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00:00I should have ignored the phone that night. God, if I had just let it keep ringing,
00:04I wouldn't be here whispering my story to you like some half-forgotten ghost.
00:08But you need to understand, when survival is all you know, every small choice feels heavy,
00:14even a wrong number. The day had already bled me dry. My shift at the diner ran 12 hours straight,
00:20and I came home to a stack of bills taller than the take-home tips I shoved in my coat pocket.
00:24My mom's medicine was running out. The landlord had taped another notice on the door,
00:29and my car had sputtered its last breath on the side of Route 17. I felt like everything in my
00:34life was unraveling, thread by thread, and I was too damn tired to nod anything back together.
00:40I was lying on my bed, still in my uniform, staring at the ceiling when my phone buzzed.
00:46The screen lit up with a number I didn't recognize New York area code. I should have hit decline.
00:51But the universe has a cruel sense of humor, and my thumb pressed accept without thinking.
00:56Is it done? The voice on the other end was low, controlled, like velvet wrapped around a knife.
01:02I blinked into the silence of my room. Uh, sorry, you've got the wrong number.
01:06A pause. Dead air. Heavy enough to press against my chest.
01:10Then, who is this? My mouth went dry.
01:14Nobody. Wrong number. That's all.
01:16No, he said, and I swear I could hear the smirk,
01:20like he already knew I was tangled in something I couldn't crawl out of.
01:23If it were nobody, you wouldn't still be on the line. I should have hung up.
01:28Instead, I whispered, I didn't mean to answer. And yet you did. His voice dropped lower.
01:34Which means now you've heard something you weren't supposed to.
01:37Tell me your name. Panic shot through me. I stammered out.
01:41I don't know who you are, but I don't want any part of this.
01:44He cut me off, sharp and cold.
01:46That's not how this works, sweetheart.
01:49My pulse thudded in my ears.
01:51Sweetheart. No stranger had ever said it with such authority.
01:55Like he owned the word, and everyone it landed on.
01:58I hung up. Threw the phone onto the bed like it had burned me.
02:02My hands were shaking, chest heaving, but I told myself it was just a mistake.
02:07Just some criminal creep in the city calling the wrong person.
02:10I tried to believe it. But the next morning, when I dragged myself into the diner, a man was already
02:16waiting. He didn't belong there. Armani suit, broad shoulders, dark eyes scanning the room,
02:22like he could end it with one glance. He sat in the corner booth, sipping black coffee no one had
02:27served him yet. And when my eyes caught his, I knew. It was him. He lifted his phone from the table,
02:34pressed a button, and my own cell buzzed in my apron pocket. The same number.
02:38My throat closed. He crooked a finger. Just once, and I walked over like gravity itself had given up
02:45on letting me escape. You picked up my call last night, he said, voice low enough that only I could
02:50hear. That makes you mine until I decide otherwise. I tried to steady my breath. I don't know anything.
02:57I didn't hear anything. His gaze pinned me, unblinking. You heard me. That's enough. My knees nearly
03:04buckled under the weight of it. Everyone else in the diner carried on coffee cups,
03:08clinking, plates sliding across counters while I stood frozen in the shadow of a man who felt like a
03:13storm wrapped in skin. I whispered, please. I have nothing to do with this. For a flicker,
03:19I thought I saw something soften in his eyes, like maybe he wasn't going to destroy me. But then he
03:24leaned forward, close enough that his breath brushed my cheek. From this moment on, he murmured,
03:30you'll never answer a phone call the same way again. That's when the front window shattered.
03:35A brick flew through. Glass raining down across the floor. Screams erupted, waitresses ducking,
03:42coffee spilling everywhere. And him this stranger, this mafia king with eyes like midnight pulled me
03:48against his chest, shielding me as chaos ripped through my tiny world. His hand pressed to the
03:53back of my head, forcing me low, keeping me safe. His voice was a growl in my ear, stay down. Don't move
04:00until I tell you. The last thing I remember before the sirens wailed was the weight of his arm.
