A few hours and an outfit change later, she finds herself walking through the front doors of the coffee house. Her stomach twists and tugs at her, and she turns to see Nate sitting there in the same spot as the other day, complete with nameless book. As soon as she enters he looks up, their eyes meet. His eyes once again entice her and pull her toward him. Even with all the strange things going on around her, Nate has always been the one constant in her life—at least subconsciously. Just like in her dreams, she's drawn to him.
That tugging in her stomach leads her to that green chair she loves so much. He rises to his feet to meet her. Their eyes remain locked and she pauses before him, "Hey."
"Hey," he mutters in response. They stand like that for a second, staring at each other until he coughs, "I think we got off to the wrong start."
"I'm sorry I left like that last night."
"It's my fault, I came on too... strong."
"It's not you, it's me—"
"Yeah, that's what they all say," he interrupts.
She smirks not having a smart remark for that one. She glances down to the table. Two cups sit upon it; he was expecting her.
He motions for her to sit, "I took the liberty of ordering your drink."
She slips into the comfy chair like she usually does, only this time she feels Nate's eyes on her. She's secretly happy she stopped home to change into that red blouse she had purchased. It pairs perfectly with the pencil skirt she wore to work.
"My drink? How did you know?"
"The gentleman behind the counter was more than helpful on the matter."
Sera glances over to see that Jack is studying their interaction from his spot behind the bar. "Oh," her mind only temporarily at ease.
It seems Nate's appearance was also part of the strange things occurring to her. It's almost... could she still be sleeping? What if she is dreaming right now? She pinches herself just in case. "Ouch."
"What was that for?" His lip quirks up like he's holding back a laugh.
"Nothing," embarrassed she hides the redness in her cheeks by digging around for her laptop within the folds of her purse. Opening it up, she begins typing up some paperwork for the office. It was hard not to be slightly distracted when she returned from lunch.
Nate begins reading from his nameless book and Sera pecks away at her computer keys. That was the way an outsider would see it. Sera gets the feeling more is going on. She could feel his eyes on her, and every once and awhile when his eyes returned to his book, she would steal a glance as well. She could feel every breath he took, her cheeks warmed at the thought of him watching her.
It continues like that until Sera's stomach growls embarrassingly loud. Nate glances up right away, "Are you hungry?"
"Um," her cheeks redden even more, "I guess so."
"Why didn't you say so, let's go."
"Okay, let me just—"
Nate is on his feet heading for the door as Sera is still packing up her stuff. She hadn't heard him approach, but Jack is upon her when she glances up.
"Sera, can I talk to you for a second?"
"Uh," one glance over at Nate and she responds, "Sure, what's up?"
"Are you sure about this guy?" he nudges his head toward Nate's figure by the door. Nate looks pained, almost like he wants to rescue Sera from the encounter.
"Yeah, why?" she whispers.
"I don't know exactly, there's just something about him. I don't trust him."
Before she has time to answer, she can feel a body behind her. The flipping in her stomach is out of control and the heat radiating off his body is driving her slightly insane.
Nate's deep voice responds, "That's funny because I have the same feelings about you."
The tone is different from the one he uses with Sera. It's threatening.
Jack seems taken back by Nate's approach. "Uh, excuse me?"
"I believe you heard me." Nate gestures with his hand for the door. They walk for a few steps when Jack responds.
"No, I meant excuse me, as in who do you think you are talking to?" Sera stops in her tracks, Jack's tone is darker than she's ever heard him. Nate continues toward the door, his hand reaching out for the handle when Jack responds, "And if you think I'm going to let you leave here with my girl, you've got another thing coming."
Immediately, Sera is struck with something. Her entire mind goes blank. Words escape her as a strange sensation spreads through her entire body. Her vision is black and her body cold as ice. She can't feel her limbs, but somehow she knows that she is moving. She is moving toward Jack. There's a commotion around her. Everything inside her is trying to make out what is going on. All she can seem to make out is a muffled argument.
"Let her go!"
"Leave... alone."
"Know... what you... are."
"Nothing... wouldn't do for her!"
"Release her!"
The voices stop. There's shuffling on the floor, grunts, and thumps. There must be a scuffle going on. Something is happening outside. Where is she again? Who is she with? Why are they fighting? Her mind is a jumbled mess. She can't seem to get her mind to focus. Until one word shakes her.
Seraphina.
