Zenon's Game Chapter 245

"Did you see it?" I exhaled, my breathing out of control, "D- did you see?"

"What?" he asked, trying to look in my terrified eyes, "What should I have seen?"

"The intruder was in my room. Did you-"

We heard a smash and Zenon reacted immediately. He lowered me to the ground and turned to head out.

"Stay here," he told me, "And jam your chair under the doorknob."

I hadn't thought of that before. Maybe that's what he meant when he said to lock the door.

I watched Zenon leave and instinctively worried for him. Who knows what the intruder was capable of? Who knows what weapons were on them?

I realized that the last thing I wanted to be was alone and terrified in my room. Again. I was going to stick with my boyfriend on this one.

Crash

I stepped out and looked to my left. The hallway was deserted. I looked right and saw the commotion at the end of it. Zenon approached the smashed window, staring outside.

"Be careful!" Itold Zenon, seeing the glass shattered on the carpet around his bare feet, "Didthey escape or did you push them out the window?"

The cold air came in through my broken window. Zenon and I stood in front of shattered glass. We were safe, but the intruder was gone.

I know I should've been thinking about their identity, their motive and how I was going to catch them, but all I could think about is how Zenon was safe.

Zenon was looking out of the window and abruptly said, "He's slow. I can get him-"

"No!" I exclaimed, watching Zenon's hand already on the windowsill to jump out, "You don't have shoes on! You don't know if they're unarmed! We should call the police!"

He was shirtless in this cold winter night and bare foot. The only thing he was going to catch right now is a cold.

Zenon returned to me, choosing not to throw himself out of my second-floor window. With a serious look on his handsome face, he said, "You're either moving house or we're getting a damn lock on that door."

"The second option?" I suggested, not sure if I could promise either. It was entirely my mom's decision, wherever in the world she was.

The right words were difficult to find, but I wanted to say something that would convey my gratitude, my relief, my overwhelming-

"I love you."

That sums it up.

The words roll easily off my tongue now. Love for Zenon feels so natural, and after saying it the first time, I couldn't stop saying it.

What else can you say to someone you love who comes running to your rescue in the middle of the night? It was selfless – especially coming from someone often branded as selfish.

Zenon is so much better than his reputation allows him to be.

Zenon wordlessly kissed me. He kissed my lips and my forehead, and his body felt cold to my touch. It was so cold tonight and he was barely dressed.

"I love you," he whispered back, pulling me close, "I love you so much."

Why did I hear a hint of fear in his voice? I hugged him, and my hands rubbed his back, trying to create some warmth for him.

"I was scared something was going to happen to you," he admitted, exhaling in relief.

I was so relieved that he was safe. Tonight could have ended so differently.

"Thank you," I told him, finding it so hard to not break into tears, "You came for me."

I don't think he'll ever know what if feels like to be so alone before we met.

I wasn't used to this. Zenon is different to any relationship I've had before – including that with my own family – but I'm still learning what that means.

It was pure luck that I had been on the phone with him when the intruder broke in. I don't know what would've happened if I hadn't called for help. If we weren't already on the phone, I probably wouldn't have had the time.

Zenon pulled away from me, and looked me up and down, his arms holding mine, "Are you OK? Are you hurt in any way?"

"I'm fine," I said, my face contorted in some strange expression as I tried to stop myself from full on crying.

I just wanted to be back in his arms. He pulled me into his embrace and his caring hand stroked my hair.

"Thank you," I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut as tears escaped them.

I kissed his bare neck. I was so scared knowing that someone out there wanted to hurt me.

"I'll always be here for you," he whispered back.

You... and coffee

Our phones were still on a call with each other.

Throughout this entire ordeal, we hadn't hung up on each other. Zenon pulled his phone from the pocket of his sweatpants and hung up now. He then dialed three digits.

I needed time to recollect my thoughts, my rational thinking, my heartbeat. All the things that had flown out the window the moment I felt scared for my life.

It's not the only thing that flew out the window tonight...

I'm going to find that blackmailer turned home invader.

I didn't want to step foot in my room. It felt like it belonged to a stranger's now.

Zenon walked up to me and I stared into his crystal blue eyes. His expression was worried, and I felt guilty for bringing that on him.

"The police will be here in thirty minutes," he said.

Earlier today we were innocently saying I love you for the first time and now...

I nodded sadly and heard my own voice sound weaker than usual, "You look like you're freezing, Zenon. You should borrow one of your sweatshirts."

"Nice, Candy," Zenon smirked, "You'll let me borrow my own clothes."