My eyes were not deceiving me. It was really him.

I shouldn’t be relieved, but seeing his expressive eyes soften at the sight of me made me feel like he was the closest thing to an oasis. Like water in a drought. I couldn’t believe it. I stood up instinctively, my feet having a mind of their own. The gravity between us suddenly intensifying, pulling me to him.

What were the odds that my soul mate was here?

“W-what are you doing here?” I asked unsurely, my voice shaking.

I felt like wanting to hide after a bucket of cold water was poured over my head when realization washed over me. He probably felt it. The agony I felt must be excruciating it hurt him somehow in a way. We were connected in a way after all.

My hand instinctively rose to touch the side of my neck. His eyes not missing the movement of my hand and where it was placed. Self-consciously I slowly let my hand sag on my side, knowing what he was thinking. He knew more than I wanted him to and that was enough. He didn’t have to know anything else if he didn’t want to get himself involved in my life.

“I happen to pass by and saw you—“ he tried to explain, trailing off, his hand rubbing at his nape.

I blushed, not being able to look away at how boyish he looked. He smiled a little when he caught my eye and I looked away, scolding my heart for pounding so loudly without any shame.

“You can go now.” I wiped at a tear on my cheek and prevented myself from crying again in front of him. I couldn’t extend the pity party up to here. I thought I already had enough at home.

“What about you?” he asked, his eyes following me as I sat down again.

I shook my head, looking away again. “It’s okay. I was just trying to get some fresh air anyway.”

“At the bus stop?” he asked, disbelieving. “At ten in the evening in just your attire and house slippers?” I could feel his eyes scanning me head to toe.

I scoffed, feeling a little offended that he was showing like he cared when he didn’t. “Is there something wrong with me and what I am wearing now, too?”

His eyes widened when he realized what I was implying. It wasn’t just my clothes or me at the moment. He knew what I was talking about more than anyone else. “It’s not like that.” He huffed in frustration as if he was having a really hard time explaining himself. “Nothing’s wrong with you,” he paused, slowly looking at me with those eyes again. “It’s just that I feel like you shouldn’t be here. It’s cold. And that brings me to my second point. Maybe I should just drive you home.”

I shook my head, surprise and dread filling me. “No, you can’t.”

“But—“

“I already had enough for today, so don’t add to it.” I cocked my head to the side, wanting to bite my tongue for what I was saying. I knew that deep down I really didn’t want him to leave. But I was going to drive him away again. “Maybe you should just leave.”

It was silent for a while until he decided to speak. “Is that really what you want?”

My hands clenched on my lap. I didn’t have the willpower to answer this one.

“Are you sure?” he asked again, trying to make sure. If I didn’t know him any better I’d think he was buying some time to delay himself leaving, but I was pretty sure he was just making sure I wasn’t going to be clingy in the end.

When I didn’t answer, I heard footsteps moving on the side walk, someone opening a car door and then someone closing it. He probably had gotten inside his car, ready to drive away. Finally leaving me for good. Maybe the next time we’d see each other he probably had gotten himself a more suitable wife than his soul mate—

I wasn’t able to stop the squeal that left my lips when I felt myself being hoisted over someone’s shoulder, the world turning upside down in my eyes. My forehead hitting someone’s back as they walked.

“Either way you’re not going to listen to me so might as well do it my way,” my soul mate’s deep voice vibrated from this person’s—who was carrying me—back.

“Ya! Put me down you jerk!”

“I’ve been called worse, soul mate.”

I scoffed, crossing my arms as I glared daggers at his back. “You certainly know this is kidnapping, right? Just so you know I am definitely suing you for taking me with you against my own will.”

“Yes, I’m quite aware you’re going to pull that card at me,” he said, settling me down on the passenger’s seat. “But I’m prepared. I can hire the best lawyer and easily get away with it.” He sounded like he was bragging, but I knew that he was just stating the facts. He surely screamed filthy rich after all.

I leaned back even more on my seat when he ducked down a little to strap me to my seat, his cologne tickling my nose, his breath warm on my skin. I didn’t know if he did that purposely to fluster me, but I wasn’t biting it even if my pounding heart had already betrayed me.

When he was done making sure I was secured in a strap, he pulled away a little, making sure to maintain eye contact with me as he said, “so you won’t run away from me this time.” I widened my eyes, not knowing how to react. My cheeks flared from the implication of his words. His every action now just contradicted his choices in the past.

What was he doing to me?’

“Just so you know I am good at running away,” I muttered under my breath.

As if he’d heard, he looked at me once more and said, “I heard that.” I glared at him when he hastily shut the door and rushed to the driver’s side. My hands were all on the handle, testing if I could really do it just like I told him if I needed to, but he was on his seat faster than lighting. “Try doing it. See how this ends.” This time his mouth was upturned in a cocky way.

I widened my eyes, feeling my heart continue to betray me. It was the first time I ever saw him genuinely smile at me—okay maybe that was more than a smile but instead a smirk but still… Did I cause for him to smile that way?

Then I heard a click. My eyes widening even more when I realized what he did, how he’d easily tricked me. The attraction I had for him was clear and he just used it for his advantage. I tried the handle and it was of no use anymore. He had me locked in with him.

“Cheater,” I grumbled, trying to guilt-trip him, but not really implying anything.

Instead of his smirk growing though, his eyebrows furrowed, the smile dropping from his lips. “That hurt,” he openly said, a scowl appearing on his face. “I know what I did was really wrong, but it still hurt to hear you say that even if you don’t mean it that way.”

My eyebrows rose in confusion. What was with him? Why was he suddenly being so sulky and saying those things—oh. Realization sank in too late.

He must be referring to his sin towards me, which by the way I hadn’t thought of at all until he brought it up on his own.

The car started to move. He was driving. Not in the scary driver speed that normal bad boys preferred. Instead he drove carefully, sneaking peeks at me from time to time, his eyes wondering whether I was comfortable, that I could easily tell. There were just a few things I believed I could easily name about him, especially how he looked at me, because of the bond we shared—even if that bond hadn’t really strengthened these past four months.

“This isn’t the way home,” I pointed out to break the awkward tension, when I realized he was driving to the opposite direction from my house.

He nodded, saying, “I know.”

“You know and yet you’re still at it?” I raised a brow, crossing my arms on my chest, pretending to glare at him when in fact I couldn’t—for the life of me—hold it against him. “I thought you’re bringing me home.”

He nodded again, not looking back. “I just said that in hopes you’d let me, but I lied again,” he paused. “I have good intentions though.” Then he gave me a look. “You know what I mean. I’m sure you don’t want to go home more than anything.”

I didn’t response. He must have really felt what I felt. Him saying this just proved that he did. It felt tangible with the way he spoke and it made almost all my hostile feelings towards him vanish.

But I reminded myself again I wasn’t here on a field day with him. He was kidnapping me against my will.

Yet I felt at ease being in here with him.

Why?

Something told me it was because of the instant bond that fate cruelly put us in.