Frowning at the sun that is disrupting her dreamless sleep, Chantel frowns and opens her eyes slowly. Sitting up, stiffly stretching and knocking her knee on the steering wheel of her car, she frowns, regretting the memories that flood over her. With it comes the voice that has been ringing in her mind all night, 'I am not in love with you anymore…'

Her breath hitches and the familiar dull ache makes itself known by sharpening into a point, to stab into her heart. The tears that follow the countless others that came before them, drips off her cheeks onto the steering wheel, as she leans her head onto it. Her hands shaking with exhaustion and distress, she runs her fingers through her hair.

For the first time since opening her eyes, she looks out the window and wonders where she is… Last night when she jumped into her car and sped away from those terrible words, she did not have any destination in mind, but just drove, trying to outrun the pain that she was experiencing.

The morning sun hit the valley at an acute angle and made everything contrast in shadow and light. Her hands, still shaking, opened up the door and she stepped outside, not welcoming the day, but rather bidding it goodbye…

She had parked at the edge of a dirt road, winding up the mountain. Walking three steps from the car there was a steep drop onto the sharp rocks below, which seemed to be calling her name…

She smiled, knowing her pain would soon be over. Walking a step closer to the edge, she closed her eyes, and smiled. The calm peace that overcame her soothed her shaking body and she took another step.

Knowing the end was near; she lifted up her foot to step over the edge to fall into oblivion.

In the next instant, she felt someone's arm wrap around her waist and a clash of bodies. With a sense of falling for what seemed an eternity, she opened her still closed eyes and saw the sun glitter a mess of wavy brown hair with sparkles. The world was moving in slow motion, the ground rising up to meet her body. She landed with a jarring thud on the graveled road. The air in her lungs seemed to escape all at the same time, leaving a painful void that Chantel did not know how to fill for a second. With a gasp, she filled her lungs with sweet tasting air.

Lying on the floor, on her back, she felt a weight on top of her. Searching for the cause, she saw the familiar head of hair, followed by a handsome face and the warmest brown eyes Chantel has ever seen. There was a worried frown on the face, a man's face she saw. She could see his lips moving as he rolled off her and kneeled next to her... She tried to tune in to what he was saying. All that she could hear was her own mind shouting at her.

She sat up, held out her hand and noticed that the shaking had returned, worse than before.

'What did I just try to do…?' she asked no one in particular, looked up, and saw those warm brown eyes looking down at her with concern.

'What did I just try to do…?' she asked the stranger as her vision seemed to blur and her vision become dark as she fainted.

His arms wrapped her into embrace and finally, all she could hear is his voice before everything went black and silent… 'You are safe. You are safe…Don't worry I got you…

…………..

Chantel woke up in strange surroundings, the backseat of a car, but this one was not hers. Trying to remember how she got there, she lay still, cautiously looking around. She could see someone leaning against the window with his back towards her. She can make out broad shoulders and a bush of wayward curls. She closed her eyes when he looked over his shoulder, pretending to still be out. His soft voice made it into the inside of the car. He was speaking on his phone, from what she could hear, it was about what she had just tried to do…

An image starts forming in her mind and the memory of what had happened earlier, starts rushing back. On top of those terrifying memories, she remembers what happened last night…

She starts feeling sick, and although tempted, didn't want to retch in a stranger's car. He could have abducted her and may just deserve that, but she was not sure. She sat up, pulled the door across from her open and just stuck her head, just in time to avoid messing her rescuer/abductor's car.

Holding her long, chestnut hair from being messed up she heard a low chuckle. Looking up, her eyes wandered over the length of his muscular body to the smile shy smile playing on his lips, stopping at his warm, brown eyes. All her doubts about him being an abductor went out the window. Bad people didn't instill a feeling of safeness in people, did they? Trusting her gut, she gave a small wave, but then remembered where she was and that he just saw her upchuck.

Blushing, she quickly sat up and swung her feet out of the car.

'Hello,' he said softly, 'are you feeling better?' Noticing his funny accent, she smiled stiffly and nodded, 'Yes thanks, I am fine now.' Embarrassed, she tried to avoid his eyes, so he dropped on his haunches and laid his hands on her knees. Finally, being forced to look into his eyes, she can see the concern in his eyes.

'Thank you, for … you know, saving me.' She says trying to look away but unable to tear her gaze away from his lovely, safe eyes. A moment later, something cracks inside of her and she starts sobbing, taking deep futile deep breaths to trey to stop the tears that are spilling over her cheeks.

For the second time he wraps his arms around her and whisper nonsense words to soothe her…

………………

Holding onto his jacket, her tears dried after a while and her sobbing died down. Still, the feeling of temporary safety made her hold on more tightly. Breathing in the ocean scent on him, she knew he must have been in the water before playing hero…

His words of nothingness also died down to him humming very softly to her. She then looked up at him and gave him a genuine smile.

'Thanks, I needed that.'

He looked at her seriously, 'what? The shoulder to cry on or me save your life?'

Letting go of his clothes, and pushing him away gently, she sighed and closed her eyes. 'I think, both…'

Looking at her savior in the late morning light, she frowned and wondered why he looked familiar. 'Hi, my name is Chantel.' She said and he shook her hand she held out.

The shy smile played on his lips, 'hi my name is Joseph….'