An Unsettling Ride Home

The next day, Max picked me up from my hotel, and we decided to grab brunch together. We had a great time chatting and laughing, and I was starting to feel more at ease around him. As we finished our meal, he offered to drive me home, and I agreed. As we got into his car, I was feeling relaxed, but that quickly changed as he started driving with one hand, and his other hand found its way onto my knee. I felt a surge of panic and tried to subtly move his hand away, but he just smiled and put it back. I started to feel uncomfortable and tried to think of a way to get out of the situation. As we drove, I noticed that he was getting closer and closer to my house, or at least, the house I had told him was mine - Rafael's address. "Hey, we're almost there," I said, trying to sound casual. "My house is just up ahead, actually, it's that one, Rafael's house." As soon as I said that, Max's expression changed, and he slowed down. I quickly got out of the car, not wanting to be alone with him anymore. I rushed towards Rafael's house, my heart racing with anxiety. As I approached the door, I saw that Sophia was standing outside, chatting with Rafael. She smiled and waved at me, and I forced a smile back. "Hi, it's great to finally meet you in person," she said, extending her hand. But as soon as I shook her hand, I realized that I was shaking uncontrollably. Sophia's eyes widened in concern, and Rafael's expression turned serious. "What's wrong?" he asked, but I quickly came up with a lie. "I think it's just the coffee I had earlier," I said, trying to play it off. Rafael raised an eyebrow, knowing that I didn't drink coffee. But I didn't care; I just wanted to get away from the situation as quickly as possible. I turned to Sophia and Rafael, trying to make a quick exit. "It was great seeing you both, but I really need to go home now." As I rushed away from the house, I could feel Sophia's and Rafael's eyes on me, and I knew that they had sensed that something was off. I just wanted to get home and process what had just happened. I was grateful to have such caring friends, but I was also mortified by the situation, and I couldn't wait to get out of there.