A thought comes to her mind. It's not a complete thought, only a word—a name. It's on the tip of her tongue. Its... N... N...Nate. Nate!
Suddenly, Sera remembers... Nate. She's here with Nate. Jack. A scuffle. Oh no! Slowly, her mind begins to return, but her body still feels submerged in ice water. She fights the force taking control of her body. With all the strength she can muster, she clenches her fists. One finger at a time it seems to take an eternity as they slowly lower into place. Once she can feel her fingernails digging into her palms, she turns her attention to her feet. Stomp your feet, she thinks repeatedly; willing her body to react. Again, just as slowly as her hands, her feet being to tingle like pins and needles.
She places her feet firmly on the ground, and clenches her fists harder, forcing the blackness out of her mind.
She has control again. She has won the fight over her own body. When she opens her eyes, it is to a scene unlike any other. Her coffee is in a puddle at her feet. All the lights are out in the coffee house and there's a layer of black smoke creeping along the floor. Jack was just tossed across the room, banging into the tables and chairs by the window. He flew like he weighed nothing less than a feather. Jack jumps back to his feet like a ninja before running back at Nate and their arms lock in a struggle. Sera still stands there feet apart, fists clenched, and picks her head up. Her eyes lock with both of them. They look up mid-fight, arms still entangled and pause to stare at her.
Their arms drop immediately and both walk over to her. There's that strange feeling in her stomach again—the bad one. All her hairs on the back of her neck stand at attention. Something is wrong here.
"Sera, are you okay?" Nate speaks first. He bends over inspecting her face.
"Yes." She turns to Jack now. He looks different. Besides the bloody lip and torn clothes. "Jack?" she whispers. Nate's body reacts, his fists drop to his sides and clench a few times. Jack makes his way around Nate, closer to her. His face brightens slightly as he forces a smile through his cracked lip.
"Yes, Sera, what is it?" He comes closer; Nate can only tense.
"Jack," she repeats returning her gaze to Nate. "I need to get out of here. I'm leaving... with Nate." With those final words, she leaves the coffee house, knowing from his eyes Nate would follow.
Once outside, she can finally breathe again. Nate guides her over to his car and opens the door for her. Walking around to the driver's side, he gets in without a word and speeds out of the parking lot. After a few minutes of silence, Sera starts to feel normal again.
Nate is the one to break the silence first, "Are you feeling okay?" His eyes never leave the road. His fists appear white as he grips the steering wheel.
"Yes." She rubs her hands; they are still cold. Maybe it was all a dream? Maybe she will wake up in a few minutes. Without another word, Nate spins the car into a parking spot right in front of her favorite pizza place in town. He's out of the car in seconds, and after another second, her door opens. They walk inside without a word, and he motions for her to grab a seat.
Mindlessly, Sera slips into a booth in the empty pizza shop and glances out the window. Her mind attempts to process what she just experienced; she's trying to make sense of something she doesn't have all the answers to. What could be going on with her?
Before she knows it, Nate places a pepperoni pizza between them. He's looking at her differently. Almost like, he's inspecting her. She stares back at him. So many questions plague her mind. However, the only thing she can focus on is how out of place he looks here at the pizza shop. It's his aura. The shop itself is gaudy red, white, and green all around. The ceiling has the "Birth of Venus" painted upon it. Nate with his straight back and his inhumanly blue eyes just seems above it all.
"Sera..." he starts, but it seems he can't find the words.
"Nate, what is it you really want to say?" Her voice surprisingly comes out soft, even after all that has happened.
"Are you... freaked out?" his voice replicates her softness.
She picks up a slice of pizza, taking the time to savor the bite and process her answer. Is it crazy that she isn't exactly 'freaked out'? She would just like some answers. Her silence must have been too much.
"I knew it. I was trying not to get too worked up again, but I can't help it." His breathing increases as he continues, "I still feel the need to protect you." For the first time she's not worried. The warmth in his deep blue eyes tells her all she needs to know. "Just tell me how you did it."
"Did what?" She takes another bite.
"How did you break... Jack's hold on you?"
"That was Jack? In my mind?" the pizza drops to the plate in front of her. "How?"
He glances away, "I..."
"Nate, I need to understand what is going on. I feel like everyone is in on a secret except me."
"To explain, I would have to start at the beginning. Are you sure you want to hear it all?" his voice is hesitant, his eyes still warm.
