The next day, Emily woke up feeling refreshed and renewed.
She got out of bed, determined to put the encounter with Ryan behind her.
As she went about her day, Emily couldn't help but feel unease.
She kept thinking about Ryan and their conversation, wondering if she had made a mistake by pushing him away.
Just as Emily was starting to feel like she was getting over the encounter, her phone rang. It was Ryan.
Emily's heart skipped a beat as she saw Ryan's name on the screen. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should answer the call.
But then she remembered the way Ryan had looked at her the night before, the way he had spoken to her with such confidence and arrogance. Emily felt a surge of annoyance and decided to ignore the call.
She let the phone ring, watching as the screen flashed with Ryan's name. Finally, the ringing stopped, and Emily felt relieved.
The Message
A few minutes later, Emily's phone buzzed with a text message from Ryan. "Hey, Emily. I wanted to talk to you about last night. Can we meet up and discuss?"
Emily rolled her eyes, feeling frustrated. Why couldn't Ryan just leave her alone?
Emily decided to ignore the text message, hoping that Ryan would get the hint and leave her alone. She didn't want to engage with him anymore, and she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of thinking that she was interested.
As the day went on, Emily tried to focus on her work and push Ryan out of her mind.
But she couldn't shake the feeling that he was still thinking about her, that he was still trying to figure out why she had rejected him.
The Days Go By:
The days turned into weeks, and Emily heard nothing from Ryan.
She began to think that she had finally managed to get rid of him, that he had finally taken the hint and moved on.
But then, one day, Emily received an unexpected phone call from Ryan's elder brother, John Thompson.
Emily felt her breath catch, blinking her eyes as she saw John Thompson's name on the screen which was indicated by true caller app. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should answer the call.
But her curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to answer. "Hello?" she said, tapping her laps trying to sound calm.
"Emily, this is John Thompson," the voice on the other end said. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
Emily felt her speech lost. What did John Thompson want with her? "No, it's fine," she said, trying to sound polite. "What can I do for you, Mr. Thompson?"
"I wanted to talk to you about Ryan," John Thompson said, his voice firm but measured. "I understand that you two met recently, and I was wondering if you could tell me a bit more about your relationship with him."
Emily felt disturbed, her mind racing. What did John Thompson want to know about her relationship with Ryan? And why was he calling her instead of asking Ryan himself?
Emily adopted a nonchalant tone, deliberately downplaying her relationship with Ryan.
"Oh, we just met at a coffee shop," she said. "We didn't really talk much."
John Thompson's voice was skeptical. "I see," he said. "Well, Ryan seems to think that you two had a connection. He's been talking about you nonstop."
Emily felt a surge of discomfort, her tummy tightening. Why was Ryan talking about her to his elder brother? And why was John Thompson so interested in her relationship with Ryan?
"I'm flattered, I guess," Emily said, releasing a chuckle, trying to sound nonchalant. "But like I said, we barely know each other."
John Thompson's voice was smooth, but Emily could detect a hint of warning beneath the surface. "I see," he said. "Well, just be careful around Ryan, okay? He can be...persistent especially with things he value and love."
Emily felt a shiver run down her spine. What did John Thompson mean by "persistent"? And why was he warning her away from Ryan?
Emily's curiosity got the better of her, and she asked John Thompson to clarify what he meant by "persistent". "What kind of behavior should I be wary of?" she asked, trying to sound calm.
John Thompson's voice was measured, but Emily could detect a hint of concern beneath the surface. "Ryan can be... intense," he said. "He gets fixated on things, and he doesn't like to take no for an answer."
Emily felt a wave of blood rushing through her vein. She had already experienced a bit of Ryan's intensity, and she wasn't sure she wanted to deal with it again.
"I see," she said, pursing her lips, trying to sound nonchalant. "Well, I appreciate your warning, Mr. Thompson."
John Thompson's voice was smooth, but Emily could detect a hint of warning beneath the surface. "Just be careful, Emily," he said. "Ryan's not like other people. He's... driven."
Emily felt a surge of unease. What did John Thompson mean by "driven"? And what kind of behavior should she expect from Ryan?
Emily thanked John Thompson for his warning, trying to sound sincere. "Thank you, Mr. Thompson," she said. "I'll definitely be careful around Ryan."
James Thompson's voice was smooth, and Emily could detect a hint of approval beneath the surface. "Good," he said. "I just want to make sure you're aware of what you're getting yourself into."
Emily felt a surge of annoyance, but she tried to push it aside.
She didn't want to antagonize John Thompson, not when she still had to deal with Ryan.
"I appreciate your concern, Mr. Thompson," she said, trying to sound polite.
John Thompson's voice was smooth, and Emily could detect a hint of dismissal beneath the surface. "Very well, Emily," he said. "I'll let you go. Just remember what I said."
And with that, the conversation was over.
Emily felt a surge of relief, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she had just been warned about something much bigger than she had initially thought.