04:05Iron around me, and the terrifying certainty that I wasn't invisible anymore. I had answered the wrong
04:11call. And now, there was no way out. You want the truth. I didn't sleep for two nights after that
04:18diner explosion. Every time I shut my eyes, I felt his arm around me again. The pressure of IT
04:24protective, suffocating, impossible to forget. I told myself it was just adrenaline. That my brain
04:30was confusing fear for something else. But deep down, I knew better. I'd been touched before.
04:35Sure half-hearted kisses from boys who never called back. Awkward dates that fizzled into nothing.
04:41But nothing, nothing, had ever made my skin buzz like that single moment pressed against him.
04:46And I hated myself for it. Because I didn't have space in my life for feelings.
04:51My life was survival. Period. The day after the brick shattered my world,
04:56I came home to find my mother slumped in her armchair, her oxygen machine whining softly.
05:01I knelt beside her, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead. She opened her eyes halfway.
05:07Gave me that weak little smile she saved for me when she didn't want me to see the pain.
05:11You're tired, she whispered. I'm fine. I lied. Because that's what I always did.
05:16Work was long. I didn't tell her about the brick, or the man in the booth.
05:21Or the way my hands still trembled. She had enough worries. Her pills were nearly gone.
05:26The rent was late, and the fridge was empty except for milk about to turn.
05:30That was my world keeping her alive, even if it killed me.
05:33I thought maybe, if I ignored what had happened, it would go away.
05:37But the universe doesn't work like that.
05:39On the third night, I was leaving the diner after closing when I saw him again.
05:43A sleek black car waited at the curb, headlights low, engine purring like a predator.
05:49The back window rolled down, and there he was—same dark suit, same unreadable eyes.
05:54Get in, he said.
05:56I froze on the sidewalk.
05:58Why? Because if you don't, someone else will take you, and you won't live long enough to ask why.
06:03His words were calm, not a threat so much as a fact.
06:06My heart thudded against my ribs, but I slid into the car anyway.
06:10The leather smelled expensive, like smoke and cedar, and the city lights smeared across the
06:14glass as we drove. Neither of us spoke for a while. I stared at my reflection in the tinted
06:20window, wondering how I'd gone from scraping tips off formica tables, to being kidnapped by
06:25some mafia kingpin. Finally, he broke the silence.
06:29Tell me about your family.
06:30The question startled me. Why? Because the first thing enemies do is go after the people
06:36you love. His gaze flicked toward, me, sharp. I need to know what matters to you.
06:41I clenched my fists in my lap. My mom. That's it. No one else. No boyfriend.
06:47A bitter laugh slipped out. Like I have time for that. Between double shifts and doctor visits,
06:54my love life's basically Netflix and instant ramen. For a second, I swore I saw the corner of his
06:59mouth twitch, but then he looked back out the window, jaw tight. We stopped at a building that
07:04looked like it had been carved out of glass and steel. Inside, his world didn't match mine at
07:09all marble floors. Elevators that whispered, a penthouse that opened into a skyline glittering
07:15like a promise ID never been allowed to touch. I stood there awkwardly while he poured two glasses
07:19of whiskey. Drink, he said, handing me one. I don't like whiskey. You'll learn. I set it down
07:26untouched. Why am I here? He leaned against the bar, studying me like I was a puzzle he
07:31hadn't decided if he wanted to solve. Because you answered the wrong call. Because you heard
07:36my voice. That makes you mine until I decide otherwise. The words made me shiver, not just
07:42fear, but something I didn't want to name. You don't get it, I said quietly. I don't want
07:47to be yours. I want to take care of my mom, pay my bills, maybe breathe for five minutes
07:53without wondering what'll collapse next. He didn't move, but his eyes, they softened.
