Worlds Apart

Hurrying down the street, Lili could vaguely feel a presence behind her, shuffling towards her ominously. Afraid to turn around, she quickened her footsteps. She kept her cold hands in her coat pocket as her breath turned misty in the chilly October air, appearing like a mini cloud in front of her. Who knew that it would get this cold during October?

“Hey, beautiful, you seem lonely; want to go back to my place?” A deep voice boomed behind her, echoing throughout the empty lane. Her blood froze in her veins. Could this get any worse? She squeezed her hands into fists in her pockets, equal parts reassuring and protective.

“No, thank you,” she muttered just loud enough for him to hear as she hurried her already quick pace. A wrong move. He chuckled, and his shuffling footsteps came closer and closer. She could only stare straight ahead, praying fervently for some divine intervention. Funnily enough, her mother’s words resonated in her ear like some musty, old recorder, “Praying at the last minute doesn’t work, child.” If the moment weren’t so profound, she would have burst out laughing. God knows how long it’s been since she’s seen her mother.

“Why so shy, sweetheart?” He finally replied when they neared an almost empty open-air car park, his teasing tone hiding a sinister edge that made shivers crawl up her spine, shaking her out of her bittersweet thoughts. She took a quick peek behind her, her eyes widening when she realized the man behind her was the same one who had been near the pub she’d gone to.

This time, she kept quiet, vehemently hoping that he would leave her alone. Alas, perhaps she didn’t pray hard enough because the man pulled her around roughly, making her face him. He was mad, his eyes narrowed to slits as he grabbed her arm like a rag doll, and since Lilian was a petite Asian woman, it was effortless for him. Her eyes widened as he tossed profanities at her, his arm coming down to her face in slow motion. She closed her eyes, bracing for impact, but it never came. She opened her eyes, coming face-to-face with another, younger-looking man holding the stalker’s raised hand. The young man’s bright eyes flared, and his lips pressed into a hard line.

“The lady said no.”

The stalker glared at him before yanking his hand out of the young man’s grip and walked away while muttering incoherently under his breath. As the stalker left, Lilian let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

“Hey, you okay?” the young man asked awkwardly, his blue eyes staring at her. In the night light, his features looked like those roman statues, all angles. The way light formed pools of shadows under his cheekbones made his features glow softly and mesmerizingly, making her blush when she realized she had been gawking.

She nodded as she pulled her coat tighter to her body. “Thank you,” Lili composed herself, finally finding her voice and her courage to look him in the eyes.

“No problem,” he replied, before adding hesitantly, “I can escort you home if you like…I am not creepy, I swear, please don’t—”

“Sure,” Lili cut him off, smiling when she realized he was as nervous as her. Thinking it would be best if she introduced herself, she said, “I’m Lilian.”

“Nathan. First time in America?” Nate asked as they started walking. He couldn’t place a finger on her accent; it sounded British, though it was somehow crisper.

Lili nodded as she blushed; he probably thought she was fresh off the boat or something. Again, her mother’s voice popped into her head, “Why go to another country? They’ll treat you like a second-rate citizen.” Pushing that thought deep into her mind, she tried to cheer up. She can’t believe she heard her mother’s voice twice in two nights. Maybe it was regret, or perhaps it was nothing.

“Be careful next time; maybe bring pepper spray.” That was all he said as we reached the front of my house.

“Thank you so much,” Lili said quickly as she hurried to the door, unable to wait to get back to the safety of her house.

Nate stood there awkwardly, his bladder shrieking in protest as he watched her struggle to open the door. Still feeling his eyes on her back, she looked back inquiringly as she tried to open the door with one hand.

“Can I use…your bathroom?” Nate asked uncomfortably. Please, please, please don’t think I’m creepy, Nate thought to himself, trying his best to hold in his pee. The small figure nodded hesitantly, her brown eyes just a little wary behind her wire-framed glasses as he went in to find the bathroom. Setting his phone on the counter, Nate was filled with relief as he relieved himself. When he went to the main door, Lili was still at the door. In the lighting, he could see her dressed relatively formally, a wine-colored turtleneck with a tan trench coat thrown over it and a golden necklace loosely around her neck.

He quickly averted his eyes away from her, afraid of scaring her; poor girl already got catcalled and harassed. He thanked her hurriedly, and she gave him a gentle smile, her eyes glinting in the dark as he tried his best not to stare. He seriously needed to take his best mate’s advice to go out more. Staring at the first girl you interact with for the past two months? He scolded himself as he ducked through the door and into the chilly air outside, heading home quickly.

As soon as Nate was gone, Lili sighed and went to get ready for bed. Checking to lock all the doors and windows, she went to the second level, where she immediately crashed, sleep embracing her for the first time in weeks. She welcomed it with open arms.

Nate, on the other hand, couldn’t get her out of his head. She was so small! Barely 5’6, living by herself, she looked so young, but perhaps it’s her skincare routine? When that vile man grabbed her, he knew he couldn’t just let her be. He felt so disgusted he wanted to stuff his arm down his throat, but she was trembling so much he let him go and instead turned his attention to her. He sighed, forcing himself to go to sleep; work started early the next day.

The next morning, Lili entered the bathroom groggily, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She looked at the phone on the counter. Did she leave it here the whole night? Checking it, Lili realized it wasn’t hers; it was Nathan’s. She sighed as she put it in her bag; perhaps she would return it to him after the lecture. Throwing a knitted dark green sweater vest over her crisp white Oxford shirt, Lili grabbed her tote bag and laptop case. As she stepped outside, the wind nipped at her neck like a relentless puppy. Lili sighed as she went back in to grab a long beige tweed blazer. It was going to be cold. Retying her laces on her trusty Doc Martens, she made her way to the university, grabbing a cup of steaming black coffee as she prepared her materials for the class.

After that tiring afternoon of returning her students’ first assignments, she finally packed up. Then, an unknown ringtone drifted through her office. Scrambling to answer it, she realized it was from Nathan’s phone. Inwardly, she scolded herself for forgetting such an important task.

“Hello? My apologies, Nathan cannot come to the phone…” She replied as the line on the other end went dead silent.

“Mark?” Nate entered his friend’s office as Mark turned to Nate.

“I just called you…a girl picked up,” Mark said as realization dawned on his face. He stared at the man in front of him, shock and awe on his face as he imagined his best friend…With a girl!

“Ah, I forgot my phone at her place.” Nate groaned to himself as Mark gave him a knowing smirk before Nate added quickly, “Not like that…nothing happened between us.”

“I’ll call her again,” Mark indignantly said as he dialed Nate’s number, “Perhaps she will tell me.”

Nate’s eye’s widened as he lunged at his friend, snatching it away just as she picked up the phone.