Chapter 3
He walked over and came to a stop right in front of me, looking down at me.
"Why are you sitting here all alone so late?" His Veyrish was still flawless, but his tone was noticeably warmer than before.
"I—" I sniffled and quickly wiped the corner of my eye with the back of my hand. "I lost my wallet, and my phone's dead. I have no way to get back."
He glanced at the dead phone in my hand, then at my empty down jacket pockets. "Where did you lose your wallet?"
"I don't know. I walked around and couldn't find it."
He was silent for a moment, then crouched down to meet my gaze. "Where do you live?"
"The school dorm."
"Is it far?"
"It's a forty-minute subway ride."
He didn't say anything, just took the empty crossbody bag from my hand and stood up. "Let's go to my place."
"Wait, what?"
"It's not safe for you to be out here," Felix said. "It's late, your phone's dead, and you lost your wallet. What were you going to do?"
I wanted to say I could walk, but then remembered the forty-minute subway ride and the fact that I didn't know the way back, so I kept quiet.
"Let's go," he said, turning to walk away.
I paused for a couple of seconds, then got up and went after him.
He wasn't walking fast, but his strides were long, so I had to jog a little to keep up.
"My name is Felix," he suddenly said, not looking back.
"Felix?" I repeated.
"Yeah."
"What's your last name?"
"Schur."
"Can I call you Feli?"
He finally glanced back at me, his green eyes looking a little helpless under the streetlights. "Whatever."
"Feli's easier to remember."
He didn't say anything, but I caught the tiniest twitch at the corner of his mouth. It was so subtle that I almost missed it.
Felix led me for about ten minutes before turning onto a quiet residential street.
The street was lined with sycamore trees; winter had stripped them of their leaves, leaving their bare branches reaching toward the sky.
He stopped in front of a small white house, pulled out his keys, and unlocked the door.
My heart was pounding as I stepped inside.
I was following a cop I'd only met twice back to his place.
Even though he was a cop, if this had happened back home, my mom would've killed me.
But Sterkenlanders probably wouldn't kidnap a foreign student.
"Come in," he said, already slipping into his slippers and heading inside.
I followed him in, carefully taking off my shoes at the door.
The entryway was small but spotless, with a round mirror hanging on the wall and a bouquet of dried flowers placed nearby.
The living room was bathed in warm yellow light, with a deep gray sofa draped in a plaid blanket.
On the coffee table were a few books and a half-finished cup of coffee.
The whole place had a simple, cozy vibe, just like Felix.
"Mom," he called out toward the kitchen.
The kitchen door opened, and a Veyranian woman in an apron poked her head out.
"You're back? Oh, who's this?" Her eyes lit up when she saw me. "Felix, did you bring a friend home?"
I was lost in thought for a moment. Then I turned to look at Felix.
He was hanging up his coat, not glancing back. "He's not a friend, just someone I picked up off the street."
"Felix, don't be so mean." His mom shot him a look, then smiled and waved me over. "Come on in, have a seat. Have you eaten yet?"
Her Veyrish had a northern lilt, making her sound extra friendly and familiar.
"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Schur." I gave a small bow. "I haven't had dinner yet."
"Perfect." She turned and headed back to the kitchen. "I've got some braised ribs and tomato soup cooking. Sit and wait for a minute. It'll be ready soon."
I wanted to say it wasn't necessary, but before I could, the familiar smell hit me.
It was the smell of red wine-braised ribs. My nose stung, and tears welled up in my eyes again.
Felix walked over and handed me a cup of warm water. "Drink this for now."
"Thanks," I murmured, taking the cup and lowering my head as I took a sip. The warm water helped ease the lump in my throat a bit.
He sat across from me in the armchair, leaning back with his long legs casually crossed.
He was still in his uniform, only the top two buttons undone, revealing a hint of his Adam's apple and collarbone.
His blond hair was a bit tousled, a few strands falling across his forehead. Under the warm yellow light, his green eyes looked much softer than they did outside.
"What's your name?" Felix asked.
"Edward Carter," I replied.
"Edward Carter?" Felix echoed, frowning a bit.
"Yeah. Easy to remember, huh?"
"Yeah," he said, his expression unchanged, but I noticed his lips move slightly, like he was repeating my name to himself.