07:58Barely. You think I wanted this life? He asked. It was chosen for me before I was old enough
08:04to spell my name. You think power is freedom? It isn't, it's a leash. I swallowed hard.
08:10His honesty startled me, like a crack in armor I hadn't expected to see.
08:14Then why keep me? I whispered. He walked toward me, slow, deliberate, until he was close enough
08:20that the air shifted. Because, he said, voice low. The second I heard your voice, I knew
08:26you'd haunt me if I let you go. The room tilted. I couldn't breathe. Part of me wanted to run,
08:31and part of me wanted to lean closer. But then his phone rang. He glanced at the screen,
08:37jaw tightening, before stepping into another room to answer. His voice dropped low, clipped
08:42words I couldn't catch. I should have stayed put. But I wandered, drawn to the floor-to-ceiling
08:47window, staring at the glittering city stretched beneath me. My reflection in the glass looked
08:52small, fragile, but for the first time, I saw something else too possibility. A life
08:58bigger than survival. Then his words from the other room drifted out, sharp enough to
09:03slice through my haze. She doesn't know anything. She's not a threat. Yet. My blood ran cold.
09:10When he stepped back into the room, his eyes locked on me like he knew I'd heard. And I realized,
09:15with a shudder, that maybe I wasn't just a mistake to him. Maybe I was leverage. And God
09:20help me. Maybe I wanted to matter to him anyway. I didn't leave his penthouse that night. Or the
09:26night after. Don't think I didn't try, argued, begged, threatened to call the cops. He didn't
09:32raise his voice once. He just stood there, calm as stone, and told me flat out, you walk out that
09:38door, and you'll never make it back home alive. They'll think you're mine now. That makes you a
09:42target. They whoever they were. I believed him. Against every ounce of reason, I believed
09:48him. So I stayed. And his world pressed against mine. Suffocating, and intoxicating at the same
09:54time. The penthouse was too big, too polished, too quiet. It didn't smell like a home. It
10:00smelled like money, and secrets. Sometimes I'd find myself wandering the halls just to remind
10:05myself I wasn't dreaming. Marble floors under my calloused feet, velvet chairs I was too nervous
10:11to sit on. Art that looked like it belonged in museums. All of it screamed power. All of
10:16it screamed him. But what scared me more was how he slipped into my routine like he'd been
10:21there all along. The first night I tried to make ramen in his chef's kitchen, pathetic.
10:26I know. He leaned against the counter, watching me boil water like it was the most fascinating
10:31thing in the world. You don't cook, he said. Not unless you count boxed mac and cheese as a
10:37culinary degree. I muttered, stirring. A shadow of a smile tugged at his mouth. You're impossible.
10:44I shot him a glare. And you're condescending. He tilted his head, eyes glinting. Condescending
10:50would be if I offered to help. That shut me up. Later, when I carried the bowls to the table,
10:56I noticed his hands bruised knuckles, faint scars. Not the kind you get from sports. The kind
11:02you get from surviving. And I wondered, for the first time, if maybe we weren't that different.
11:07The nights blurred together. He had late calls, hushed meetings in another room, voices tense
11:13and dangerous. I wasn't allowed near those. But afterward, when the silence pressed too
11:18heavy, he'd come sit across from me. Sometimes with a drink in his hand. Sometimes with nothing
11:24but that unreadable stare. And we'd talk. Not about the things that mattered to him. Not
11:29yet. But about me. He asked about my mom. About the diner. About why I hadn't left this
11:35godforsaken town, years ago. Because someone has to stay. I whispered one night, my voice
11:40cracking. My dad left. My brother disappeared. Somebody had to be the one who didn't run.
