I didn't know where I was headed to nor what I was going to do. For the first time in what seems like forever, I have allowed my footsteps to be guided by my heart.

I wandered aimlessly - with no direction in my conscious mind - but somehow I was positive I was headed the right way. Because why else would my heart thrum faster and my stomach's knot tighten with every step I took?

My forehead muscles were growing sore from being too constricted; I forced the frown off my face and relaxed my expression, not wanting to appear angry in front of the passerby's - or worse - in front of my... date.

It felt very odd saying it, even if it was just in my mind. The word brought back so many memories I would have rather left in my unconscious mind.

Earlier this afternoon, Ariel had styled my hair to cascade down my back in natural waves. I had put on my outfit in no time - so eager for lunchtime - and as I stalked out of my bedroom with a newfound confidence, I noticed Noah was busy speaking on the phone.

"No, you need to get your ass here right now. I'm in desperate need of a shower." He was demanding to the other person across the line. His back was towards the hall as he faced my living room's balcony. I ignored my conscience as it pressured me to stay moral and inform him - the person who spent days in my apartment guarding my friend and I from danger - of where I was headed to. I bit my lip and continued straight towards my front door, my movements so light it almost looked like I was floating across the tiles.

"No, it's not okay!" Noah suddenly yelled, and as soon as I recovered from my flinch I hurried to lower the doorknob, hoping the slight creak would be balanced by the echo of Noah's voice. "You know damn well how serious this situation is. Don't you dare tell me to calm down." I heard his volume decrease as I stepped further away from the door.

The adrenaline pump rushing through my veins as I tried so sneakily not to get caught distracted my mind from fully registering his words. It wasn't until I reached down the hall and stopped at the elevator that I realized just what I was getting into.

Could Xavier truly be just as dangerous as Vincent?

My strong sixth sense that often distinguished between the good and the bad people wasn't going off in my head. From the moment I met Xavier, it had felt like I'd known him for years. Like we were long lost souls finally coming together after an anguishing millennia.

"Nora?"

The sudden call startled me and I jumped a step forward. The elevator door dinged, indicating it had reached my floor. As the doors began spreading open, I turned around to find Noah's head peeking from my apartment's door.

His eyes trailed over my appearance - the styled hair and the fancier-than-usual attire - and they settled back on my face. He stepped through the door and stood fully in the middle of the hallway, his eyebrows lifting in amusement and a slight grin coming to view.

"Where are you headed to looking all dolled up?" He teased.

I opened my mouth to reply, but hesitated as I pondered over lying. An inner voice reprimanded me, reminding me that Noah didn't deserve to be lied to - especially not by me.

"I have a date." I blurted out.

In a speed quicker than I anticipated, the grin that had appeared so easily vanished from his face as it crumpled into a frown. "A... date?" He pronounced the word like it felt so foreign leaving his mouth. "With who?"

"You don't know him." I rushed. Reaching out, I hit the elevator button to stop the doors from closing. "Actually, Noah, I'm already late and-" the second I turned around to say goodbye, I found myself facing a broad chest. I stepped back and looked up into Noah's questioning stare, his frown now deepened as he glared me down. I felt so small standing below him, but I held my ground.

"Try me; what's his name?" He prodded.

I clenched my jaw in annoyance, pushing at his chest with my index finger. "First off," I pushed harder until he took one step back, his hands coming to rest on his hips, "personal space."

"Who is he, Nora?" He asked again.

"Could you back off?" I demanded, huffing. He took a literal step backwards, fully aware that's not what I meant. "I need a break, Noah."

His frown slowly turned into confusion. "Wha-?"

"As in, I need you to back off some." I clenched my fist by my side, forcing my rough persona on. "I understand you don't mean harm, but your constant protection is starting to suffocate me. I need you to ease off a little and let me live on."

His lips parted as he prepared to speak, but I immediately stepped through the elevator doors. "Nora, are you sure, uhh," he hesitated as if not knowing how to word his question properly. "Maybe you should wait? Think this through..."

"I know what I'm doing." I promised.

An uncomfortable look flashed through his eyes, and he immediately lowered his gaze and looked away. I took that as my cue to hit the button for the lobby. The doors closed and I slowly inhaled a deep breath. The tough part was over with.

As I strolled through the city, my eyes wandered over every restaurant, realizing how stupid I must have looked agreeing to a lunch date and never asking about the location. There were hundreds of restaurants in the neighborhood, how could I possibly know where to meet up? What if he wanted to leave the city? Did he plan to take us to a fancy restaurant or a casual diner? The possibilities were endless, and the inside of my cheek was getting more swollen by the minute as I continued to chew on it nervously.

A sudden flash of black distracted me from where I was headed to and I glanced sideways to see an all-black Range Rover slowing to a stop a few feet ahead of me. The windows were too tinted to show the insides, but as the doors opened and a pair of long legs hugged by black jeans stepped out - I gulped.

How could I ever fit in with such grandeur?

Xavier turned to face me and pushed shut the front door of the SUV. A hand reached up and he took off his black sunglasses, revealing - even in the fair distance among us - his shimmering silver gaze. My heart leapt right out of my chest as his eyes locked on mine, and an inexplicable warmth spread through my veins. He wore a black shirt with a light beige jacket - a casual outfit that he pulled off so well.

He began approaching me, and my feet moved forward on instinct to meet him halfway through. As he stopped a mere foot away, he flashed me a warm earnest smile.

