I stumble through the doors of the last building at my new university. I am running very late to class; it is barely my first day, definitely not on my way to becoming the next star student. I run out of breath and realize that I have stopped right beside my first class.
I catch my breath and try to steady myself before pushing the door open. I'm met with about twenty pairs of eyes as I enter and stand in embarrassment. The professor stops writing over the chalkboard and turns to look at me; he's older and dons a pair of thick round glasses.
I smile timidly. He takes a look at the stack of papers on his desk and runs his finger down what I am assuming is the roster.
"Hanna Miller, correct?" he asks, clearly un-amused by my tardiness.
I nod. The professor starts to scan the room and points me to an open seat in the back of the room. I hastily head to my assigned seating and settle myself down; next to me is a girl with tan skin, jet-black hair, and enormous green eyes. I give her a small smile; she examines me from head to toe and smirks.
I turn to face the front of the room and ignore her. Wow, this is really starting to become a dream first day, I thought. I try my best to focus on the lesson, though it feels like it's dragging on and on.
By lunch, I begin to consider leaving early, I know it's barely my first day here, and I have not even given the school a chance. I'm just not adapting to school as quickly as I'd like. It's been a while since I've been at a school. Since the accident almost a year ago, I have mostly stayed home. My aunt was quick to take me in, seeing as I've had nowhere to go.
It was sweet of her, and I appreciate it; I've had a rough last year, but I am turning a new leaf by coming back to school and making sure I make my parents proud by getting my degree in English Literature.
I make my way towards the entrance of the school; I am in dire need of some caffeine and a muffin. I quickly look into Google maps for the nearest coffee shop when I feel a shadow cast over me. I look up from my phone where my eyes meet a pair of beautiful violet eyes. Ohmygod!
"C-can I help you with something?" I stutter, immersed in his handsomeness. He shakes his head, his mouth set in a firm line. I turn to look around, wondering how awkward this must be looking. "You need to come with me, Hanna," he says, pulling me away in a single move. I fight to slip my arm out of his grip, screaming for help. "Let me go, creep!" I yell. "No, you're coming with me. Now!" he responds.
Throwing me inside the back of an old black truck. I keep screaming and trying to get myself out of this damned car. I do not succeed.
***
He has had my hands tied behind my back for over an hour now. I have tried to escape numerous times within the time frame, which is what actually led to him tying my hands behind my back in the first place.
He has had my hands tied behind my back for over an hour now. I have tried to escape numerous times within the time frame, which is what led to him tying my hands behind my back in the first place. He has been standing outside the truck the whole time; he seems to be waiting for someone. I am beginning to grow anxious as it's growing dark, and we seem to be on a hillside.
He turns to get back in the car and looks at me through the rearview mirror, a certain softness within his eyes.
He looks melancholic, and I am perplexed. I don't understand what his intentions are. The last words he spoke to me were the ones before his sudden kidnapping.
"What do you want with me?" I ask.
"We're waiting for someone" he replies coldly, not planning to give anything away. I try my best to keep my cool and ask, "Can I ask for who are we waiting for?" my voice is small and faint, coming out almost unrecognizable to me. He turns to face me; his brows furrow, and I fear that I've upset him. His eyes look down at a wedding ring on his finger that I hadn't yet seen. "Are you married?" I ask, before realizing the words that have just come out of my mouth.
He doesn't respond immediately, and I am relieved to see he isn't annoyed with me yet. I only wonder what could be going through his head at the moment. I am burst out of my reverie when he looks up at me and shakes his head.
"I was. I am, really I don't know which would describe our current status." He says, a hint of angst in his voice.
I try to force out a small smile; he continues, "I haven't seen her in what feels like forever. I'm just glad to know that she's been doing okay."
"I'm sorry to hear that," I say, "since I don't know what's going to happen to me, can I ask for your name?"
"Britain Everett." he sighs.
Britain Everett, it's an uncommon name; it's like something out of a storybook. He must not be from here. "That's a pretty unusual name, but it's very nice," I reply.
Britain looks at me from the corner of his eye and turns to face the front of the car. I feel his violet eyes continue to stare at me through the rearview mirror. After a few eternal minutes, he speaks to me again, "Are you hungry? It seems that they're not coming and you haven't eaten anything." I find myself dumbfounded by his question, what kind of a kidnapper is he? Isn't he supposed to be holding me hostage or something?
"I don't have an appetite right now; the scare you've given me kinda made it go away," I reply, staring out at the sun setting on the horizon. I'm anxious to be home. I'm hoping my aunt is not losing her mind wondering where I am.
I still don't know what his intentions are with me, but considering his recent question, I can only assume he's not going to harm me.
"Would you like to take a ride with me then?" Britain asks.
I eye him suspiciously.
Maybe this is where he starts to get sketchy, and I would be incredibly stupid to agree, but I don't know why there is something deep inside of me telling me to trust him. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I somehow feel like I know him.
"A ride?" I ask hesitantly.
He senses my unease, "Yeah, just us two. I promise I won't hurt you."