11:46He didn't say anything at first. Just poured me another glass of water. Slid it across the
11:51table. And let me cry quietly into my hands. No man had ever done that for me. No man had
11:57ever seen me like that. And still. I reminded myself. He was dangerous. The kind of dangerous
12:04you don't walk away from. But danger has a way of making you feel alive. It happened on
12:09the fifth night. I woke to a crash. My body jerking upright. My first thought was my mom
12:15that something had happened to Herb. Then I remembered where I was. My heart thundered as
12:20I crept into the living room. He was there. Gun in hand. Shirt half-buttoned. Eyes sharp. Scanning
12:26the balcony. What what's going on? I whispered. Stay back. He barked. Not looking at me. Adrenaline
12:33surged through me. I should have been terrified. But instead I crossed the room anyway. Heart
12:38in my throat. He caught my wrist. Pulling me behind him just as a shadow shifted outside.
12:44The glass door rattled. I gasped. Clutching his arm. And then silence. Whoever it was.
12:49They vanished into the night. He lowered the gun slowly. Exhaling like a man who hadn't breathed
12:55in hours. You should have stayed in the room. He muttered. Voice rough. You could have been
12:59shot. I snapped. Trembling. What was I supposed to do? Hide under the covers. That was when
13:06it happened. He turned to me. Eyes blazing. And for a moment. I swore. The world tilted.
13:11My pulse skittered. My breath caught. His hand still circled my wrist. Not tight. Just steady.
13:17We stared at each other in the dark. The city lights spilling in behind him. And something
13:22shifted. His thumb brushed my skin. The smallest motion. But it lit fire up my arm. I don't know
13:28whether to kill you. He whispered. Voice low. Or keep you. I didn't know what possessed me. But I
13:34whispered back. Then maybe don't choose yet. And then God help me. He leaned closer. Just enough
13:40that I felt the heat of his breath. Just enough that every nerve in my body screamed for more.
13:44But he stopped. Inches away. A muscle in his jaw ticked as he forced himself back.
13:50You have no idea what you're asking for. He rasped. Maybe I didn't. But in that moment.
13:57In that silence thick with everything unspoken. I knew I was already lost. If act three was the
14:02spark. Then this part was the silence after the match burns out the kind of silence that
14:07hums louder than any sound. He didn't kiss me that night. He could have. God knows I would have let
14:13him. But he didn't. He pulled away. Jaw tight. And I watched the walls snap back into place.
14:18Like steel shutters over glass. And it hurt. It hurt more than I wanted to admit. Because in the
14:24stillness of that penthouse. With the city glittering below us. I'd felt it that dangerous flicker of
14:29something that wasn't just survival. Wasn't just adrenaline. It was human. It was him. But he buried
14:35it. And I told myself I should too. Only. Secrets have a way of leaking into the cracks. The days blurred
14:42together. I still went to the diner. Still scraped together tips to keep my mother's medicine stocked.
14:47Still held my world together with duct tape and lies. Only now. I had shadows. A black car parked
14:55across the street. A stranger always two steps behind me on my walk home. Eyes I could feel
15:00even when I couldn't see them. His eyes. He called it protection. I called it possession.
15:06Why are you doing this? I asked one night when he appeared at the diner at closing again.
15:11Leaning against the counter like he belonged there. Because you don't know how to keep yourself alive.
15:15He said simply. I've been keeping myself alive for years. His gaze softened for a fraction of a
15:22second. Barely. I wanted to scream at him. Instead. I went back to wiping the counter. Furious with how
15:28my hands trembled. Nights in the penthouse grew quieter. Heavier. He started talking not much.
15:35But more than before. Stories slipped out in fragments. Half confessions tossed into the air
15:40like he wanted to see if I'd catch them. I was twelve when my father handed me a gun.
15:44My brother didn't survive this life. I did. You think power feels like control. But it feels like
15:50drowning. I listened. I always listened. Because for all the shadows that clung to him. There was a
15:57boy buried in there too. One. Who had never been allowed to be soft. And sometimes. When the whiskey
16:02glass in his hand trembled just slightly. I wanted to be the one person who could give him that.
16:06But then he'd shut down. Turn his back. And vanish into another call behind a locked door.
