Neva glances around, appearing like a lost rabbit. Her brows furrow in thought, her almond eyes rounded resembling those of a doe.
To the mystery man watching, she seems as delicate and endearing as a fair cottontail.
His heart thaws, and this flicker—this fast rhythm inside him echoes in the mirror of his cocoa-brown eyes.
He smiles, his fingers twitching with the urge to pat the top of her adorable head where her mind floats astray.
As he reaches out, his hand brushes the crown of her fur-soft hair.
Startled, she instinctively steps back.
Another step, and she'll collide with the mall's rack, knocking down the neatly stacked goods—embarassing the heck out of the new girl in the neighborhood.
Instinctively, he grabs her hand, steadying them both as their bodies briefly collide. Neva freezes, caught in the warmth of his grasp, her thoughts silenced by the sudden closeness.
Abruptly, she shoves him away—stirring from the confusion caused by the collision of chests.
"I—I can fight!" Neva snaps, clenching her fists.
She's convinced he's trying to take advantage of her.
He inches forward. "I just—"
"Not another step," Neva warns, her fist raised inches from his face—like a martial artist ready to strike.
She seems to have no clue what the man just saved her from.
All her senses are screaming one thing: He touched me! That alone is enough for her to label him a jerk.
She plants herself firmly in an L-stance—every muscle alert.
Ready to attack.
The man towers over her, his eyes glowing with amusement, glittering with vibrant sparks.
Then he laughs... so cruelly sweet.
He sounds attractive?
Neva shakes her head. Has she really gone nuts?
"How dare you make fun of me! I can dislocate your bones and put them back!" she hisses, picturing a scene where she jabs serrated thorns into his eyes.
Those magnificent eyes—eyes that could drown you and lead you astray. Those deep, passionate eyes of his that could make her untold truths strip themselves bare.
"Oh really? I'm in for such a good massage," he says, kneading his clothed biceps, a vague but cocky smirk playing at the corners of his lips.
His response triggers something in her—a signals, the start of a match ringing in her ears.
Neva grits her teeth.
She wants to bruise him purple and black.
She narrows her eyes, studying his robust form.
At the same time, her gaze darts around—she can feel it. Hidden eyes. Someone's watching them, intruding on their spicy little scene.
She doesn't want to cause a spectacle. And he's a big man—broad, muscled, with chiseled arms straining against the thin fabric of his black hoodie.
And his height? He's got to be six feet... and then some.
She suspects he probably knows a hundred different ways to crush her.
Their strength would be the difference between earth and sky. One strike from him, and she'd bruise like a peach.
She drifts into thought again.
He leans in slightly—adjusting until their eyes align. He watches her, close.
He chuckles, realizing how easily she spaces out. She clenches her fists again, fire returning to her stance.
"Wha-what! I could take you right now, right here!" she snaps, her glare blazing.
"Oh really? Show me." He dares her, standing upright.
"I don't want to make a scene—there are children around," she says, gulping down her fury. She'd much prefer a foreign hand to stay at least ten meters away.
What she said, however, could be interpreted in two very different ways.
He, of course, picks up on both—and enjoys each equally.
Nevertheless, a young and fiery Neva remains blissfully clueless.
"Then maybe we should find a more secluded spot. What do you say?" he proposes, hands sliding into his pockets, a smirk playing on his lips. He matches her literal meaning, yet laces his words with a barely veiled, cheeky undertone.
"Do you think I'm stupid?!" Neva exclaims, startled—perhaps finally catching on that their conversation could be shaped and mean in an entirely different way, depending on others' perspectives.
Who knows what he might try with her?
Then again, mystery man is a gentleman. But Neva doesn't know that.
She doesn't trust him. Why should she? He's just a stranger.
She sighs, unclenching the tension in her muscles. Her arms fall to her sides as she regains composure. Reaching for the shopping cart—already filled with her essentials—she grips the handle tightly.
Without a word or even a glance in his direction, she pushes the cart forward, quickly making her way toward the counter.
---
Her hands busy with the bags, she steps out of the convenience store.
The mysterious man stands there, waiting for her.
Upon seeing her, he reveals a good-boy smile and bright eyes. She glances at him once but ignores him, walking toward the coziness of her home, wishing for nothing more than to eat and sleep.
He casually saunters alongside her.
"Let me help you carry the bags," he offers. Feeling him so close, Neva quickens her long strides.
He matches her pace, earning them plenty of bizarre looks from passersby.
Neva closes her eyes, embarrassed, and rather slows down.
"Seriously! You're a headache!" Neva exclaims, annoyed, in a hushed voice.
"Want me to fetch you a remedy?" he asks, sounding genuinely concerned.
"Yes. The remedy would be you out of my sight," she mutters, pursing her lips and glancing at him briefly.
"Seriously! Why are you walking with me?" she asks, eyes fixed straight ahead.
"Well, I'm just on my way home too," he says matter-of-factly.
Neva is flabbergasted. This guy—he better be telling the truth. Otherwise, he might just end up eating prison food.
They reach her apartment building, and she hurriedly climbs the stairs.
At her door, she sets the grocery bags down. Just as she's about to punch in the key code, she glances behind—and sees him walking up the same stairs.
Their eyes meet. He presents her with an innocent smile.
She can't help but think he might be a fool.
'Tailing me around still?'
Liar. He's still here—and there's no other apartment building near her place.
"You dare deceive me? I'm calling the police! I just got this place, and now I'll have to move again? You dare invade my privacy?!" she snaps, pointing an accusatory finger at him.
"If you don't scamper away in the next two seconds, I swear I'll call the cops," she warns, voice sharp with aggression.
Her eyes blaze with anger—she is furious, very furious.
"That's my home! Now you're trying to claim my property? You've got some iron guts!"
He steps closer, unfazed, until only a few centimeters separate them. Neva instinctively backs up—until her spine meets the door. She forgets to breathe at the sheer closeness of him.
'He's so large... and so tall.'
She mentally berates herself for spacing out at a moment like this. Shaking it off, she fumbles for her phone, yanking it from her back pocket and hurriedly dialing a number.
But when she looks up again, the mysterious man is already trudging to the door next to hers.
He presses the keys on the digital lock. A soft click sounds—the door opens—and he slips inside without a word.
Neva stands motionless, dumbfounded, her thumb hovering lifelessly in the air—just a breath away from pressing the call button.
The mysterious man peeks his head out from his apartment.
He chuckles. "Such a mysterious coincidence."
"I never deceive, angel. It's as if fate brought us together. As if the universe celebrated the moment we met. See? I'm your next-door neighbor." He flashes a wide grin and winks before gliding back inside, disappearing behind his door.
'What just happened?
Can my fate be any more cruel? That stalker lives next door?'
Suddenly, the door creaks open again.
"Oh, you're still here," he says.
"You'll catch a cold, gorgeous. Go warm up inside… or do you wanna come in here and let me help you get hot myself?" He flashes a mischievous smile.
He blabbers a lot!
Neva pales—black and blue—fingers fumbling clumsily at the keypad.
She bolts inside her apartment, slams the door shut… only to crack it open a second later, just enough for her hand to sneak out and grab the nearly abandoned grocery bags. Then she shuts the door again—this time in absolute shame.
From the other side, the mysterious man bursts into hearty laughter, dreamy rays flickering in his dark eyes. His heart warm, fluttering.
He can't help but find her sinfully cute.