TWO

He stared at me too, his brows slowly pulling together like he was trying to be sure.

“You…” he said, pointing directly at me. “You’re the girl from last night, aren’t you?”

I felt my stomach twist. I wanted to lie. I really did. I wanted to say, “Sorry, you’ve got the wrong person,” and walk away.

But it was too late.

He knew. And judging by the way he looked at me, there was no going back now.

I didn’t answer. I just stood there awkwardly, trying not to crumble from the inside out.

Behind us, a car horn blared, reminding us we were still in the middle of the street.

He glanced at the car, then back at me. “Come on. Get in,” he said firmly, motioning toward his car.

I stared at him, confused. “Excuse me?”

“I’ll drive you wherever you need to go,” he replied, still calm but serious. “I also want to talk to you. Get in the car.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Why would I—?”

“I just said I’ll help you. And clearly, you’re lost,” he said, cutting me off. “Unless you want to keep walking around in the heat with sore feet?”

Okay, he had a point.

I bit my lip and looked down at my scraped palms. I was exhausted, a little shaken, and I had no clue where I was going. His offer wasn’t that crazy—just surprising.

So I gave in.

I walked around to the passenger side and got in. He followed a second later and started the car.

As we pulled away from the intersection, he asked casually, “So, where exactly are you headed?”

I let out a sigh and answered, “New Haven, Connecticut. Please don’t back out now—I really have no idea how to get there.”

“That’s far…” he said, shaking his head.

But even though he clearly wasn’t thrilled about it, he didn’t take back the offer.

He kept driving.

And for the first time that day, I felt like I might finally get to where I needed to go.

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye.

Crap.

I completely forgot his name.

Now I didn’t even know how to start a proper conversation. What do I even call him? Hey, guy I slept with? Mr. One-Night Stand? Great job, Freah.

I cleared my throat awkwardly. “Uhm… hey. So… what exactly did you want to ask me?”

My voice sounded unsure, even to my own ears. The truth was, I didn’t know how I was supposed to feel around him anymore. Just a few minutes ago, I was furious. Now I felt… weird. Awkward. Embarrassed, even.

I mean, I left him earlier that morning without saying anything. No note. No goodbye. I just slipped out of bed, grabbed my stuff, and vanished.

But it was a one-night stand, right? Isn’t that how these things usually go? People hook up, sleep it off, then go their separate ways. I just left before he could do it first.

He glanced at me, his expression unreadable. Then he spoke, his voice calm—but serious.

“Where did you go?” he asked. “I woke up and you were gone. I looked all over for you in that hotel.”

I blinked. His tone wasn’t angry, but there was something heavy in his words—like it actually mattered to him.

I shrugged, trying to act casual. “I woke up, got dressed, and left. What, was I supposed to wait for you to wake up and say goodbye like we were in a drama or something?” My tone came out a bit more sarcastic than I meant it to.

His eyes locked on mine for a moment. Like he was trying to read my face. His jaw clenched slightly, and for a moment, he didn’t say anything.

I leaned back in the seat and crossed my arms, raising an eyebrow. “So? Why were you looking for me anyway? What—did you almost hit me on purpose earlier just to get my attention?”

He let out a quiet sigh and looked away for a second before replying. “No. That was an accident. I wasn’t paying attention… I had a lot on my mind. I didn’t even realize it was you until I got closer and saw your face.”

He shook his head lightly. 

“I was looking for you because I figured you weren’t from around here. You seemed lost. I was worried something might happen. I didn’t want to carry that guilt if something did.”

That answer made me pause. It wasn’t the answer I expected.

I don’t know what I was hoping to hear. Maybe that he missed me? That last night meant something? But this isn’t a romance movie. People don’t fall in love after one night.

Besides… I was a virgin. That probably didn’t mean anything to him. He’s probably been with way more experienced girls before me. For him, it was probably just another casual hookup.

I tried to play it cool. “Well, I’m fine,” I said, forcing a little smirk. “Very much alive—despite your attempt to run me over.”

“I already said I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

He glanced at me again, this time with a softer expression. 

“Your name is… Freah, right?”

I blinked in surprise and turned to face him. He remembered. I gave a small nod. “Yeah.”

He looked back at the road. “And I’m Nicolo, but just call me Nick.” He added after a pause.

Ah. Right. Nicolo. Now I remember.

I smiled slightly, feeling less tense. Maybe we didn’t need to be awkward. We’re just two strangers who happened to spend a wild night together. That didn’t mean we had to act like enemies.

“Well, Nick,” I said, trying to sound light, “nice to officially meet you. And… thanks for offering me a ride.”

He didn’t say anything. Just kept his eyes on the road, his hands steady on the steering wheel.

I frowned a little. Okay. Not very chatty. A cold, quiet type. But, okay… a cold, handsome type.

I smiled to myself.

Then his voice broke the silence. “So, what are you doing all the way out in New Haven? Visiting family?”

I turned to look out the window for a second before answering. “Not really. I’m just visiting someone who helped raise me. Her name’s Meva. She used to work with us when we were younger, but she moved back here years ago.”

I paused. 

“After that, I might try to find some relatives—though I don’t know where to start.”

He glanced at me, one brow slightly raised. “So you don’t really know anyone here?”

I shook my head. “Nope. Just Meva. My family’s all abroad.”

There was a beat of silence between us.

I could feel him watching me again. Not in a creepy way—more like he was trying to figure me out.

I didn’t say anything more. I just leaned back in my seat, letting the quiet take over for now. But deep inside, I had a feeling this ride was going to get a lot more interesting.

Nicolo gave a slow nod, his eyes still on the road. Then he glanced at me again and asked, “Okay… so why are you here alone?”

Ugh. So many questions.

I looked at him, a little caught off guard. The car had come to a stop at a red light, and now he was fully turned toward me, waiting for an answer.

I tried not to stare too much, but now that I could see his face clearly, I felt my heart skip a beat. He was really, really good-looking. His jawline, his eyes, even the way he sat there so confidently—he looked like he walked straight out of a magazine. Or better yet, like some Greek god from a storybook.

And here I was… barely keeping my cool.

I pouted a little without meaning to. I didn’t really want to share my story, especially not with a guy I’d only known for one night. But then again, what was the point of hiding it now?

I let out a small sigh. “I ran away from home.”

I said it quietly, almost like I was testing how it would sound out loud. It wasn’t like I escaped through the window in the middle of the night or anything… but still, it felt real. Heavy.

“My parents don’t know I’m here,” I added. “They have no idea where I went.”

Nicolo’s expression shifted. His eyes widened slightly, like he was surprised—maybe even shocked. For a second, he didn’t say anything. He just stared at me, like he wasn’t sure if I was being serious or not.

But I am. I really did leave without telling them. And now, I was in a different country, with a guy I barely knew, heading to a place I’d never been before.

Not exactly how I thought this vacation would turn out.