• Water splashed everywhere as I ran down the street. Sean wasn't too far behind me.
    "Leona!" he yelled.
    I didn't stop. I must have ran 5 city blocks before I looked behind me. When I did, a bike was headed my way.
    "Watch out!" someone yelled.
    I jumped out of the way. But the bike and the person crashed into the pole.
    "Ooooof!" the man crashed in the gutter.
    "I'm so sorry!" I apologized as I helped him up, still looking over my shoulder.
    "It's okay," he said as he brushed himself off. "Where are you running to?"
    More like running from, I thought. I can't let Sean catch me.
    "Um, hello?" he said.
    "Oh." I hadn't realized that I didn't answer his question. "I …was…um…kinda running from someone. But never mind…uh..look, I gotta go…"
    "If this guy's dangerous," he interrupted, "you can hide out at my place for a couple of days. He wouldn't think of looking for you here."
    I looked up at the huge building he pointed to. "Um…thanks, but I shouldn't…"
    "LEONA!" Sean yelled, getting closer.
    "C'mon!" the man grabbed my wrist and pulled me inside the building. I tried not to scream, because Sean could have found us. But a yelp of fear escaped my throat. The strange man clasped his hand over my mouth. We waited what seemed like forever.
    "Okay," the stranger said, moving his hand, "you're safe."
    "Thanks," I said, and started toward the door. Then I felt his hand curled around my wrist.
    "Where are you going?" he asked.
    "I'm going to get out of here while I still can," I replied, trying to get out of his grip.
    "He still might be out there. I told you: you can stay here for a couple of days until he's out of the state." He chuckled at his own joke.
    I weighed my options: stay with a stranger or take a risk and get killed by my ex.
    This guy better kidnapping me.
    "Fine, I'll stay," I decided. His whole face lit up.
    "Great!" He pulled me toward the elevator. "I think we'll have a great time together!"
    "Great…" I was a bit skeptical about that.
    We went up 4 floors, then walked down a large hallway. He pulled out a key and unlocked the door.
    "Sorry it's a bit messy," he apologized, "I wasn't expecting visitors."
    I was too distracted to listen. His apartment was too…perfect. Modern art decorated every wall, and the living room was painted my favorite color : ocean blue. On the couch was an African afghan, similar to the one I had on my bedspread.
    "This is perfect," I managed to say. "It reminds me of my room."
    "I'm glad," he replied, heading toward the back. "Oh, I never introduced myself. I'm Aiden."
    "Leona," I answered following him. "So where will I be sleeping?"
    "Back here!" he called. I followed his voice into a huge bedroom ,with two twin beds on either side. One had a red bedspread, the other had a blue one. Since the blue bed was messed up and had books all over it, I guessed it was his.
    "You can have the bed farthest from the window," Aiden said as he took of his shirt. I never noticed how ripped he was. "That way the sun won't wake you at 6 in the morning. Leona?"
    I didn't realize I was staring at him. "Huh? Oh, okay. Um, where's the kitchen? I'm a bit hungry, you know…from the running…"
    He chuckled at that, which made me blush. "Straight down the hall to your left. Call me if you get lost."
    It was my turn to chuckle, then I walked down to the kitchen. Luckily I found some grapes in the fridge, and started snacking on them. I tried to figure out my travel plans. I couldn't stay here for long; Aiden would probably get sick of me and kick my butt out. But if I traveled any longer, Sean might catch up with me. I couldn't let that happen.
    I was so caught up in my planning that I didn't hear Aiden come in. So I pretty much jumped when he wrapped his arms around me.
    "Sorry!" he apologized, quickly letting me go. "If I went too fast, I…"
    "No!" I said, a little too eagerly. "Um…it's okay. Um…" Unfortunately for my concentration, he was still shirtless. "I didn't know you liked me that way…"
    Now he was speechless. "Uh…I do…I just wasn't sure if you liked me…"
    "Uh…" He was a complete stranger! How could I like him like this? "Yeah..kinda…"
    "Kinda," he chuckled as he hugged me. His chest felt very warm. It made my heart beat even faster. You know, this reaction seemed oddly familiar…
    Then a light bulb flicked in my head.
    "AIDEN!" I gasped.
    "Took you long enough!" he laughed.
    Aiden was a old friend from my younger years. He and I use to hang out all the time. I actually formed a crush on him in my early teenage years. The day he left was the saddest day of my life…

    "I'm not letting you go," I complained as he tossed his last suitcase in the trunk.
    "You're so cute when you're mad," Aiden chuckled as he hugged me.
    "Why do you have to go to New York?" I complained even more.
    "Because I want to become a journalist," he explained for the 50th time that day, "and the New York Times seems like a good place to start. Don't worry; when you start your education at FIT, I'll be covering your path to success every day."
    I blushed at that. "I'll miss you so much. Sean will too."
    "Yeah, right," he grimaced. He didn't have much tolerance for Sean. "If you want to give me a parting gift, dump that loser."
    I punched him in the shoulder. "Don't be mean. Or else my last memory of you won't be a good one."
    "It won't be your last memory of me," he said as he climbed into his car. "It'll be one that will last until we meet again."
    I smiled as he pulled off. I wasn't sure when I was going to see him again.

    I smiled as I looked into Aiden's eyes. "It's been so long."
    "I know," he whispered. "I figured you would recognize me sooner or later." He laughed.
    I laughed with him as I cuddled into his chest. "You really grew in the past 3 years, haven't you?"
    "Yeah," he said as he let me go. "You've really gotten yourself in a mess, haven't you?"
    I sighed and walked past him. "Unfortunately. I took your advice a little too late."
    We both sat on the couch. "Tell me what happened." He stared me down with his dark brown eyes.
    I gulped and sat up. I spent the next few minutes filling him in on Sean's temper and our constant fights. Sobs started to fill my throat when I repeated Sean's frightening words to me the night I left. I was so choked up that I couldn't speak.
    Aiden wrapped his arms around me, pulling me toward him. "We're gonna figure this out, Leona," he promised me. "I'm not going to let him hurt you."
    I nodded weakly. Apparently he hadn't seen what Sean can do...