"Nate, please tell me what is going on here. I'm starting to think I'm going crazy."
Reluctantly, he nods. "Not here though, let's go home."
"My car... it's still at the coffee house." A shiver shakes through her at the thought of returning there.
"Okay, to your car then."
They finish the pizza and drive back to the coffee shop in silence. He pulls the car into a spot. With a deep breath, he turns to her. "I want to make sure you keep an open mind before I tell you all of this."
"Nate, please just tell me what is going on around here." Her voice comes out quiet as the tears well up behind her eyes. She has wanted answers for days now. Finally, she might get them.
He takes another deep breath before giving into her pleading face. "Okay, I guess the best place is to start at the beginning." He glances away from her, afraid her eyes would be too much for him. "I don't know how to say this, so I'm just going to put it all out there and hope for the best." There's another deep breath.
Geez, what could he possibly say? Sera squirms in her seat preparing herself.
"I was an Angel," he blurs out. "A real life, work for the big guy above, Angel." She can feel her eyes widen as he continues, "I had been appointed as your Guardian Angel. During that time, I got to know the real you. The behind closed doors you, that no one else can see. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, I wasn't there to protect you the night of your accident. I just felt like there was more to this, that it wouldn't be your ending. It couldn't be. I couldn't let you pass on. That's when I saw my finger was bleeding. I didn't even think twice. I let you ingest some, knowing it would let you heal yourself. I wasn't thinking about the repercussions of those actions, I reacted purely on instinct. But, everything that you are experiencing right now, is because of my blood—in your human system."
"I... I..." She can hear herself mumbling but can't seem to control it.
"I know it sounds far-fetched, but it's the God's honest truth. I refuse to lie to you anymore. I have a feeling there's more going on here than meets the eye."
Her mind is still a jumbled mess trying to process this. Her first thought, he must be kidding. This is a twisted joke. It must be. She meets his eyes, concern and sincerity greet her. Could he possibly be serious? This must be a dream. She slyly pinches her outer thigh. Pain. It's not a dream. What was she expecting? Honestly, radioactive spiders seem more realistic at this point.
"Sera, you need to trust me, especially now."
That seems a little backward. She needs to respond. She can feel the silence between them choking her. She jumps on the first emotion that hops into her head. Anger. "I need to trust you?" she repeats with a laugh under her breath. "Trust you? You've been nothing but secretive around me, even giving me the truth-spilling wine and lying directly to my face when I asked about your past, your job."
He stares at her, blinking blankly as she continues. "You did all this to me and just dropped me off at home like everything was the same. I woke up alone, thinking that I was losing my mind. You invaded my dreams for months then just show up here like we can be chummy friends." She can't seem to stop the words as they escape her mouth. "Is this all a game to you? How could I possibly trust you when all you've done was keep me in the dark?"
Without another word, she turns and lets herself out of the car leaving him staring after her. She walks around the car heading for the front of the coffee house where her car sits. Nate cuts her off before she is even halfway there.
"What do you mean invade your dreams? I can't do that." His eyes explore hers, concern plastered all over them.
Her anger only increases, "And I'm supposed to believe you now? Is that how you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Invade human women's dreams and trick them into following you around like a lost puppy dog, is that how you get all your dates?"
He winces. "Sera, I'm telling you, I don't have the power of mind control. That wasn't me. I only tried to help you," his blue eyes plead with her as they scan her face.
"Help me? You made me a freak!" She shrieks. That did it. He takes a step away from her. She blows past him, with stubborn purpose walking to her car and whipping the driver's side door open.
Getting home seemed to take forever as she navigates the roads through her steady stream of tears. She can't help but feel so... betrayed. How could he have done this to her? What is she now? She pulls her car across the street from her house. Slipping out of the car, she freezes. There's that feeling again—the feeling of being watched. She spins around, eyes scanning the dead-end street before running the rest of the way inside and locking the door behind her. She dashes up the stairs two at a time, whips open her bedroom door, and closes it behind her before collapsing face first onto her bed.
Whether she believes Nate or not, it doesn't excuse the fact that he kept something from her. That and he has seen her in the most intimate of ways. Was the date the other night all for show? Is this all a game?
She thinks of all that has transpired, she comes up with a question she can't figure out the answer to. Why couldn't she see him when he was her Guardian Angel, and now she can? It's the thought that haunts her into her sleep, only to force her to see his beautiful face once again.