His Secret Desire by Alana Davis

My legs burned when I reached my door and every breath was a laborious task where there was not even oxygen in the air to refill my empty lungs.
    Calm down, I told myself. When I was running away, I had been positive the man was set on hurting me in some way. Why else would he have chased me? You were in public, it’d be foolish to attack you there. Yet through that thought I could recognize that I had already accepted the fact that I was a target, despite my doubts about being attacked in public. Sitting down on my couch, my heart began pounding again. I was scared.
    I held my phone in my hands for what seemed like days before I punched in Alex’s number. It rang twice before he picked up.
    “Samantha, hello,” Alex said. The sound of his voice immediately soothed me and I could feel my heartbeat return to normal. It was so good to hear that voice, calm and level.
    “Alex, I was chased through the subway,” I said. I waited a moment before continuing, letting the gravity of it set in. “He had a camera. I’m scared Alex.”
    “Lock your doors, now. I’m sending a car over to get you immediately. Until they get there, do not let anyone in or answer the door.”
    I got up and checked the deadbolt. I had forgotten to lock it in my panicked state. I fastened it and sat back down on the couch, my hands shaking.
    “Now, tell me every detail. Please.” His voice was assertive, yet I could hear a warmth in it that made me want to tell him every single detail of my entire life, not just the subway chase.
    “I left your place, and I didn’t see the limousine or the car around. And while I was walking I decided to take the subway instead of a taxi. I know, it was stupid, especially since you know that I can afford to take any kind of transportation I’d like. But I actually kind of like the subway sometimes, and so I took it to get back to my place. That was when I noticed a man watching me.” I paused, the horror of the previous events coming back to me raised my heartbeat again and I could feel panic rising in my chest.
    “At first, I didn’t really think anything of it. But then I tried to walk away from him and he followed me when I boarded the subway train. He sat in the car and I saw him looking right at me! I waited past my stop and I ran off the train when it reached a station I could connect on another train with. Alex, he ran after me. I thought he was going to have to kill me if he caught me, you know, to cover his tracks.”
    “It must have been very scary for you Samantha. I’m sorry this happened, but I must know, what happened next?”
    “When I got to the subway car, the doors closed on me. Luckily someone must have jammed themselves in between one of them because they reopened and I flung myself in. When I turned around the man had tried to pry the doors open but it was too late. When I got to the next station I ran out and jumped in a taxi as quickly as I could, but not before I saw him running through a crowd, looking for me. I got home after changing taxis two more times and taking really weird ways, just to make sure I wasn’t followed.”
    “That was smart Samantha. I understand why you took the subway, but do you understand now how dangerous things are?” asked Alex.
    I was well-aware how dangerous things had turned now. I had never been chased before. I was scared, but I felt something else too. Something that made me feel energized, invigorated. It was like I had drank two dozen cups of strong coffee and I was ready to run a marathon. I felt alive.
    “Your apartment isn’t safe. You won’t be staying there anymore Samantha,” Alex said. “I’ll arrange for a new apartment for you.”
    “No,” I answered flatly.
    “Why?” asked Alex, his voice sounding puzzled.
    “I won’t be scared out of my apartment like this. I’m going to leave on my own terms. I appreciate your offer Alex, and I may ask you to help me with a new apartment at some point, but it will be me who asks you. I