Love's Redemption (Chris and Maddie) novel Chapter 138

There was no response. My scalp tingled with fear.

But I couldn't back down now. I mustered my courage and demanded, "Who is it?"

"It's me!" Two words echoed.

Then came footsteps and an explanation, "Your blind date from the café this evening."

Him?

I couldn't believe it. We'd met only once, and now he was following me. It was terrifying.

The hallway was pitch dark. Even with a bit of moonlight seeping in through the windows, I could only make out the shapes a couple of paces in front of me.

He wasn't close enough for me to see him yet.

I gripped my keys tightly and was ready to defend myself as I asked, "Why are you following me?"

"Don't misunderstand. I mean no harm. I just wanted to protect you. It's not safe for a woman to walk alone at night," he explained. Then, he finally stepped into view.

I nearly laughed at his explanation.

Following me like this scared me to death, and he thought that made me safe.

We'd only met once, and we hadn't even agreed on anything. Yet he wanted to protect me? I wasn't naive enough to believe that.

But provoking him now wouldn't help. So, I kept calm to ensure my safety. I suppressed my anger and said, "Thank you for your concern. I'm home now. You can leave."

As I spoke, he came up from the stairway corner and said, "I'm a bit thirsty. Could I have some water?"

His lousy excuse made his intentions clear. I gripped my keys even tighter and refused, "It's too late. It's not a good time."

He stepped closer, "You're going to date me, so what's the inconvenience?"

As he got nearer, my fear peaked. "Stay back."