Understanding that winning against Yugh was impossible, the four men didn't linger another second. They turned and fled into the night without a backward glance, leaving the street abruptly, unnervingly quiet once more. 😅
Yugh took a deep breath and walked over to Anisa, who was still sitting on the ground. "Come on," he said. His voice wasn't harsh, nor was it a command. Gently taking her hand, he helped her to her feet, then gathered her scattered groceries.
Anisa was still crying, unable to stop the tremors. Seeing this, Yugh looked at her and asked, "Why are you crying? Did they... do anything else to you?" 😭
Anisa shook her head, a silent 'no'.
"Then what is it? You have a voice. You used it to scream. Use it now. It's just us here. Looking at you like this, you seem like a startled rabbit." He said it almost like a jest, but his tone held a protective firmness. 🐰
Wiping her face with her hands, she looked at him. "How... how did you get here?"
"It's a holiday. I was meeting a friend and on my way home when I saw you in trouble. That's why I stopped." He paused. "So you thought I still hated you?" 🙄
She was silent for a few seconds. Then, in a low, broken voice, she said, "I thought you hated me."
Yugh was quiet for a moment. "Sometimes, hate comes. When the past comes to mind. But tonight, no matter who was here, I would have helped. It wasn't anything special because it was you." 😐
Whether his words offered comfort or created more distance, she couldn't tell.
From then until they reached her apartment building, only silence hung between them. Yugh walked her all the way to her doorstep, handed over her bags, and without another word, turned and walked back toward the road and his waiting car. 🚗
Anisa stood by her door, watching until he disappeared into the darkness.
That evening, she was saved. But her heart was still caught in a battle, a confusing clash of terror, gratitude, old pain, and a bewildering, newfound vulnerability. 🤩