Piece by Piece

Chapter 9

Aliena

It seems that during the time Mattheo and I were in my room, the party ended and most people left by now. Some are already cleaning up, although I'm sure they aren't the ones that made the mess but hired people instead.

I make my way through the big apartment without interactions and head straight for the door. Maybe I should check if Lily is still here but she'll probably go home with Andrew anyway and I really want to get out of here before I run into the owner of the place again. No, one argument is enough for tonight.

I throw my black coat over my shoulders, grab my purse, and leave. A shudder wrecks my body as soon as the November chill surrounds me, making me draw the fabric closer around me. Yeah, it's definitely time for a new coat. Well, at least it's not raining like it did when we came.

I walk for twenty minutes until I see a familiar, tall shadow in the distance. Another shiver goes down my spine, this time not from the cold. The old phone booth standing at the corner of this mostly deserted street is way too creepy. It's old and I doubt it even works anymore. The only reason it still stands is that only three houses are around, and even they look like they are empty so it's simply not worth the trouble to remove it.

I'd like to sign a petition to get that away from my way home. In the dark and with the lack of street lanterns, I mistake it for a giant person every time I see it in the corner of my eye. That damn thing.

I quicken my pace and draw my coat tighter while my eyes flick around my surroundings. Hell, but I feel unsafe right now. I should have accepted Mattheo's offer to give me a ride home. At the moment, I just wanted to be alone and not mix things up further. I can deal with one-night stands just fine but part of that is being gone before the other person realizes it.

I never spend the night and I never take people to my place. Anything to avoid rejection and seeing the regret on someone's face in the morning. No, I'll pass. No one has to awkwardly tell me to leave. I never stick around that long.

But Mattheo is different anyway. He's my friend and has given me rides home several times. Yeah, I'm an idiot and now I have another twenty minutes of freezing my ass off ahead of me.

I turn the corner and finally get to put some distance between me and the horror cabin when I hear footsteps behind me. I don't pretend not to hear it, not with the fast, urgent pace I can make out from the person behind me. Instead, I whirl around and come face to face with a hooded figure. A shriek claws its way out of my throat. Where the hell did this person just come from? Whatever they want, it can't be good seeing as they are heading right for me.

I don't try to run. Not with my heels on. There would be no use. Instead, I walk backward to keep an eye on the advancing stranger while searching my purse for my pepper spray or my phone. Whatever my fingers might grasp first.

The person starts running and my fingers are still searching. More panic borrows itself inside my stomach and I feel sick as I scramble back. "Stop!" I finally yell in a pathetic attempt to change their mind. They're only mere feet away now. I scream again, this time for help.

I resort to clutching my bag's handle with both hands and ready myself to swing it at the stranger. My heart is racing painfully in my chest and my hands are clammy around the handle. I've had more than enough violence tonight as it is. Why the hell is this happening now?

The person lunches for me and I yank the purse forward. Before it can make contact with my attacker, they have their hands on the item and pull at it instead. I stumble a step forward and try to hold my own, but I barely stop myself from falling forward. When finally, the stranger's fist appears out of nowhere and makes contact with my lips, my hands let go of my purse and I clutch my face as I fall back. My tailbone hits the pavement with so much force I see stars and the palms of my hands scrape over the tiny rocks on the ground as I move away from the attacker.