The days at university had started to settle into a comfortable routine for Amara. Her mornings were spent in lectures, the afternoons in the library, and the evenings working her part-time job behind the counter at the campus café. It wasn't glamorous, but it paid the bills and gave her the chance to meet a few interesting people.
Tonight, the library had been eerily quiet. The last few students had left, and Amara was alone, finishing up the last of her tasks. She stuffed her things into her bag, looking at the clock. It was nearly 9 p.m. If she hurried, she could catch the last bus back to the dorm.
Pulling on her jacket, she exited through the back of the library. The chilly night air greeted her, and for a moment, she paused to take in the silence of the campus. There was a shortcut she always took through a narrow alley, a path that led behind the dormitories and cut the trip in half. It was quieter than the main road, but she had always felt safe walking it.
As she walked down the dimly lit alley, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Nia: "How's your shift? Did you see any cute guys at work?"
Amara smiled and was about to reply when a loud crash echoed from up ahead. Her pulse quickened, and she glanced around nervously. The sound was followed by muffled voices — arguing, shouting. Her heart raced as she felt an instinctive pull to check it out.
She didn't stop to think; curiosity won over caution.
Amara picked up her pace, her footsteps quickening as she approached the corner of the alley. There, she saw it: a group of three guys, surrounding a man on the ground. The man was struggling, clearly trying to fight them off. She couldn't make out his face in the shadows, but he was a large figure, with the posture of someone who wasn't backing down.
Without thinking, Amara stepped forward. "Hey! What's going on here?" she shouted, her voice strong despite her rising anxiety.
The three guys turned toward her, and Amara's stomach dropped. They looked dangerous, their expressions cold and unamused. One of them sneered.
"Mind your business, girl," he said, taking a step closer.
Amara didn't back down. "No! Let him go!" she shouted again, trying to keep her voice steady.
But the guy wasn't backing off. He shoved her roughly, and before she could react, another of the men grabbed her wrist. Amara tried to pull away, but he twisted it painfully, and she stumbled back into the side of the building. The pain shot up her arm, and her wrist throbbed, but she didn't have time to worry about it. She had to help.
She took a deep breath and, with everything she had, rushed forward again to intervene. But this time, one of the guys shoved her with such force that she lost her footing entirely. Her feet slipped out from under her, and she fell hard onto the ground, her head slamming against the cold concrete.
The world spun around her as the last thing she heard was a distant shout — "Amara!"
Amara slowly regained consciousness, her head throbbing and her vision swimming. She blinked several times, trying to focus. The first thing she noticed was that she wasn't on the cold ground anymore. The soft rustle of fabric and the familiar scent of a clean hospital room hit her senses.
She was lying in a bed, and someone was sitting beside her. She turned her head, her eyes focusing on the figure sitting next to her.
Kieran Hale.
Her heart skipped a beat. How did he end up here? The thought made her stomach churn with embarrassment.
"Amara?" he said, his voice soft but firm.
She blinked at him, trying to gather her thoughts. "What... happened?" Her voice was a little groggy, and her wrist throbbed painfully.
"You were knocked out a bit," Kieran replied, his gaze focused on her but not showing much emotion. "You should have rested when I told you to stay out of it."
Amara's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Knocked out? Her mind flashed back to the alley, to the moment she had fallen. The idea that Kieran had seen her faint, that he'd probably been there when it happened, made her stomach twist.
She could barely look him in the eye. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to cause any trouble," she muttered, barely able to get the words out. "I should have just called for help, not tried to fight."
Kieran's eyes flickered slightly, but he didn't give much away. He wasn't the type to offer comfort, and he certainly didn't seem like someone who would give her any reassurance. "It's fine," he said. "But next time, don't try to act like a hero. It wasn't your fight."
Amara nodded, still feeling embarrassed. The thought of Kieran seeing her faint in front of him, and worse, having to carry her here... She wanted to disappear into the bed.
She glanced down at her wrist, which was now bandaged up. "Is it... bad?"
"No," Kieran replied, his tone neutral. "Just a sprain. You'll be fine."
Amara breathed a sigh of relief, but the weight of everything still hung heavy on her. She had fainted. In front of Kieran. And now, here she was in the hospital bed with him sitting next to her, and she had no idea how to deal with the situation.
She opened her mouth to say something, but the words didn't come out. Her mind was racing, but there was one question she couldn't ignore.
"Uh.... ," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "How did you know my name?"
Kieran didn't respond immediately. His expression didn't change, but there was a flicker in his eyes — something she couldn't quite place. "Your ID," he said, almost as if it were a casual remark, but there was an edge to his tone.
Amara wasn't satisfied with his answer, but she didn't push. There were bigger things to deal with right now, like her embarrassing situation. Kieran stood up, his posture still stiff and formal.
"I'll get the nurse," he said, though there was a hint of something softer in his voice now, even if he didn't show it outwardly.
Amara didn't respond. She just lay there, the awkwardness filling the room as Kieran left to find the nurse. She closed her eyes, letting the silence wash over her. The night had started off so simply, and now everything felt so complicated.
What just happened? she thought, still feeling the heat of embarrassment in her cheeks.