Hush, My Sweet Darling

Chapter 35: A Night to Remember

Jared recognized her immediately. The sweet-looking woman from the stream. She was sitting on the bus stop bench, staring at the night sky. Her shoulders were slumped as though gravity had dragged them down. Her bearing shrills profound distress, and yet, under the glowing city lights, she exuded an air of melancholy as beautiful as the first movement of Tschaikovsky's Serenade for Strings.

He felt the sudden urge to get closer to her. His feet moved on their own, bringing him nearer and nearer. Seemingly sensing his presence, she turned her head, and their eyes clashed...

Hers were soaked. Droplets of tears flowed down her fair cheeks, dripping further to her clothes from her chin. The look in her eyes was like that of a small child who had just lost her mother. Jared's heart sank.

He sat down next to her cautiously, worried that he would startle her if he moved abruptly. "Are you okay, miss?"

But she just stared at him, making no attempt to answer him. Her shoulders shook from her little sobs, and from her tear-dripping eyes, Jared caught sight of a dark void consuming her soul. He wanted to reach into it and fill it up with his warmth. Before he knew it, he had stuck out his arm to stroke her face.

"Don't cry..." he whispered as he wiped her tears.

His touch seemed to jolt her out of her stupor, but she didn't stop him. She let his thumb graze her cheek, down to her jaw, her chin, clearing up every newly spilled tear from her eyes.

At long last, the tears stopped. Her lips trembled as words finally escaped her. "Mister, sleep with me."

Jared's breath caught.

Despite her blatant request, his heart skittered. Frowning, he started to doubt whether he had heard her words correctly. He removed his hand off her face, asking, "What did you just say?"

"Sleep with me," she repeated, not blinking an eye.

Jared didn't respond. He was just staring at her blankly.

"No? Am I not attractive enough?" she asked.

Her eyes were still glazed with tears. She appeared so frail, yet enchanting.

"Yes, you are," he answered, his voice croaked. "But why...?"

She let out a deep sigh, shifting her gaze back to the night sky. "I just lost everything today. I have nothing left—not even a place to go back to."

Jared's eyes were still fixed on her. Her hair was up in a ponytail, exposing her side profile. Even though she was wearing a turtleneck top, he could still tell how attractive her neckline was.

She turned to look at him again, piercing her eyes through him. "I just want to do something crazy tonight. I need...distractions," she went on, "Today was really not my day. But also today, you appeared in front of me—not once, but twice. This morning, you helped me when I was in trouble. And right now, you showed up again when I'm crumbling. It must mean something, right?"

Her lips then curled into a wistful smile. "Would you be my distraction tonight?"

***

The room was dark, only illuminated by the pale luster of the moon and the gleam of the city outside.

Jared hadn't had the chance to turn on the lights after letting the girl into his apartment when he felt her supple body slammed against his.

She raised her heels to encircle her arms on his neck. Her feminine fragrance immediately filled his nostrils, inviting him to revel in it. He hardly had a moment to react before she pressed her warm lips against his, urging for a kiss. He responded to her demand.