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09. BLUE NEIGHBOURHOOD
''Vincent?'' With a heart beating like crazy, I glanced at him, unable to steady my breathing. ''You scared the hell out of me.''
''It's nice to see you too, Joy.'' He smirked, the look on his face betrayed him and revealed the amusement sparkling in his darkened eyes.
The outworn jacket covered his slender body, and the jet black jeans seemed to be too big for his skinny legs. His black hoodie was on top of his head, hiding the tired eyes and messy hair. But no matter how tired and slightly neglected his appearance made him look, he leaned over, tugging the corner of his lips and giving me a weak smile. ''You okay there?''
''Sure.'' I sighed. ''A bunch of guys were trying to rape me just a few moments ago and I thought I was being followed by a serial killer. Yeah, everything's peachy.''
He chuckled, diving his hands deeper in the pockets of his jacket. ''Don't mind them. Those idiots were just trying to scare you.''
''Well, mission accomplished because I think I almost peed in my goddamn pants.''
The key, I held so tightly in my hand, left a mark against my palm due to the tight grip caused by the unrelenting stress. I realized that my intention was to unlock the apartment door and once again feel safe, but because of the uneasiness that lived inside me, every movement of mine was disabled.
It felt as if every part of me demanded to keep standing there, to remain etched to the ground and not let the loneliness embrace Vincent.
But as time went on, I finally gathered the courage to raise my head and look him in the eyes. I was ready to give him some shelter, ready to invite him in and have him stay the night, because he didn't know the warmth of home. Home for him was something that was non-existent, at least in his life.
''Wanna come in?'' I asked, but the timid voice gave away my empathy.
''No, no.'' He shook his head. ''I'll be fine. They're probably waiting for me.''
''Vince'', I began, trying to give him a reason to stay. ''You can't just go with them. They all look evil and who knows what they're going to do to you. What if they try to rape you?''
''I'll be fine, Joy.'' He chuckled. ''I've been with those guys for the past few months and I've been doing well. Besides, it's not like I have anywhere else to go.'' He said, the corner of his lips tugging up in a weak smile before he turned around and waved, causing my heart to sink. ''Well, it was nice seeing you.''
''Wait!''
His eyes widened, a sort of confusion played across his face. ''Yeah?''
My mind was restless, and my heart was beating like crazy. I couldn't let him go. But I was afraid of asking him to stay. Being between the two decisions was like choosing which parent you love more; you couldn't choose, because you love them both equally.