"Hey," he greeted, and I smiled back in return. For a brief second his eyes took in my appearance, and his smile widened. "Wow, you look..." he began, but only trailed off.

"I look?" I prodded in curiosity.

I heard a deep chuckle rumble in his chest, and he shook his head, "words wouldn't do justice."

My neck began to warm up and I found myself too flustered to reply. He truly was the smoothest man I had ever come across. I wonder if he uses the same charming charisma with just everyone...

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "Are we taking your car?"

"We are. I hope you don't mind leaving the city? Nowhere too far."

Going somewhere farther from the city sounded much better than staying within the borders; it meant a lower chance of being seen by any of my friends. As much as I hated lying to them, I had to do it - at least until Noah and Elliot cool off a bit.

"That sounds great," I announced with a smile. Xavier's grin widened in delight and he gestured towards his car.

As I reached out to grab the door handle, his own hand outstretched and slightly bumped into mine.

"Allow me."

He pulled the door handle and opened the door - such chivalrous act, I had to resist the urge to chuckle nervously - and I climbed in, whispering a quick thanks.

The insides of the car were just as dark as its exterior; the black leather seats felt a bit chilly despite the warm summer air. Xavier climbed into the driver seat not a minute later and buckled up. I copied his action.

"So, where are we headed to?" I asked curiously.

"It's just a small Italian restaurant by the border of this town. Their food's really good." He sneaked a glance at me from the corner of his eyes and I felt my excitement rising.

"Ooh! I love Italian food," I smiled cheerfully. It's definitely my go-to.

Xavier's grin widened, "oh? It's my favorite." I nodded eagerly.

A minute passed as Xavier continued driving very smoothly, and a random question suddenly popped in my head.

"Xavier?" I called for his attention. He hummed in question and glanced my way. "How did you really find me?"

His expression turned stoic for a moment before returning to normal. "I remembered you saying you're from Illinois."

"Well, yeah, but it's a pretty big state."

"I guess I just got lucky." He shrugged, a small smile tugging at his lips.

But I couldn't bring myself to smile at his short response, my thoughts running wild as my paranoia resumed its place behind the wheel, driving my mind towards anxious thoughts.

Xavier noticed my sudden silence and spared a quick look my way, his own eyes turning anxious. "A good friend of mine recommended trying that coffee shop we met at this morning, since many locals hang out there; and the rest was simply good luck." He smiled genuinely.

"Fate must really like you, then," I teased, to which he chuckled and nodded.

"Indeed, it does."

For the rest of the drive we exchanged questions, learning more about one another. He asked about my passions and I asked about his. I learned he really loves to read, especially classics, and we both happen to have a love for The Great Gatsby. His favorite color is black, which made sense since most of his belongings reflected that passion- I should've guessed it on my own. And he also owns a dog, a pit bull whose name is Zander.

"What about your family?" I wondered, hoping to get to know him on a deeper level - not just the basics that anyone could know of.

"Uhh," he trailed off as he swerved to a turn, his eyes looking over the passing cars to his left. "I lost both my parents a long time ago." He finally replied.

I bit the inside of my cheek, immediately regretting the choice of question. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Xavier shook his head, smiling sadly. "Don't be. Everyone leaves eventually, right?"

I probably should have changed the direction of our conversation then, but my damned curiosity wouldn't let it go. "What were they like?" I asked in a low voice, the more mature part of me hoping he wouldn't have heard the question, fearing it might upset him.

But he stared ahead with a faint of a smile. "They were wonderful people. They met when my dad was on a business trip, and my mom was by the dancing studio she practiced at. The classic cliché of accidentally bumping into one another and instantly falling in love," he chuckled and I found myself laughing as well.

"That's really cute," I beamed. I was such a sucker for clichés.

Xavier nodded, and the car gradually decelerated until it came to a halt. I gazed out the car window at the beautiful restaurant we were parked across from. Just as Xavier had said, it was a small restaurant - but the beauty of its decor blinded the onlookers to its adverse parts. There were white wooden tables set out front with gorgeous bouquets of light pink roses set on the center of each. There were also fairy lights hanging above and over all the tables, giving a very homey and romantic feel to the place - I wondered how magical it would look at night.

"Wow," I whispered, and Xavier sneaked a glance out the corner of his eye.

"I'm glad you like it." He began to switch off the ignition, and I didn't hesitate to undo my seat belt. "It's ours for the day."

My head snapped to stare at him horridly the second his words registered in my brain. "You reserved the entire restaurant for us?" I gaped.

That was way more than I had expected.

"The owner is a close acquaintance. She was generous enough to offer some privacy as a way of showing her joy that I'm finally going on a date," Xavier chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief at his friends actions.

But it was kind of cute; very nice of her.

So he doesn't date often, huh? An inner voice beamed. I had to fight the stupid grin creeping up my face.

Xavier undid his seat belt and opened the car door. I reached out for my side's handle and opened the door, and within that exact second Xavier showed up to my side, taking over the action and opening my door the rest of the way. I gaped at him as he gestured with his hand for me to get out of the car.

"Wow," I breathed as I stepped out, "you're fast." It probably sounded more of an accusation than a fact.

When I didn't get a reply, I looked up at Xavier to see him staring down at me with an innocent smile, pretending like he hadn't even heard my comment.