When The Heart Sings

Chapter 4

Serena's POV:

I slowly walked down the sidewalk as I made my way towards the old man's place. The water gurgled along the shallow creek and I watched how the water rippled and rolled on its journey. It was a soothing sight and sound. I crossed the small footbridge to take the shortcut through the small park. Movement in the trees beside me caused me to glance up in surprise.

My feet stopped on their own accord as a pair of blue eyes watched me from deep in the shadows of the forest. For some odd reason, I wasn't scared. Nervous and shy, yes, but not scared. Which was an astounding feat considering that a stranger with glowing blue eyes was watching me. I finally remembered to breathe this time, although I had no desire to break eye contact. I doubted that I could look away even if I tried.

I blinked slowly as I realized that the man had left the shadows and was almost in front of me at this point. I hadn't realized how tall he was. He had to be close to seven feet tall. He was heavily built and had enough muscle to pass for a football player or a wrestler. The pale blue shirt barely fit him and his brown hair was short and somewhat windblown.

His eyes though, those were what stood out. They were an incredibly bright shade of light blue and they glowed. His eyes were soft as he examined me. He had a faintly surprised and enthralled look, as if he couldn't believe that I was standing in front of him.

He was close enough now that I could feel the heat coming off of his chest and pick up his masculine scent. It was like there was an electrical current between us, pulling us closer. I still wasn't scared, although my reaction made zero sense with the amount of training I had taken and my usual reaction towards men. Then again, my mind wasn't really processing things at the moment.

The man also seemed a bit dazed as he continued to stare into my eyes, he reached out a large hand to gently cup the side of my face in his palm. I couldn't seem to muster up the willpower to move away, as if the thought of backing away was painful. I inhaled lightly in shock as his touch created tingles and sparks. My magic rose up from its dormant state once more. It was like light was flowing through my blood again.

Without realizing what I was doing, I leaned into his touch. A soft smile graced his face at that action. I blushed, but couldn't bring myself to pull away. He brought up his other hand to gently brush his thumb along my other cheek, leaving goosebumps in its wake. I wasn't sure how long we stood like that. It was almost as if we were both enchanted and rational thought was a mere fantasy.

His finally spoke and his deep voice was practically a whisper, almost as if he were speaking to himself, "I can't believe I found you. I wasn't sure if you would be on that bus again. What is your name?"

His voice sent faint shivers down my spine, although not with fear. It was some other emotion I couldn't identify. So he had seen me yesterday. He had been waiting for me today for who knows how long simply in hopes of seeing me again. That fact touched me and my heart fluttered.

I ducked my head a bit in shyness, although my eyes never left his face as I tried to make my mind work enough to respond coherently, "Serena. Uhhh... What's your name?"

His face softened as he smiled at the sound of my voice, "Darien."

I had never been good with names, but I knew I would never forget his. Or his eyes. Or his scent. This should have been ten stages past awkward, but yet it wasn't. His hands slowly left my face and my skin felt a bit cold without his touch. He tilted his head slightly, "Would you mind sitting on the bench with me? I would like to know you better."

I nodded as the entranced sensation seemed to be wearing off, allowing me to think halfway clearly once more. He gently took my hand and I walked beside him to a nearby bench. I sat beside him as he still held my hand. The tingling and sparks caused by his touch were distracting.