The air rushed back into my lungs with such force that it felt like I was being torn apart from the inside. My ears were ringing, I felt a strong urge to vomit, and I struggled to think clearly. I wasn't sure what was happening, but just when I thought it was all over, the world appeared before my eyes in a violent and painful manner.

"Andy, I'm here, breathe," Erik said.

I blinked, unable to understand a single word. I began coughing, feeling the excruciating pain in my chest rise up my throat. There were shouts, noise, and a reddish flash caught all my attention. Erik was by my side, but he stood up, moving away from me, and I reached out my hand in fear, afraid he'd disappear again.

A loud bang made me turn my head to see Erik, his face completely contorted with fury, grabbing Oliver by the collar and slamming him against the wall. Without yelling, but in a clearly threatening manner, he said something that my mind couldn't process. Oliver was screaming, trying to break free, but Erik grabbed him by the neck, and, if it weren't hard to believe, I'd say he lifted him off the ground for a moment before quickly letting him go, and Oliver's body fell to his knees with a dry thud against the carpet.

The next thing I could process was Angus entering the room, looking at me with concern and quickly pulling out his phone as Erik crouched beside me.

"I'm here," he said, caressing my face with a terrified look, scared for me. I started crying and hugged him tightly, finally feeling safe. His arms surrounded me, and he stood up, lifting me as if it took no effort at all.

"Is this the one you've been sleeping with all this time, you piece of trash? Is that why you came to this island?" Oliver shouted from the floor, making me shrink in Erik's arms.

"If I hear you open your mouth one more time, I'll drown you in the depths of the bay, and I assure you they won't find your body," Erik replied without letting me go, his voice so loaded with aggression that he didn't need to raise it to make Oliver shut his damn mouth.

We headed outside, and Erik brought me to the truck, placing me in the passenger seat and quickly taking off his jacket to put it over me.

"No te vayas (Don't go)," I pleaded in Spanish when I saw he intended to go back inside.

"I won't be long, I promise," he looked into my eyes, and I feared letting him go in case I never saw him again, but he kissed my lips gently, and I had to trust he'd return.

He went back inside, closing the door behind him, and I huddled under his jacket, wanting to hide from the world. Just a couple of minutes later, he returned carrying some of my things, got into the truck, and drove off. He didn't say anything, but his jaw was tight, and he gripped the wheel firmly. I noticed his knuckles were reddened, and it wasn't until we left the town behind that he relaxed the tension he'd been exerting on the wheel.

Arriving at the lighthouse, he stopped the truck by the entrance to his house, circled the car, and opened the door to carry me in his arms again, because I was barefoot and the ground was muddy. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he didn't let go until we were inside the house, on the couch.

"Thank you," I sobbed, making him hug me and gently rub my back.

"You didn't answer my calls," he said, resting his head against mine. "I was scared."

"Why?" I asked, not knowing what miracle had made Erik arrive a day earlier, just when I needed him.

"Last night, Nora called me worried about you. She said there was a Spanish guy bothering you," he held my chin and wiped away my tears with his thumb, his voice softer than usual.

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So every vibration I heard while hiding under the sheets must have been him, asking what was going on.

"I'm sorry."

"I called you this morning, five times... I sent Anne to check if everything was okay, and she said she couldn't reach you. Andrea was very scared," he pressed his forehead against mine, and the knot in my throat seemed to loosen a bit by sharing my fear with him.

"I just wanted to hide until you came back," I sobbed.

"Why didn't you call me? I would've come back immediately."

"I don't know... I just wanted to wake up and have it be a nightmare."

"Please, don't go through something like that alone again. I'm here," he pleaded.

I didn't know how good I had been throughout my life, but Erik was the greatest reward for the 20 long years I had been suffering Oliver's shouts, insults, and blows. The mere thought made me shrink, and Erik didn't hesitate to hug me again, letting me cry against his chest for as long as I needed.

"I don't know how he found me," I said through tears.

"It doesn't matter because he won't dare to even think of your name again, I swear," he said firmly, looking me in the eyes.

"How do you know?" I asked, finding it hard to believe him.

"Because if he comes within 1km of you again..." he clenched his jaw so hard I could almost hear his teeth grind. "He won't. "he concluded.

"I want to leave this island... I want to go far away," I said, sniffing, unable to shake off the horrible feeling of vulnerability.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked.

"I don't know, far away," I wiped my tears with the back of my hand.

"Can I go with you?" he asked, stroking my hair. I looked at him, not understanding why he would, why he would leave his quiet life on this island for me.

"And what about the lighthouse?" my question must have been stupid enough to make him laugh in such a situation.

"What about the lighthouse?"

"Who will take care of it?"

"I want to take care of you," he pressed his forehead against mine.

"I can't ask you to give up everything," I complained, and his lips curved into a small smile.

"Maybe it's time to be brave and be what I've always wanted to be, a photographer. And you, a writer," he rubbed his nose against mine. "Let's get out of here, wherever you want," he whispered.

"I don't know where I want to go, Erik."

"Then let's find out along the way. You can work from anywhere, right?" he asked, not knowing where he was going, but I nodded.

"Yes... but..."

"Then come with me to travel the world until we figure out where you want to stay," I saw in his eyes the need to escape with me.

If there was one thing I had realized during these days, it was how much I enjoyed being with him and how much I had missed his jokes, his accent full of nuances that I didn't understand, or his mischievous looks. His kisses, his caresses, and above all, his joy.

"In your red truck?"

"What do you have against my truck now?" he smiled.

"Nothing... your accent is worse,"

I teased him, making him roll his eyes in a funny way.

"Andrea," he said, taking my hand and kissing my knuckles gently.

"Erik," I repeated.

Even though I still wanted to cry, to scream, and to hide underground, he made the sun shine brightly enough for me not to stay in the shadows.

"I really like you, and I don't want to let you feel scared ever again."

"Then you can't leave for Glasgow without me," I said with a slight pout. I had been stupid; I should have gone with him instead of staying out of pride.

"I won't go anywhere without you again," he promised.

I hugged him and nodded without letting go.

"I'm very indecisive, we're going to have to travel a lot," I warned, making him laugh as he settled on the couch without letting me go.

"To the end of the world if necessary."