Chapter 3

" Great, you can start working from tomorrow, the shift's eight to five," he informed.

My eyes lingered on his face for a moment. He was handsome. Handsome was an understatement. He pushed back a lock of thick, shiny, black hair that swept over his forehead. He had piercing green eyes that changed their shade three times till he walked toward me. They looked effortlessly kind. He had a sharp jawline and a lean nose set between his face. I looked into his eyes and realized they were looking at me in a concerned way. That's when I realized how shitty I must be looking. My hair was a bird's nest and I hadn't combed it for three days. My eyes were probably swollen and black from the lack of sleep and my cheeks sunken because I didn't have a good meal for God knows how long. I cast my eyes down.

" Hey, look at me, are you okay?" he asked. Okay. Such a weird word. How could I be?

" Yeah," I lied still staring at the ground. He lifted my chin so I faced him. Such a slight touch. Probably not even meant to be intimate but I felt it to the pitch of my stomach. He put his strong hands on my shoulders. I stared at him. He stared back with affection or sympathy, I reminded myself. Time stopped. My eyes prickled. Suddenly, I started crying. I covered my face with my hands and cried so hard I couldn't breathe. Two arms wrapped around me gently and he pulled me towards him. Him. I didn't even know his name. Yet, here I was being held by a person I had just met a few minutes ago and allowed it because it felt so good. I couldn't even remember the last time I was hugged. At least not a genuine hug. Why did this feel genuine? This guy was an absolute stranger.