16:12And I'd lie awake. Staring at the ceiling. Wondering if I was a fool for wanting a man
16:16who lived in secrets. It came to a breaking point the night I found the envelope. I wasn't snooping.
16:22I swear I wasn't. I was just looking for a blanket in the cabinet near his desk when it slipped out a
16:27thick. Heavy envelope. Unmarked. And inside. Stacks of cash. And a photo. A photo of my mother.
16:34My knees buckled. My breath froze. I clutched the picture in my hand like it could explain itself.
16:41But it couldn't. All it did was confirm the truth I had auntie wanted to face.
16:45I was auntie staying in his world because of choice. I was staying because of leverage.
16:50When he walked in. I was still standing there. Shaking. The envelope open on the desk.
16:56His eyes went dark. Like storm clouds before lightning. What the hell are you doing?
17:00You have her picture. I whispered. My voice breaking. Why? Why do you have her? He didn't
17:06answer right away. He just closed the distance. Slow and terrifying. Until I was backed against
17:12the desk. You don't understand. He said finally. Low. Steady. Dangerous. Then make me understand.
17:19I snapped. Tears burning. Because right now. It looks like you're keeping me here. With chains I can't
17:24even see. He stared at me for a long moment. And something cracked in his expression.
17:30I can't let you go. He admitted. If they know who you are if they know you're mine you'll never be
17:35safe. So yes. I keep tabs. On you. On her. Because the second I stop. You're both dead. My heart
17:43pounded. I wanted to believe him. God. I wanted to. But the shadows of his world wrapped too tight
17:50around us. Choking the air. Do you even hear yourself? I whispered. You sound like my jailer.
17:55Not my protector. His jaw clenched. Better a cage than a coffin. The words sliced through me.
18:02I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. All I could do was push past him. My shoulder brushing his.
18:08And lock myself in the spare bedroom. That night. I cried into a pillow until I couldn't anymore.
18:13And the worst part wasn't the secrets. It wasn't the fear. It was that even through the betrayal.
18:18Even through the doubt. Clawing at my chest. I wanted him. And wanting him was the most dangerous
18:24secret of all. I wish I could tell you that night in the spare bedroom gave me clarity.
18:29That I woke up and knew what I wanted. What I needed to do. But the truth. I woke up more
18:34tangled than ever angry. Terrified. And aching for the same man who had put me in chains I couldn't see.
18:40I tried avoiding him. At breakfast. I sat as far away as I could. Nursing cold coffee while he read the
18:46paper like nothing had fractured between us. At the diner. I kept my head down when the black car
18:52waited outside. Pretending I didn't see the silhouette in the back seat. At night. I stayed
18:57locked in the spare room. Lying awake. Listening to his footsteps pacing in the hall. But avoidance is
19:02a luxury you don't get in his world. It happened on a Thursday. The diner was nearly empty. The dinner
19:08rush long gone. I was wiping down tables when the bell above the door jingled. And I froze. Because it
19:14wasn't him who walked in it was my brother. Ethan. The one who'd vanished two years ago without so
19:19much as a goodbye. He looked thinner. Older. His eyes darting like a hunted animal. Jenny. He
19:25breathed. Gripping my arm. We don't have time. You have to come with me now. I stumbled back.
19:32Heart racing. Ethan. Where the hell have you been? No time. He hissed. You're in danger. The people
19:38you're with. They'll destroy you. You have to trust me. Before I could answer. The door opened
19:43again. And he walked in. The air snapped like static. His gaze swept over my brother. Then
19:49landed on me. Calm to calm. Too calm Jenny. He said smoothly. Introduce us. Ethan stiffened.
19:57I know who you are. He spat. And I know what you've done. She's coming with me. I looked between them.
20:03Panic rising. Stop it both of you. But my brother's grip tightened. And in that moment.
