It’s just his decency that prevents him from telling me to get lost elsewhere.

“I’m glad to help,” he smiles too, though it’s strained. And only then I realized that he looks tired as well and here I am throwing my silent hysterics on him.

Slightly easing the tension that grew inside me, Will comes over and, covering my face with his palm, leaves a brief kiss at the corner of my mouth.

After quickly freshening up in the bathroom so as not to make noise and disturb the owner’s rest, I return to the room designated for me. Will, I noted, has disappeared behind the door of the adjacent bedroom.

So he’s just behind the wall. Very close—and yet absolutely unreachable.

I hang my dress in the wardrobe so it doesn’t get wrinkled. Changing into a set of shorts and a tank top that I packed in my bag when I planned to go to a party, I make the bed and hide under the blanket, covering myself with it completely.

Ironically, now I don't feel like sleeping at all. I try to discern if I made a mistake. And if so—what exactly. What did I do wrong?

It seems everything is as it should be. We had our first date today, which is hard to even call a date. And then I invited myself over.

Will acted like a decent, mature good man. He gave me a separate room, being hospitable yet still… I mean, he’s a grown man. Does he really not want more? Why hasn’t he even hinted or tried?

I toss and turn from side to side, repeatedly tempted to get up and go to him. Why these formalities? Who decided that everything has to be this way? Why is it that if a girl takes the initiative, she is immediately labeled frivolous?

Several times I drift into a restless sleep only to wake up again. And again, I feel the urge to get up and go to his room, lie down next to him, and let whatever happens after that.

Finally, exhausted from thoughts and doubts, I fall asleep just as dawn is beginning outside. I woke up close to noon. Checked my phone—no calls, no messages.

Yasmin thinks I’m home, my mom… apparently, couldn’t care less.

I feel sluggish and broken, and looking at myself in the mirror—I’m horrified. My face is crumpled, my hair a mess. I listen for sounds around the apartment, but it’s completely silent. Grabbing my bag and a towel, I sneak to the bathroom.

Fortunately, it’s free, so I lock the door and get to work on making myself presentable. I spend about an hour on this, but when I finish, I'm finally satisfied with my reflection.

The cool water has helped me to wake up completely. I've concealed the circles under my eyes with makeup, combed and smoothed my hair with wet hands to make it look neat.

However, I’m still scared to show myself to Will. What if he’s not home at all? It’s too quiet.

Ultimately, having composed myself and pushed aside my doubts, I went in search of the apartment’s owner. Along the way, I assess the place. Besides the room where I slept, I found a spacious living room with the doors wide open.

Will is not in the kitchen, but there’s another room with the door closed, and from there I hear quiet voices. Will's and another one, which leads me to conclude that either someone is there or he’s talking to someone on speaker.

Well, at least he hasn’t left me alone, and that’s definitely a relief.

Not daring to barge into a space I have no right to enter, as he is clearly working and discussing business, I head to the kitchen to have some coffee and find something to snack on if I can.

Opening the fridge, I wonder if I should prepare something. There are plenty of ingredients, but I can't find any ready-made meals. An omelet seems too simple, and I can cook a bit.

They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, so why not try to pave that path?

I hope he’ll like it. Considering everything, Will lives alone, and if these ingredients are in his fridge, it means he likes them.