I obviously should know better, but I am already in the car. "Fine, one condition."
"What is it?" he asks.
"You untie me. This rope is digging into my skin, and it's hurting me." I say.
"Deal." Britain jumps off the truck and comes to open the door; he begins to untie me and helps me step out of the big truck.
I hop onto the front seat; this could actually be my time to escape. I could hit the back of his head then try to run. I look around to see if I find anything that could help me.
Nothing, shit.
I frown and decide to give up. Britain jumps back into the driver's seat and starts the engine. I try to relax and hope that he was keeping his word. "Where are we going?" I ask, finding myself gripping the edge of my seat due to his lack of respect for the speed limits. The man is driving like a freaking maniac!
"It's a surprise, Hanna." He says. I turn to study his profile, the light of the moon casting shadows across his beautiful face. His mouth set in a firm line, a certain determination in his eyes. His eyes never leave the road, I return my gaze to stare out at the road, and within a few minutes we have arrived at our destination.
Why does this place seem familiar? I have this inner knowing that something happened here. I can't shake the feeling of odd familiarity. Britain stops the car and turns off the engine. I try to make sense of the familiarity and can't help but feel that I must have some sort of memory here. Britain opens the door for me and helps me off the truck, and I follow him as he leads me further into this lake.
We are surrounded by cool breeze and beautiful green trees, it's all more magical under the starry night sky. We continue to step towards the lake and I can feel the nerves ball up in my stomach. I know that I should feel scared of being alone with him way out here, but I don't. We finally stop and he motions for me to take a seat on a rock next to him. I comply and try to calm myself down.
I feel Britain's eyes on me, his gaze examining me and it causes me to become tense. With his hand, he pulls my face to meet his intense violet stare. and beautiful green trees, it's all more magical under the starry night sky. We continue to step towards the lake and I can feel the nerves ball up in my stomach. I know that I should feel scared of being alone with him way out here, but I don't.
We finally stop and he motions for me to take a seat on a rock next to him. I comply and try to calm myself down. I feel Britain's eyes on me, his gaze examining me and it causes me to become tense. With his hand, he pulls my face to meet his intense violet stare.
"Why are you so nervous, Hanna?" he asks.
"You're a stranger. I am far from home, and I don't know whether to trust you or not. How could I not be nervous?" I answer truthfully.
Britain's violet eyes lost all their intensity and have now gone sad? He lies back on the rock and closes his eyes. I feel his hand slip into mine, startling me. I don't feel comfortable enough to remove it, unknowing of his reaction. I watch him intently, trying to decipher the mystery that is this man. He has not answered any of my questions today, making me feel uneasy about how much information he knows about me.
He begins whispering something, I try to make out what he's saying but can't. It seemed like he was saying something relating to me. We stay silent for the next few minutes.
Britain finally breaks the silence and announces it's time for us to go. My mind goes wild, wondering if he was keeping me captive. My aunt must be losing her mind wondering where I am. I've never been gone for this long, especially without at least letting her know that I'm okay. He extends his hand out to help me up and walk to the car in silence. Once in the car, I begin to wonder what's going to happen next. Britain starts the car and drives off.
"Britain, where are you taking me?" I finally ask.
"Home," he replies, never taking his eyes off the road. "To my aunt?" I ask, wondering why he knows where I live.
"Yes, don't worry. I know the way."
"How do you know where my aunt and I live?"
"There's a time for explaining, Hanna. Today's not the day."
Britain replies, a bit of an edge this time to his voice. I don't push it, wanting to prevent a reaction from him.
I open my eyes; my vision is blurry though by quickly scanning my surroundings, I find that I am back home. Still nighttime. My throat is sore and so I quickly go to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. I step out of bed and check the time. "Not even near dawn," I mumble. I quietly make my way downstairs towards the kitchen, careful not to wake my aunt, I am not yet prepared to deal with her wrath over my whereabouts yesterday.
Thinking about it, I must have fallen asleep in the car, how did I get inside? No. Shit. Britain must have brought me to my bedroom. Holy cow, what is my aunt going to say? She probably freaked at the sight of a complete stranger bringing me home. I take a glass from the cabinet and pour some water. I drink it in one gulp. I pour a bit more water in the cup and head back upstairs; when I am about to place the glass on my nightstand when I see a note stuck under the coaster. I pull it out and read:
Dear Hanna,
You will remember. I am sure of it.
Britain.
What the hell? I am so confused. What exactly is he so sure that I'll remember? I reread the note multiple times, trying to find meaning in a measly half sentence.
I have to ask him what this note means, I'm gonna start needing answers from him. This is just
This is just too weird. I close my eyes and try my best to fall back asleep. Astonishingly I do. When I close my eyes, though, I dream of violet eyes and dark hair.
***
I wake up two hours later, I am exhausted from my sleep disruption last night. Britain. Why did he leave me that damn note? I am completely dumbfounded. I slip on my soft pink robe and walk down to the kitchen for breakfast. Guess it's time to face the inevitable.