20:08I saw something in his eyes. I didn't recognize. Desperation. Fear. Maybe betrayal. Ethan. I
20:15whispered. What did you do? He wouldn't look at me. And that was enough to tell me everything.
20:20The mafia boss my captor. My protector stepped closer. His voice dropping like a blade. You sold
20:26her out. Didn't you? Ethan flinched. And I felt the floor tilt beneath me. My own brother. The
20:33one I'd defended. Cried for. Prayed for. The one I thought had run to save himself. He
20:39hadn't just run. He'd bargained me away. I yanked my arm free. Staring at him with tears
20:44burning my eyes. You were supposed to be better than dad. I choked out. And you're worse.
20:49Ethan's mouth opened. But no words came. He looked small. Broken. And I hated him for
20:54it. Get out. The mafia boss ordered. His voice iron. Before I decide you don't walk out
21:01at all. Ethan hesitated. Then bolted into the night. The bell above the door jangling
21:07one last time. Silence. Heavy. Suffocating silence. I turned on him. My chest heaving.
21:14This is what you do. Isn't it? You pull people into your orbit until everything collapses.
21:20My family. My life. Me. His jaw tightened. I didn't make your brother betray you. No.
21:26I spat. Voice cracking. But you made me need you. And that might be worse. For the first time.
21:33Something broke in his composure. He stepped forward. Reaching for me. Then stopped. His
21:38hands curling into fists. You think I wanted this? He growled. His voice shaking. You think
21:44I danty lie awake every night knowing I'm dragging you down into hell with me? I stared at him.
21:50Stunned. I'd never seen him crack. Not once. You could let me go. I whispered.
21:55The silence that followed was unbearable. His eyes burned into mine. And for a moment I thought he
22:01might actually say yes. But then he shook his head. I can't. He said. Voice raw. Because I'd tear the
22:08world apart looking for you again. My throat closed. I hated him for saying it. I hated myself for
22:14believing it. And still. Somewhere beneath the fury and the fear. A truth lodged itself in my chest like
22:21a thorn. I loved him. God help me. I loved him. But love wasn't safety. Love wasn't trust. And when
22:29the gunshot rang out outside the diner. A second later shattering glass. Screams erupting. I realized.
22:35Love wasn't enough to keep us alive. He shoved me to the ground. Shielding me with his body again.
22:40As bullets ripped through the night. His voice was a roar against the chaos. They've found you.
22:45Run. The night of the ambush is carved into me like a scar. I'll never lose. Even now. Telling you.
22:52My hands shake. Remembering the smell of gunpowder and rain. The sound of glass shattering. The weight
22:57of him. Over me like a shield. We didn't run. We couldn't. By the time he hauled me out the back
23:03of the diner. Black SUVs were screeching around the block. Men spilling out with guns drawn. He
23:09dragged me into the alley. His hand ironed around mine. His voice a low snarl. Stay behind me. Do
23:15not stop moving. My feet slipped on wet pavement. Heart pounding so hard I thought it would crack my
23:20ribs. Where are we going? Someplace they can't reach you. Do those even exist? His only answer was
23:27to shove open a steel door and pull me through. We plunged down a flight of stairs into a basement that
23:32smelled like damp concrete and diesel. The walls trembled with the thunder of footsteps above us.
23:38He turned to me then. Eyes blazing. If anything happens. No. I gripped his shirt with both fists.
23:45Don't you dare give me a goodbye speech. He stared at me for a heartbeat. Jaw tight. You're not
23:51listening. I've been listening to you since the second you called me sweetheart. I snapped. Tears burning.
23:57Now you listen to me. We're getting out of this alive. Both of us. Something flickered in his
24:02eyes. Then pain. Pride. Maybe even hope. But the moment shattered as the door above us blew open.
24:09Gunfire echoed down the stairwell. He yanked me behind a stack of crates. Drawing his weapon with
24:14a speed that made me dizzy. Bullets splintered the wood around us. You're not built for this. He hissed.
