Chapter 102: Chapter 102
Celeste rushed through the door the moment Amara opened it. She didn’t wait for permission.
She didn’t stop to take in her friend’s expression. She just grabbed her and pulled her into her arms with a shaky breath that refused to steady.
"I told you I was fine," Amara said softly against her shoulder. Her voice was trying to stay calm but she still carried that faint tremor Celeste didn’t miss. "Also, it’s too late for you to be here."
"Shut up," Celeste murmured into the hug, holding tighter, like she could squeeze the truth out of her. "Also, Dominic accompanied me. He’s in the car, waiting, so it’s not too late."
Her heart was beating too fast, and Amara could probably feel it. Celeste pulled back only enough to search her friend’s face. She was scanning her for cuts, bruises, or anything.
Amara sighed, tugging her inside with a small shake of her head. "You’re so dramatic."
"Dramatic?" Celeste shot back, shutting the door behind her. "You tell me a man cornered you on the street, and I’m dramatic for showing up? You’re insane if you think I was going to sit at home and wait until morning."
The corner of Amara’s lips tugged up, almost a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She led Celeste toward the couch. Her steps were slow, as though the weight of the night still clung to her.
"Sit down," Amara said gently, motioning. "I’m still a bit shaken if I’m being honest but I’ll tell you everything, so you don’t have to remain worried."
Celeste sank into the cushions, restless. Her hands curled and uncurled against her knees. She hated the way her stomach twisted, and she hated the thought of Amara standing in the dark with some thug in her face.
Amara sat across from her, and for a moment she looked like she was gathering herself. The words were stones in her throat which she had to drag out one by one.
"It was late. I was on my way home... it wasn’t even a busy street, Celeste. Just one of those quiet ones. He came out of nowhere. He was big, about 6’ 4 if I estimate properly. I couldn’t see the guy’s face properly, but I knew he had a rough look. He said my name." Her voice dropped on the last part, the syllables trembling.
Celeste’s jaw tightened. "He knew your name?"
Amara nodded, swallowing. "That’s what scared me most. I didn’t even have time to run before he was in front of me. And then—" she paused, biting her lip as if replaying it in her head, "—Elias showed up."
The name hung in the air, and Celeste’s stomach clenched instantly. Something in her gut screamed.
"Elias?" she asked carefully, too carefully. "As in Elias, the man you barely know?"
Amara’s face softened in relief, though, and that made Celeste’s unease worse. "Yes. He was just... there. At the right time. He pulled the guy off me and scared him away."
Celeste leaned back against the couch, trying to keep her face still while her insides twisted tighter.
This was too convenient. Way too convenient. What was Elias doing on a quiet street that late at night? Why there, why then, why her?
Her eyes stayed on Amara, but her mind was already racing. Everything sounded straight until Elias showed up.
It now sounded premeditated.
However, she couldn’t just jump to that conclusion, not yet. Not when Amara was sitting in front of her looking both fragile and relieved. Not when she was already clinging to the idea that Elias had "saved" her.
Celeste forced her voice to stay even. "And he just... appeared?"
Amara nodded, twisting her fingers together. "Yes. I didn’t even see where he came from. One moment that man was in front of me, the next Elias was there. He moved so fast, Celeste... the way he pulled him back, it was like he knew exactly what to do. And the man... the he just ran."
Celeste bit down on her tongue before answering. That was another problem. Men like that didn’t "just run." Not if they’d gone through the trouble of waiting in the shadows, and learning their prey’s name. Something about it didn’t add up.
"Did Elias explain why he was there?" Celeste asked carefully.
Amara hesitated. "He said he was out for a walk. That he’d been restless."
Celeste’s gut twisted harder. Restless. At that hour? On that quiet street? She wanted to shake Amara, wanted to snap her out of whatever soft gratitude she was feeling, but she knew better.
If she pressed too hard, Amara would dig her heels in and defend him. She’d always been that way. Hard, yet soft, willing to see the good in people, even when the shadows were obvious. Her mind flashed back to the evening after their spa day. He also appeared
Celeste leaned forward, catching her friend’s hands. "Listen to me. You can’t brush this off. He knew your name, Amara. That’s not something you take lightly. And Elias showing up exactly then? That’s..." she trailed, watching Amara’s face.
"Lucky," Amara whispered.
Celeste’s chest tightened. "That’s not the word I’d use."
Amara pulled her hands free, crossing her arms like she was protecting her chest. "You don’t know him the way I do."
Celeste raised a brow. "Exactly. You don’t know him either."
Silence followed Celeste’s words. Amara looked away first, staring down at the carpet like she could find her answers woven into the fibers.
Celeste softened her voice. "I’m not saying he isn’t kind. I’m not saying he didn’t help you. But Amara, ask yourself—why was he there? How did he know? Don’t you think that’s strange?"
Amara opened her mouth, closed it again, then shook her head. "I don’t want to think about it right now. I just want to be glad it’s over."
Celeste leaned back, sighing. She wanted to press, God, she wanted to press, but Amara looked like one push would make her break. Her friend wasn’t ready for suspicion, not when fear was still hanging on her shoulders.
"Fine," Celeste said finally, though the word tasted bitter. "But promise me you’ll be careful. Promise me you won’t be alone with him until you know more."
Amara gave a small nod, her eyes still fixed on the floor. "I promise."
It didn’t sound convincing.
Celeste studied her for a moment, then stood, and began pacing the room because she couldn’t sit still anymore. The air was too heavy, and the silence was too thick.
She walked to the window and pulled the curtain back just enough to catch a glimpse of the black car outside. Dominic was there, waiting. She could almost feel his eyes on the house. The thought grounded her, even as it unsettled her further.
She turned back.
Amara was watching her now, with that familiar mixture of affection and defensiveness. "Don’t tell Dominic," Amara said quietly.
Celeste frowned. "Why not?"
"Because he’ll make it worse. He’ll overreact, and then I’ll never hear the end of it."
Celeste let out a humorless laugh. "Overreact? Amara, a man ambushed you in the street. That’s not something we sweep under a rug. Dominic will find out eventually, and when he does, you know damn well it’ll be worse if he thinks we hid it."
Amara’s lips parted, then pressed together again. She didn’t argue. She knew Celeste was right, but the reluctance in her eyes was clear. If there was something wrong with Elias showing up there, she clearly didn’t want to know. At least for now.
Celeste softened, walking back to her and sitting beside her this time. She took her hand again, squeezing gently. "Listen to me. You’re safe now. That’s what matters. But don’t mistake relief for safety. There’s a difference."
Amara blinked rapidly, and for a second Celeste thought she might cry. But she didn’t. She just leaned against her, resting her head on Celeste’s shoulder.
Celeste wrapped an arm around her, holding her close. But even in the quiet comfort, her mind kept circling back to the same thought:
What the hell was Elias doing there?