Street Thief Captured my Heart – Story of the Day

Tears poured down my face as I walked away from the devastating sight of my fiancé having dinner with another woman, holding her hand across the table, kissing her… it was too much to bear. Hello, I’m Eva, and this is my love story.

Eva was deep in her own world of sadness, hardly noticing her surroundings. Standing by a street lamp, her head was throbbing from the cocktails she had just guzzled down a few minutes ago, a futile attempt to dull the sting of betrayal.

It wasn’t until Thomas, a stranger with his hood pulled up, accidentally bumped into her and grabbed her handbag that she snapped back to reality. But what happened next was unexpected. Hearing Eva’s cry of distress, Thomas immediately stopped.

Eva couldn’t believe her misfortune. “Ah! Of course, a roadside thief. Just the perfect ending to my nightmare of a day. Take everything, man, I don’t have much left,” Eva said, pushing her phone, cap, and scarf toward Thomas.

“I was actually trying to return your bag to you,” he said, realizing she was upset about something.

“Yeah, right!” Eva scowled. “I would’ve warned you my boyfriend is a cop, but he’s busy making out with his new girlfriend right over there.”

Her hand trembled as she pointed to a nearby restaurant window, where, through the glass, the silhouette of a man kissing a woman could be seen. That’s when Thomas realized what had happened and came up with an idea. “Hey. Want to make him regret this?” he asked, piquing her interest.

Caught off guard but drunk and curious, Eva agreed.

They entered the restaurant and sat down. Thomas, adding a bit of flair, ordered champagne. He then made a toast loud enough for Zack and everyone else to hear. “Here’s to fresh starts,” he declared.

In a flash, Zack was rushing to our table. My heartbeat went crazy as I watched him stride toward us, but, as I would soon discover, he was not there for me.

“Thomas, what the hell are you doing here?” he demanded, not even noticing me.

Thomas leaned back, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. “Just making sure you hadn’t forgotten about me, Zack,” he replied.

“Forget you? You were my first big catch,” Zack retorted. “How was life in the slammer?”

“You were in jail because of Zack?” Eva said.

“Eva?” Zack stammered. “Why are you doing with him?”

“Back off, Zack. Eva’s with me now.”

“You’re making a mistake, Eva. He’s nothing but a criminal,” Zack warned her.

“Better a criminal than a cheater like you,” Thomas scoffed.

As Zack reached out to pull Eva away, she yanked his arm away. “I’m not going anywhere with you, Zack. I…I choose Thomas.”

“What? Are you out of your mind?” Zack pulled a face as he glanced from her to Thomas. He shook his head. “Fine, ruin your life if that’s what you want!”

With Zack gone, Eva turned to Thomas. “What do we do now?”

“How about we celebrate dodging that bullet?” Thomas suggested.

“Of course, you’re happy now, aren’t you? Because you’re a petty thief who hurt Zack?” she asked. “It’s clear there’s bad blood between you and Zack. He caught you stealing and arrested you, didn’t he?”

“You know nothing,” Thomas snapped.

“I know that both of you have used me!” Eva replied.

“Eva, look—”

Eva left before Thomas could finish.

It wasn’t until I was outside in the freezing night that I realized I had nowhere to go. I’d been living with Zack for the past year, so I had no home anymore and no family or friends in the city who could take me in. I was all alone. Nobody needed me, nobody cared about me, and nobody could help me.

Alone and vulnerable outside, Eva was suddenly cornered by an aggressive-sounding stranger demanding her valuables. But right then, Thomas intervened, recognizing the assailant as Bobby.

“Bobby, you’re in the wrong neighborhood,” he warned the young boy firmly. “Leave.”

“And if I don’t?” Bobby challenged.

Thomas grinned confidently. “So rebellious… you should know better than to challenge me, Bobby. Imagine if your father, my old pal, finds out. Now, are you going to make me tell you to get lost a second time?”

Bobby tightened his grip on the knife, glaring at Thomas, but backed away when Thomas stepped forward. “Enjoy this freedom while it lasts,” Bobby snapped before leaving. Turning to Eva, Thomas asked if she had a place for the night. Despite her predicament, Eva incredulously refused Thomas’s offer to stay with him.

But Thomas didn’t leave her side. He kept talking to her, trying to lighten her mood, and she eventually let go of her anger when he told her a stupid joke.

Since the night was getting colder, Thomas suggested they warm up with tea, which he jokingly claimed he had stolen. Despite her reservations, Eva was swayed by Thomas’s earnest concern and agreed to go with him. However, their brief respite was interrupted when they encountered Stevie and his gang, with Bobby among them.

“Thomas, fancy running into you in our corner of town,” Stevie chuckled.

Thomas positioned himself between Eva and the gang. “Your corner? Yeah, right, Stevie. Bobby? What are you doing hanging out with this scum?”

“The boy is one of us now,” Stevie replied. “And we don’t like it when other crews mess with our boys, Tommy. So, you can give up this area the easy way, or we can take it from you.” Stevie pointed a knife at Eva. “Seems you value the lady. Makes you vulnerable.”