24:20I'm built for survival. I whispered back. You taught me that. He almost smiled. Almost. Then he rose and
24:28fired. Three sharp cracks. One man down. Two more poured in. I pressed myself against the cold floor.
24:36Heart hammering. This was his world. Not mine. And yet. Here I was part of it. I don't know what
24:42possessed me. But when a man swung around the crates aiming at him. I grabbed the nearest thing I coulda.
24:48Heavy wrench and threw it. It struck the man's wrist. The gun clattering to the floor. He shot the man a
24:54second later. Then looked back at me with something like disbelief. Jenny. Don't. I gasped. Just move.
25:01We scrambled through a side door into another tunnel. The sound of pursuit fading behind us.
25:06My lungs burned. My legs shook. But his hand stayed clamped around mine. Guiding me through the dark.
25:12We emerged at the docks. Rain lashing against us. Waves slapping the pilings. Boats rocked under the
25:18stormy sky like ghosts. He pulled me toward a small speedboat tied to the pier. This is it.
25:24He shouted over the wind. We get on. We're ghosts. What about my mom? I have her safe already. He said
25:30without looking back. I moved her tonight. I froze. You you. What? He turned. Rain dripping from his hair.
25:37His eyes like molten steel. I knew they'd come. I wasn't going to risk her. For a moment. Everything
25:43stopped. The gunfire. The storm. The chaos. All I could see was him. This man who'd torn my life
25:50apart. And yet had been protecting it all along. But before I could speak. A figure stepped out from
25:55the shadows at the end of the dock. Ethan. My brother's face was pale under the pier lights.
26:01His gun trembling in his hands. You're not taking her. He shouted. Voice cracking. She's my sister.
26:07She doesn't belong to you. He stepped in front of me. Shielding me automatically even now.
26:12She doesn't belong to anyone. Ethan. I whispered. Put it down. Tears streamed down his face.
26:18You don't get it. Jenny. I did what I had to do. They said they'd kill me if I didn't.
26:23You gave me to them. My voice was raw. You gave me to die. He sobbed. Shoulders shaking.
26:29I didn't know what else to do. The man at my side took a slow step forward. His gun lowered but ready.
26:36Walk away. Kid. This ends now. Ethan's gun wavered. His eyes darted between us.
26:41I can't. They'll kill me. I stepped out from behind him before I even realized what I was doing.
26:47The rain plastered my hair to my face. Then take me instead. I said softly. Both men froze.
26:54No. The mafia boss growled. Get back. Ethan's face crumpled. Jenny put the gun down. I whispered.
27:01Please. This isn't you. For a heartbeat. I thought it might work. His hand lowered a fraction.
27:07His eyes flicked to mine. Full of guilt and something like love. And then a shot cracked
27:12through the storm. Ethan jerked. Eyes wide. The gun slipped from his hands as he fell to his knees.
27:18Blood blooming across his shirt. I screamed. The mafia boss lunged forward. Grabbing me.
27:24Dragging me down as another bullet wind passed us. Men were closing in from the far end of the pier.
27:29He pulled me against his chest. His voice rough and ragged in my ear. We're out of time. I looked
27:36at my brother. Crumpled on the dock. Rain washing the blood across the wood. And my heart split in
27:41two. He cupped my face. Forcing me to look at him. Jenny. You have to trust me now. Or we both die.
27:48The world narrowed to his eyes. Dark. Fierce. And unbearably human. I nodded. Choking back a sob.
27:54Good girl. He murmured. And then he picked me up and ran. Bullets tearing the dock apart behind us.
28:00The boat surging under our feet as he pushed me aboard and fired up the engine.
28:04The city receded into darkness as we sped into the storm. Leaving everything burning behind us.
