Chapter 18: I Want You To Be Safe
"I should get out of here," I said as I ran out of the court and walked back home.
The past years felt like a breeze to me, but now... every day at school feels like years. The second semester hasn't ended yet, but I already feel so exhausted. But, why do I feel like someone's stalking me?
"Fuck, are they Ash's minions again?" I muttered as I tried to quicken my pace, and the person following me also did the same. "Relax, Sapphire. Relax." I tried to calm myself as I walked. My fear intensified, noticing I was alone in this place. I don't know where I'll run if something bad happens.
Being desperate to escape, I started to run, but before I could get far, that person grabbed my arm and turned me to face him.Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.
"Help-" My words halted when I saw the person in front of me. "Mason?" I asked, my brows furrowing in confusion.
Mason was just staring at me while still holding my arm. He was still wearing his uniform.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, the shock still evident in my tone.
But at the same time, I was glad it was him. I thought it was a thief or someone who wanted to harm me.
"I'm sorry if I scared you," Mason apologized as he let go of my arm. He fixed his hair before avoiding my gaze. "I just wanted to ask if you're okay."
"I am," I replied, frowning. "Did you really follow me here just to ask me that?"
He nodded, making my mouth widened.
"It's dangerous around here, especially for rich people like you," I told him.
It was quiet now on the way to our house, but sometimes this place is chaotic. Sometimes, people are drinking around here, and I've even seen a few stabbings while walking home.
Aside from that, there are too many kidnappers here. They don't target me because, first of all, they wouldn't gain anything from me. Besides... they're afraid of me.
That's why I said it's good if someone's afraid of me, unlike what Evangeline said earlier.
"That's one of the reasons why I'm here," said Mason in an authoritative tone. He looked at his phone briefly before looking back at me. "I'm going to accompany you home."
"No, you won't." I shook my head.
"Yes, I will," he answered coldly, and there, I knew that he wouldn't accept any kind of refusal.
This day is just too much... or this semester, rather. Don't they realize that I don't want anything to do with them?
Almost all the students at school want to be friends with them. Even the top management and our professors suck up to them because who wouldn't? Getting on their good side will bring them the power they never had before. But all I wanted was a peaceful life. I wouldn't depend on anyone else for power because I'll create my own.
"Evangeline already has authority over you, but it's only for one week, and only on school premises," added Mason.
"So?" I asked, giving him a bored look.
"So I need to protect you from here."
"The last thing I need right now is someone to protect me," I clarified before walking away.
But Mason kept following me. I sighed as I stopped and turned to face him.
"You know what I need the most right now? Money."
It was supposed to repel him. I know that rich people don't like having conversations about people being greedy to money, which they already have when they were born. But I didn't expect his reply.
"How much money do you need?" Mason asked, tapping on his phone before showing it to me. "Type it here. I'll send it to you."
"What the... Are you for real?" I asked with my eyes widening in shock. "What if I told you to give me all your wealth? Will you give it to me?"
"Then, I will do it."
Feeling the shock and stress combined in my body, I massaged my temples and asked, "You and your friends... What the hell do you want from me?"
"I don't know about them... But I promise you, I have good intentions," Mason said, staring at me. "I just want you to be safe. I wasn't in the same building as you, so I can't protect you all the time. This is the only time I have, and I'll be busy afterward."
"I don't understand you. You told me to unleash my bad side, right?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him. "But yet, you're here, telling me that you're going to protect me. So, what's the truth?"
To be honest, I was quite happy because he recognized me as a person who has my limitations, and he accepts that.
I also don't know how he and Evangeline found out about it... or maybe they just know that no one in this world is truly kind.
All of us have our own bad sides that we want to hide.
But if he really thought I could protect myself, he shouldn't be standing in front of me right now, having the urge to protect me.
"I am worried, and that's the truth," he said, and there is no hesitation in his tone. "I'm taking you home, and you can't do anything about it because I'll follow you even if you don't want me to," he added before pulling me as if he knew where my house was.
I sighed and followed him. He was right; there was nothing I could do because he seemed as persistent as Ash.
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But my jaws fell upon seeing that we were now in front of our house.
"How did you know where I live?" I asked with my brows furrowing.
At first, I thought he was just arrogant, trying to lead the way even though he didn't know where I lived... but I was wrong.
He knew where my house was, and here we were, standing in front of it.
Not only that, but he also greeted my mom, who was walking toward us.
"Good evening," greeted Mason before bowing in front of Mom.
"Oh, Mason. Did you drop by?"
I blinked my eyes twice while looking back and forth between them. They didn't mind my presence, though. They continued talking while I wondered why they knew each other. "It just so happened that I saw your daughter on the way, so I walked her home," Mason replied.
"What do you mean 'just so happened'? You followed me," I said, interrupting them. "You know each other?" I added, asking as I stared intently at Mason.
He was the one I was asking.
Mason didn't answer. He only glanced at me before talking to my mom again. "I'm going home now."
"The road here is dangerous."
"I know. I already called my driver," he said before glancing at his phone, and shortly after, a black Sedan pulled up. "I'll be going now."
"Take care on the road," my mom told him as she waved goodbye, and as soon as Mason's car drove away, she pulled me inside the house... with anger in her eyes.