Whoever said life was boring, is a damn liar. Just this morning, Sofia had been in class making lamb chops with a cognac dijon cream sauce. Now, she is in a rented Chevy Cruze that smells like artificial pine, sipping on a venti dark roast coffee in hopes that it will perk her up. WILLOW plays over the speakers with periodic interruptions by the robotic voice of the cars GPS as it guides her to the town of Nosti Valley, where her grandfather had lived for decades.

By the time the sign is in sight, It is nearly eleven pm. She has been driving for almost three hours after a six-hour flight. Her stomach is empty except for the coffee and she hasn't had anything to eat since the apple she had hastily munched on for breakfast.

Sofia can feel aches settling into parts of her body she didn't know could be sore just from sitting. An anxious buzz is building now that she is almost there, making it difficult to focus on the road. That is most likely why she doesn't see the coupe right in front of her until she has to violently slam on her brakes to keep from ramming right into them.

Needless to say, she is wide awake now as the sound of tires screeching to a halt fills the empty road. Her breath comes out in quick short bursts as she tries to get it under control but her heart starts racing faster as she sees the guy get out of his truck. Sofia quickly throws the car into park, ready to apologize profusely. She can tell when someone is ready to curse the hell out of you and she would rather stop it before it starts.

The brunette jumps out of her car and the man is now no more than three feet away. If she wasn't so frazzled, she might have taken in how handsome he is in a darkly intense kind of way with wavy jet black hair just long enough to balance his graceful beauty with a dangerous edge. His eyes are a brilliant clear green almost mint eyes full of fire aimed straight at her. They are so icy and piercing that her mind stutters for a moment.

His physique is impressive, tall, and lean like a swimmer, and the trim waist to go with it. That is when she realizes that she knows this man despite the fact that it has been years and he is, somehow, more devastatingly gorgeous than she remembered. Cassius Moreau had always captivated her attention even when she was younger. The last time she saw him, she had been sixteen and he doesn't seem to have edged in the years since then.

She sees his mouth open and assumes he is ready to yell and probably ask what the hell is wrong with her with much more colorful language but she beats him to the punch, trying to diffuse the situation before it gets heated.

"I am so so sorry! I know I almost hit you and I should've been paying more attention but the roads were clear and I must have just gotten distracted. I know that's not an excuse but I am sorry".

He closes his mouth and looks her over for half a second. Well, at least her rambling gave him pause. His gaze feels like it burns as it rakes over her from head to toe. There is tension in his body and his face is impassive but his eyes flicker through emotions too fast for Sofia to discern. When he is finally studying her face, she sees a flicker of recognition. He sighs heavily, running his hand through his long black locks as he starts to speak.

"Good to see you Sofia, although I hate the reason for it. I promise someone has been there with him at every moment. I understand that you are worried love, but you have to be careful. We sure as hell don't need you in the hospital as well."

She feels her cheeks flush in embarrassment and perhaps something more. His voice is smooth yet deep. There is authority and confidence in his tone and Sofia will deny to the end of her days that it makes her want to melt. It's like sitting in your favorite armchair, wrapped in a blanket, sipping hot cocoa by the fireplace. She must really be tired if these are the inane thoughts running through her mind when she has more important things to attend to.

"I know Cassius, and I appreciate that. I don't want to be rude, especially after I almost hit you, but I honestly just need to get to the hospital". She places her hand on the open car door trying to signal that she is ready for the exchange to be over. No, you're not says the little voice inside her head that she resolutely ignores.

Cassius looks around, probably taking note of how they are still stopped in the middle of the road where anyone can come across them, and then a real accident will be unavoidable. "Very well, come on. I will lead you there. I have to make sure no one gets mauled on your way over." Her mouth drops open and she catches a glimpse of his smirk as he turns and saunters back to his car and she hates how she wants another peek at those dimples.

Indignation wells up in the pit of her stomach and she opens her mouth to reply with something witty and sassy but, she doesn't currently have the energy or brain capacity to come up with anything good. It is pointless anyways and having Cassius as a guide, who already knows where her yéyé's room is located, will save her time and hassle.