Chapter Fifteen

Being Followed

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When Serena shot up from her slumber, she accidentally woke Darien as well.

"What's wrong, Serena?" He asked groggily.

"Oh, nothing, just a really bad dream, I'm sorry to have waken you, my sweet."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Well, we were in the park, taking what seemed to be a midnight stroll. But then all of a sudden, I was pulled back by some guy who appeared to be a mugger. He held me-"

"At gun point and threatened your life. I begged him to let you go, but he refused." Darien continued the story.

"When something rustled behind him you kicked him where it hurt and pulled me away." Absent absentmindedly, Serena continued.

"When we started to run, he shot me."

"Then I heard another gunshot and that's when I woke up."

"I don't remember that part, I remember you saying stuff, but-"

"That wasn't part of your dream, that was real. You were restless, and I couldn't sleep, so I decided to watch you. You were saying stuff, so I tried to calm you down...you said the exact same sentences in my dream too." She paused. "Were they the same?"

"I think so." Darien pondered, squeezing Serena's hand.

"What do you think it means...I'm getting scared, Darien."

"Come here," He motioned her to get in bed with him. He held her in a tight hug. "Everything will be fine. Nothing will happen, okay?"

"You sure?" She said, looking into his midnight blue eyes.

"Positive." He assured. "Now why don't you go to your bed, I'm sure sleeping, hunched over wasn't the best for your injuries."

"Okay, thanks, Dare."

"Anything for you, Sere."

They shared another goodnight kiss, this one more passionate than before. Darien pressed his warm lips against Serena's slightly chilled ones. He wrapped her tighter in his embrace, as her hands traveled his chest, feeling his muscles. She traced his the outline of his muscles, her hands making their way to hair so dark, it looked to have highlights of blue in it. He sucked on her bottom lip, begging access for his tongue. She granted access, opening her mouth for him. He explored every and all cavities of her mouth, meeting her tongue. Their tongues met and danced before they broke apart for breathe. After a few minutes of cuddling and catching her breath, Serena headed back off to her bed.

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"Good morning, sunshine" Serena greeted as Darien began to stretch in her bed.

"What?" He looked confused, not used to Serena's raspy, morning voice. "Oh, mornin'. How'd you sleep last night?" He asked, approaching her bed.

"Just fine, how 'bout yourself?"

"Fine, what time is it?"

"Oh, like 10."

"Wow, I slept in today."
"Yah, my dad came in this morning. I woke up to the alarms this morning...haven't been able to sleep since." She giggled.

"What have you been doing this whole time then?" He asked, getting up to hug her.

"Well, I took a long bath, then I just made breakfast a few minutes ago. It's downstairs if you want any." She offered.

"You cooked, and the house isn't burnt down?" He joked pushing her on the bed he'd just come from, trapping her in a kiss.

"I try." She giggled, kissing him again.

"I'm not really hungry right now, but thanks anyways sweetie."

"Well we could just lay here, and do something else." She eyed him to see if he caught her drift.

"Serena, I don't want to do that yet. We just met, and the whole marriage thing. I see you have a purity ring on..." He said, moving to sit next to her.

YAY, right answer. "Good, that's perfectly fine. I really do love you, Darien." She said.

"Huh, you're confusing. But that's why I love you. I love you for you, don't you ever change." He said, pulling her in close for a hug.

"Well, just so you wont be confused, I wanted to 'hint' to you that I wanted to do 'it' and waited to hear your answer. It kinda tells me what kind of guy you are." She explained. "Get it?"

"Yah, that makes since."

"Well, lets go for a walk or something. I can't stand being stuck in a house all day with nothing to do. What do you say?" Serena suggested.

"Sounds like a plan, but can I get dressed first?"
"No, you're going in a t-shirt and boxers." She giggled. "I'll be downstairs, hurry up!"

"Okay." What a silly, silly girl...but that's what I love about her...aw, hell, what am I thinking, I love everything about that girl.

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While on their walk, Serena could've sworn that they were being followed.

"Darien, is it just me or does it feel like we're being followed?" She whispered to him. If they were being followed, she didn't want to spook the person doing so.

"Yah, but just follow my lead, I'll think of something." He started to ponder, "Got a compact?" Serena nodded. "Pull it out and pretend to be checking your make-up, but look to see if someone is following us...and if so who." He pulled her closer to him, being sure to have a tight grip on her.

"Good idea." She did as he suggested, and in fact they were being followed. "I don't recognize him." She whispered to him.

"Got a camera phone?"

"Yah"

"Pull it out, and we'll take a picture of us, getting him in the shot, and I'll see if I know them or something. But if all else fails, we have his picture."

"You're a genius!"

She did and they indeed got the creepy guy in the picture. He didn't look familiar to either of them.
"Andrew has lived here for most of his life, and he should be returning to work today. We can stop by and ask him..." Darien's stomach growled. "And why don't we pick up some food while we're at it."

"Good idea, but I thougth Andrew came back a week or so after we moved in here?" Serena questioned.

"He did, but he went to visit his parents in Paris a few days later."

"Oh, that's why I haven't seen him around lately..."

"That'd be the reason." Darien said with a chuckle.

"Okay, makes since...but what are we going to do about him?"

"We'll just see what he does. We could just be paranoid."

"True."

"Let's take a break, and sit for a few?" He offered, a little louder then their previous tone.

"Sure." She said equally loud.

They sat on the bench and watched as the man that was following them sat on a bench a few down from them. Something was up, they decided to head straight for the arcade at about noon. The lunch crowd would prevent anyone from doing anything.