"Good morning," I mumble as I head straight for the coffee machine.
I look over at my aunt who is sitting on the kitchen island. Her focus entirely on this month's issue of Vogue. She is immaculately dressed, is her usual chic suit. Her red hair is perfectly curled and styled to the side.
"How did you sleep?" she finally asks, never taking her eyes off her magazine.
"I slept okay," I lie, idly wondering if her casual tone is a means to trick me into thinking everything is all right. I take a sip of my freshly hot cup of coffee and sigh. She eyes me wearily, and I try to look anywhere but at her. My aunt and I have always been close, and we've never hidden things from each other, she's been my co-conspirer in everything. It feels odd to feel like I've done something wrong. I settle my cup of coffee on the counter, "I'm assuming you want me to talk about what happened yesterday." I say, breaking the awkward silence that surrounded us for the past few minutes.
"Yes. That would be insightful, it's not like you didn't have me worried over where you were?" she replies, sarcasm clear in her voice.
"Sorry. I don't want to get into it, I'm just as confused as you are over what happened yesterday. I don't know how this man even knows who I am or how he knows where you live. It's all so frustrating, and I can't help but feel like I know him from somewhere." I sigh, "I just get the feeling that I am supposed to know him or something. I can't put my finger on this."
She stares down at her magazine, most likely contemplating what to say next. "Hanna, this man is a bit too old for you, and frankly I don't know how good of an idea it'd be if you kept seeing him."
"It's not that I want to," I lie, deep down I know I want to see him again; regardless of the way we met yesterday, I can't help but feel like I am owed an explanation. "I just need to figure some stuff out about him, is all." I finish. My aunt opens her mouth to object but decides against it, and shakes her head. "Just promise me that you'll be careful, and if you're not coming home right after school I need to know! Understood?" This is the most authoritative my aunt has ever been with me. "Anyways, what's his name?" she asks, I give her a small smile and say, "Britain."
"Britain? Like Great Britain?" she chuckles, I can't help but giggle too. I'm glad she's been able to find humor within this weirdness.
"Well Hanna, I'll give it to you he's definitely attractive." She picks up her magazine and starts to collect her things.
We say our goodbyes as she's leaving for work and I decide to have a quick shower before school starts. I step into the welcoming steam of the hot shower, letting it wash away all of my worries.
After a few minutes I am back in my bedroom to get dressed for today. I drop my towel to the floor and rummage through my drawers for clean underwear. I am buttoning my jeans when I hear something smack against my window. What the hell? I head to see what's going on and at first I see no one. One second later, Britain comes into view. What the hell is he doing here?
I scream as I realize I'm in my bra and run back to the closet to find a t-shirt. I open the window and call out, "What are you doing here?" I scowl, but internally I am kinda excited that he's here.
"Can I come up?" he asks, I think about this for a minute. It wouldn't be the smartest thing to do, but honestly I can't help the feeling that I could trust him. "Okay, I'll come down."
"No it's okay, I'll climb up," he yells and begins to climb up the tall bushy tree that is right out my window. Oh jeez. He better be a fast climber, I wouldn't want the neighbors to see a strange older man climbing up my window.
To my surprise, he is a fast climber and comes through my window unscathed. Once inside my bedroom, I wait for him to catch his breath.
"Good morning." he smiles. His smile is gorgeous, I am nearly floored at how beautiful this man really is.
"Good morning, what are you doing here?" I ask, trying to sound indifferent.
"I wanted to see you, I'm assuming you're confused over yesterday's events?"
"Yeah, I am. I need answers, Britain. Especially about the note you left on my nightstand last night." I reply, brushing out my wet hair.
Britain chuckles and looks down at the floor, "I promise we'll get to that, Hanna. Trust me, you'll understand everything soon."
Not what I wanted to hear. I wanted an answer now, but at least he's hinting at hanging around me.
I set my brush down and pull out the note from my nightstand. I show it to him, "Can you at least give me a hint? It's driving me crazy not knowing what you mean by this?"
"I promise that tomorrow night I'll explain everything."
"What's tomorrow night?" I ask, confused.
"Our first date." Britain says casually, did I hear him correctly?
Is he seriously asking me out?
"Are you asking me out?" the words are out of my mouth before I can stop them.
"No, not necessarily. I am more so informing you."
Ha ha.
"Ah, so you are assuming I'm going to accept to go out with a total stranger?"
His face falls, I fear that I probably said something wrong.
"I'm not taking no for an answer, Hanna." He says coldly. No trace of humor in his eyes no more. My stomach drops and I begin to sweat a bit due to nerves.
"Do you need a ride to school today?" he asks, his tone a bit lighter this time. I don't know if I'm comfortable with him taking me to school after what just happened right now. He gazes at me with curiosity, and I small smile dances around his lips.
"What are you thinking?" he asks
"Umm...nothing. Sure, I could use a ride I guess."
His smile grows and his eyes alight in a way I've never seen before. "Great, let's get on the road then."