28:09I didn't know if we'd live. I didn't know if we'd ever find our way back. All I knew was that for the
28:15first time. We were running toward something together. Not away. When I tell you this. It's not
28:20with the heat of the chase still in my lungs. It's not with the echo of bullets still ringing in my
28:25ears. It's later months later. Long enough for the bruises to fade. Long enough for the scars to
28:31stop aching every time I move. But not long enough for me to forget. I don't think I ever will.
28:37We survived that night. Barely. The boat carried us through the storm. The engine screaming. The salt
28:42spray blinding us. He kept one arm around me the whole time. Even as he steered. Like he was afraid the
28:48waves themselves might steal me away. I remember clutching his shirt. Pressing my face to his chest.
28:54Whispering one prayer. Over and over. Don't let go. Don't let go. Don't let go. When dawn broke.
29:00We were still alive. The sea was calm again. My throat was raw from crying. My body hollowed out.
29:07He didn't speak. He just kept driving the boat. Eyes fixed on the horizon. Like if he looked at me.
29:12I'd crumble. And maybe I would have. Ethan. I don't know if he lived. They pulled me away before I
29:18could reach him. And I never saw him again. Some nights I dream he made it out. That he found
29:23another chance. That maybe he forgave me. Other nights. I wake up screaming. But in the weeks that
29:29followed. Something shifted. We went into hiding together another safe house. Another nameless city
29:35where no one knew us. For the first time. It wasn't about him keeping me prisoner. Or me clawing to escape.
29:41It was just surviving side by side. And in the silence. Love grew. Not the frantic. Breathless
29:47kind. Not the desperate need that had tied us together in the beginning. This was slower.
29:53Deeper. Steadier. I remember one night snow falling outside. The fire barely keeping the
29:58cold away. He was sitting at the table. Cleaning his gun like he always did. The scar on his jaw
30:04catching the firelight. I was making tea with shaking hands. And out of nowhere. He said.
30:09I don't deserve you. I froze. The kettle hissing. What? He didn't look up. You should have run when
30:16you had the chance. You should have hated me. My voice was quiet. I tried. That made him look at me.
30:23For a moment. I saw the man. No one else saw the one beneath the steel. The one who carried every
30:28ghost and scar and choice like chains. I tried to hate you. I whispered. But you kept saving me.
30:34Even when I didn't want to be saved. The silence stretched. His jaw worked. His hand tightening
30:40on the rag he held. I don't know how to stop being this. I crossed the room before I could
30:45second guess it. My fingers touched his. Trembling. Then don't stop. Just let me be with you in it.
30:52His eyes closed like the words hurt. But when they opened again. I swear I saw something I'd never
30:57seen before. Surrender. That was the night he kissed me not as a command. Not as a possession.
31:03But as if he was asking. And I said yes. It's been a year now. We live in a small house on the edge of a
31:09quiet town. No one knows our names. He works with his hands now fixing cars. Fixing fences. Fixing
31:15things instead of breaking them. I still flinch when I hear a gunshot on TV. And he still wakes in the
31:21night. Drenched in sweat. But when the morning comes. We're together. I visit my mom every Sunday.
31:27She doesn't ask questions she doesn't want the answers to. She just hugs me tighter. Like she
31:32knows how close she came to losing me. And sometimes. When I'm walking through our little
31:37kitchen. Or folding laundry in the sun. I catch him staring at me. Not with hunger. Not with
31:42possession. But with something roar. Something truer. You look at me like that. And I don't know
31:48what to do. I teased once. He answered in a low voice. Almost ashamed. I look at you like that
31:54because I don't believe you're real. Do I regret answering the wrong phone call that
31:58night? The one that started everything. That should have ended me. Sometimes. Yes. When
32:03the memories choke me. When I remember Ethan's eyes as he fell. When I remember the blood on
32:09my hands. But then he comes up behind me. Wraps his arms around my waist. And whispers
32:14against my hair. I've got you. And I know the truth. I thought I'd lost him forever. But
32:20sometimes love doesn't let good it fights back. And ours did.
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