Colin’s breath wasing out in ragged, hot bursts, and beads of sweat dotted his forehead, a clear


    sign he was burning up with fever. His frame wobbled unsteadily.


    He wrapped his arms around me from behind, his voice a soft whisper. “Phoebe, I’m scared.”


    Scared? Him? Whenever Colin showed up, it was everyone else who got scared…..


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    Especially the likes of Serena, who got their kicks from bullying others.


    But Colin, he seemed like he could kill someone at any moment.


    “So you are… up to no good, after all, teaming up with this psycho murderer! If you dared toe


    today, don’t even think about leaving!” Serena spat out furiously, gesturing to her cronies to take action.


    Ste hadn’t even processed the situation before I grabbed her and Collin’s arm and bolted for the exit.


    Colin, jerked forward by my tug, nearly lost his footing.


    Serena had brought three guys with her, all built like linebackers.


    Knowing when to pick your battles is a sign of wisdom, and sometimes, retreat is the best strategy.


    Ste and I dashed out quickly, and I frantically pressed the elevator button.


    “Why are we waiting for the elevator? Did you call the cops?” I asked while sprinting.


    “How was I supposed to know we’d get jumped…” Ste panted, trying to keep up and sounding


    indignant.


    “Are you kidding me?” I muttered, close to tears.


    Ste stopped in her tracks and turned to me.


    I was puzzled. “What are you looking at… Keep running.” *


    She didn’t answer, instead looking back down the deserted hallway. “Where is he?”


    I froze for a second, realizing Colin hadn’t followed.


    “Colin!” My instincts kicked in, and I raced back towards the trouble.


    He was still sick, after all!


    “Colin!” I grabbed a fire extinguisher from the corridor and charged back in, unwilling to watch him get


    beaten.


    As I burst into the living room, I was taken aback. I didn’t need to lift a finger; the goons were already


    sprawled on the floor, wailing in agony.


    Serena was sitting paralyzed on the floor, her face ashen. “Psycho… he’s a psycho…”


    Colin dropped the stick in his hand, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and gave me a grin.


    I stood there, fire extinguisher in hand, in shock.


    His skin was so pale, and the stark contrast of the blood against his face was jarring.


    Who knew that him smiling at me after beating people up could be so unsettling?


    My heart skipped a beat, and I tossed the extinguisher aside, grabbed Colin, and made a beeline for


    the door.


    We didn’t speak on the way out, the tension thick in the air. Colin was silent, following meekly like a


    child who knew he had done wrong, head hung low.


    It wasn’t until we were in a safe ce that I couldn’t hold back any longer and began to scold him.


    “Have you lost your mind? Don’t you know you’re sick? What were you thinking running out here!”


    Colin looked up at me with a mix of remorse and confusion, slumped on the edge of a flower bed as I


    continued my tirade.


    “What if you’d gotten hurt? How can you be so careless with yourself?”


    I checked his face for injuries amid my lecture, blood was everywhere. It would be such a shame if his


    handsome face were to be scarred.


    He smirked at me again, his voice low. “It’s not my blood.”


    I pushed his chin away, still angry. “Don’t you smirk at me! How did you even get here? How did you


    find me?”


    He fell silent once more, dropping his gaze. He wouldn’t tell me how he found me.


    Meanwhile, Ste, out of breath and struggling, crouched on the ground, gasping for air. “Stop yelling at


    him. Look at how broken he is. It’s pitiful.”


    “And you!” I turned my frustration on her. “You call me out with all these grand promises, and I thought


    you had it all handled; at least get Robin to tag along? But you… you had no backup whatsoever! What


    if something had happened?” My control slipped, and I gave Ste a piece of my mind, too.


    Ste, caught off guard, just crouched there, taking my scolding. It took her a moment to respond.


    “What’s your deal with this suspect, huh?”


    “Suspect?” I subconsciously had forgotten Colin was a suspected murderer – a disturbing shift in my


    thinking.