It was Thomas’s turn to chuckle. “Seriously, Stevie? Didn’t you learn your lesson the last time you tried to cross me? Two weeks in the hospital, wasn’t it? If you walk away now, no one needs to get hurt.”

“I disagree.” Stevie edged closer. “I think you really need to get hurt, Tommy. It’s past time someone wiped that smug smile off your face!”

Stevie lunged. Eva screamed, but Thomas moved quickly. He sidestepped, disarmed Stevie, and sent him stumbling back toward his thugs. They caught him, and he rounded on Thomas with a furious look.

“You dropped something.” Thomas waved Stevie’s knife. “Don’t worry, you can have it back.”

With a flick of his wrist, Thomas sent the knife soaring back at the thugs. Two of them dropped. Bobby bolted. The knife struck the wall behind Stevie, pinning his woolen cap.

The distant wail of a police siren pierced the tension, and the thugs bolted, vanishing into the night.

“Thomas, how did you do that?” Eva asked, shaken.

“One thing prison is good at is teaching criminal skills,” Thomas replied, leading her away to safety.

At his apartment, Thomas wrapped a blanket around Eva, giving her comfort as they drank hot chocolates.

“You live a dangerous life,” Eva said.

“Everyone does what they can to survive,” Thomas replied.

Lost in their talk, they fell asleep on the sofa, waking to the morning light. Thomas wanted Eva to stay for breakfast.

While Thomas cooked, Eva noticed how different his apartment looked from what she expected.

“How did you end up in this life?” she asked as they sat down to eat.

“It’s a long story…you’re not gonna like it,” Thomas answered, sounding sad.

Thomas’s patience frayed as he recounted the lack of choices that led him to prison at 17, revealing a deep-seated anger and despair.

“You know, your past doesn’t have to predict your future,” Eva offered, trying to instill hope.

Thomas, unable to face her optimism, left the room abruptly.

After Thomas left, Eva sat alone, thinking about him and how he ended up where he was.

Later, as night approached, there was a knock at the door. Eva thought it was Thomas but was surprised to see Zack instead. He barged in without asking.

“How did you find me?” Eva asked, surprised.

“I’m a cop, remember? Now, get your things. We’re leaving,” Zack ordered.

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Eva replied firmly.

Zack’s expression turned cold. “Thomas is a criminal, Eva. He’s only using you to get back at me,” he said bitterly. Then, he confessed, “I’m the reason he ended up in jail. I framed him to boost my career.”

“You framed him?” Eva exclaimed, shocked. “You’ve ruined Thomas’s life. You can’t expect me to forget about it,” she said, pulling away from Zack. “This has to be made right.”

Zack tried to reason with her, fearing for his career and safety. “C’mon, babe. You know me. You know I don’t deserve to be in prison. Prison can be a dangerous place for a cop…you wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to me, would you?” he asked, but Eva was resolute.

“You made your choice,” she declared, unwilling to back down despite Zack’s threats.

Zack’s desperation turned dark, revealing a concealed weapon. “You are coming with me, Eva. And you’re not going to breathe a word of what you heard to anyone,” he hissed, but Eva’s resolve only strengthened. “I’m not going back to a life built on lies,” she countered.

In a moment of peril, Eva’s quick thinking and throwing a vase gave her the chance to escape. She ran, desperate to find Thomas and explain everything.

Colliding with Thomas outside, she urged him to run. “Run now; come on,” she said, pulling him along.

“What are we running from?” Thomas asked, puzzled.

“Zack,” Eva replied. “He came to your apartment looking for me. Thomas, I know you’re innocent.” She turned to face him once more. “And I’ll do everything in my power to clear your name.”

“But why are you doing it for me?” he asked, genuinely confused as they halted at a quiet place.

“Because I like you, Thomas. A lot,” Eva admitted.

At that moment, I saw that affection in his eyes. The same affection I now had for him. It was so new, but it felt right. Before we knew it, we were kissing, and we knew we would never betray each other.

“There’s got to be evidence, Thomas. We need to find it and expose him. We go hunting for it tonight,” Eva said as they pulled away, and Thomas nodded.

That night, they crept into Zack’s house, aiming for his study. They moved silently, their hearts pounding as they slinked through the dim corridors.

As a door creaked, Thomas and Eva ducked into an alcove, hiding from Zack’s mistress as she passed by, oblivious to their presence. Once she disappeared, they hastened into the study. Eva skillfully cracked open a safe, revealing evidence of Zack’s corruption.

***

In the courtroom, Eva and Thomas sat with clasped hands, awaiting the verdict. The judge’s voice echoed in the courtroom, condemning Zack’s treachery and dishonesty. “The accused, a former officer of the law, betrayed the public trust,” the judge declared firmly.

Zack helplessly listened as his sentence was pronounced, marking the end of his deceit. Relief flooded Thomas and Eva as the man was escorted away.

The judge’s tone softened as he addressed Thomas. “Thomas, you’re cleared of all charges. You’re innocent.”

Thomas glanced at Eva, tears welling up in his eyes.

They embraced tightly, their connection symbolizing the conclusion of their ordeal and the dawn of a new chapter — one filled with love, laughter, and happiness.

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If you enjoyed reading this story, here’s another story where a woman lost her heart to a homeless man. Would society accept their love?

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