Selina rammed into him so hard she amost pushed him over and wrapped her arms around him crying with so much force she almost couldn't breathe, “I thought I’d never see you again!”

Aaron froze. A surge of happiness filled him. Selina had forgotten how good it felt when she was with Aaron. How good it felt to have him holding her. When she released him he stared down at her bruised up face.

“What happened?” he asked wiping the blood away from her lip.

Selina flinched as he touched one of her bruises.

“Lets get back first. The others will be worried by now.” Aaron suggested.

Not to mention he should go to the police to turn himself in also.

***

Jiro had gone shopping for notepads, pencils, pens, a stapler, and plenty other stuff. After he had done his shopping he had decided to go get something to eat. He hadn’t expected to run into his all time friend, Ella Chen. They had met when he had gone overseas and somehow became best friends. She was the only person he felt comfortable with talking about his life in Taiwan. He hadn’t expected her to get a job at the same station.

She was a short petite person, but was filled with a load of strength. There were many other unique things about her that he found himself admiring. He hadn't seen her after coming back and felt overjoyed to see she'd been doing well. They had gone for a drink and had gone deep, deep into a conversation making, and because of that Jiro forget about the time.

“Invite me to your wedding!” Ella called after him as Jiro made his way out of the building.

He quickly got inside his car and looked at the clock. It was well past midnight when he finally got to his house. He made a silent note to himself to apologize to Selina that he'd forgotten about her.

Jiro rushed inside furiously when he found that the door had been left wide open. He looked all over the house shouting Selina’s name only to discover that no one would answer him.

Finally Jiro resorted to his bedroom to find it distorted. His dressers had all been left open, his clothes tossed all over the place, his picture frames thrown all over, none of them broken except for one. When Jiro picked it up he found that the glazing had been cracked where he had been standing in the photo. Standing next to him was a smiling Selina.

He suddenly felt his heart beat faster fearing the worst about what may have happened.

Selina…he couldn’t let anything happen to her.

***

A long conversation had gone by when Aaron had finally gotten the cops to understand his position. Selina was then questioned about the man who had abducted her. She nervously answered questions leaving out any detail that she had known the man. After three hours or so when they thanked her for her cooperation they had promised to look for the man with the description she'd given.

They were finally able to leave. Feeling worn out Selina slowly staggered her way out of the police station. She felt like collapsing to the ground. She was so tired, her legs were so weary, and she felt at her weakest point. Aaron glanced at her and gently took her arm to help support her while they waited for Sam.

***

Calvin came noisily down the steps when he heard Sam put down the phone and grab his car keys.

“Where are you going?” asked Calvin.

“Hurry up and get ready,” came Sam’s reply.

“Where are you going?” Calvin restated the question.

“To the police station, we need to pick up Aaron,” Sam answered.

“Huh?!” came Calvin’s big gasp.

***

When the familiar car arrived Aaron led Selina down the steps and toward the car. Once Aaron closed the door after entering the back seat with Selina they looked up to see that Calvin and Sam were staring at her beat up face.

“Just drive on! Quick!” Aaron ordered.

Sam turned around as if he was mute and obeyed the bossy Aaron. Once they were inside the house Aaron led Selina up to his room since Sam’s house only had two rooms. He sat her down on his bed and left, coming back with some ointment and a gauze.

“I know you’re unwilling to tell me about what happened, but I’m glad nothing bad happened to you,” Aaron expressed as he slowly and gently applied on the ointment to her injuries.

Selina did not flinch from the pain. She finally realized something as she stared at Aaron’s concentrated face. An invisible attraction had been drawing her near him. It was impossible for her to admit it, but she now could clearly see that Aaron had a strong liking for her.

“You should be tired. After getting some sleep you can use the phone to call Jiro,” Aaron had told.

He had not wanted to say that he had wanted her to stay at his place because he was scared of letting her to back to Jiro’s house. The other reason was he only wanted to see her.

“Thank you,” Selina thanked.

Aaron smiled and grabbed the ointment and the rest of the gauze and left. The door closed and Selina resorted to laying down in the dark. Closing her eyes she immediately drifted off into a deep slumber.

***

As Aaron reached the bottom of the stairs, Calvin grabbed him and set him down on a chair by the table in the kitchen. Sam and Calvin crowded around him trapping him from escaping.

“What’s the story?” Sam asked.

“You didn’t her, did you?” asked Calvin.

“What?! No!” Aaron shouted. “Why would you think that in the first place?!”

“Well...you were in such a bad mood earlier…you could have done anything,” Calvin suggestd tapping his chin.

Aaron made a face at Calvin before Sam grabbed his shoulders and spoke into his face.

“Whatever that happened Aaron, I’m glad you’re safe,” Sam said.

***

Jiro stuck his hands in his pockets uncomfortably watching the police officers checked the rest of the house. He hadn’t checked anywhere else after finding that his room had been ransacked. Jiro had already made sure to call his mother and told her not to call home. On the other hand, he still had Selina to search for.

He was frustrated and plummed with guilt for leaving her alone, but he felt even more angry with himself for having forgotten about her. After the police had left he sat down on the sofa recalling the time they had spent together there. Before he knew it he had fallen into a slumber only to be awoken hours later by a knock at the door.

“Are you still looking for a Selina Ren?” the officer on the front door step asked.

Jiro learned from the police that two hours earlier a man had taken a beaten up woman to the police station.

Where else could Selina be except for at Aaron’s house? Jiro sped in his car along the road refusing to stop for anything until he reached Sam’s house. And when he reached his destination, to his surprise, the lights were still on inside.

***

Before finishing the last of his coffee the doorbell rang. Calvin glanced towards the door with bags under his eyes and moaned.

“Don’t tell me it’s the cops coming back for you Aaron,” Calvin said as he got off his chair.

Aaron ignored Calvin as he left.

“Yes? How may I help you?” Calvin asked opening the door and his eyes widened when he saw Jiro’s unhappy face.

“Where’s Selina?” Jiro asked storming in without being invited.

He walked into the kitchen to find Aaron and Sam sitting calmly. Aaron, however, looked most surprised.

“Where’s Selina?” asked Jiro.

“Sleeping. Upstairs.” the words slid out.

Jiro turned around and headed for the stairs. Aaron got up and followed after Jiro.

Jiro opened door after door and finally found the room Selina was sleeping in. Just seeing her figure calmed Jiro down. He walked over without turning the light on and sat by her. Aaron watched from the doorway watching Jiro push her loose hair behind her ears waking her.

“Jiro? What are you doing here?” Selina asked recognizing him by his hair.

Jiro held her gently pressing his face into her shoulder.

“I was so scared wondering what could have happened to you,” Jiro whispered squeezing her. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Selina remained quiet when she felt Jiro shake. She slowly moved her hand up and patted his back.

“I’m still alive, right?” she said. “I’m ok. Really.”

***

Aaron turned around and found that Calvin standing behind him. Aaron quickly looked away from Calvin’s eyes and headed downstairs. Though, Aaron wasn’t expressing it Calvin could sense that Aaron was having a hard time himself.

“Lets go home,” Jiro said into Selina’s ear.

Home…Selina had no place anymore to call home. She was too scared to go back to her grandma’s house and she wasn’t ready to face the future head on with Jiro.

“Please go back with me…I’m sorry I couldn’t come in time,” Jiro insisted.