A/N: I want to thank all of my readers for being so patient with me. As you can tell I'm the slowest writer on the planet and I definitely need deadlines. Lots of stuff has been going on, and I don't want to bore you with my personal life. So let's get on with the story, I hope it satisfies your fanfiction-crazy hearts :)

Happy reading!

"This is the last stop, ma'am," the driver grumbled impatiently.

As Sophie looked up from her book, her eyes landed on the door. They appeared to have arrived at the border of a large town. She turned her head to see that she was the only passenger on the bus. Sophie closed her book, tucked it between her arms and grabbed her suitcase, quickly retreating down the steps and onto the sidewalk. Before she could thank him or ask where she was the driver slammed the door shut and drove away. Sophie watched the trolley turn the corner, and realized that she was alone.

She began to walk down the dirt road the driver had left her at and followed it towards the closest building, hoping to find some answers, or another person. Silently dragging her suitcase along, Sophie wondered how long she had been on that trolley. She had gotten on very early in the day. It felt like only a few hours, but the sun had already set and the moon was high in the sky, casting a soft glow on the town. She needed a place to stay the night.

The buildings surrounding her stood tall, making her feel very small and out of place. She could make out the silhouettes of a bunch of chimneys puffing out smoke. They looked like the kind that factories had. And the air smelled of sea salt. Only a few dim street lamps were lit to light the way. In the distance at the end of the street, she saw a handful of people laughing as they entered what appeared to be a pub. She decided to go ask them if they knew anyone with an extra bed. It wasn't exactly her ideal place to go, but it was a start. As she got closer she could hear jazz music and laughter echoing in the air. She looked through the glass window, her eyes widened as she saw a breathtakingly beautiful blonde woman and a handsome man on stage performing. Sophie couldn't understand what language they were singing it, but it sounded lovely; like they were singing about a bittersweet kind of love. Suddenly, he came into her mind and she felt uneasy. Her hand reached for the door but she hesitated. What do you expect to find here? The little voice in her mind asked.

"The song's about unrequited love," a voice from behind her said, and Sophie let out a little scream. She turned around and clutched her bag and pressed her back against the door. She was face to face with a young man, who looked amused by her reaction.

"Sorry miss didn't mean to frighten you," he said holding up his hands apologetically, although he looked as though he was trying to stifle a laugh. "Not many people know what the song is about, since they can't understand Portuguese. It's a shame, since it's really a lovely story." Sophie took a deep breath and stood up slowly, but she didn't loosen her grip on her bags. Letting her eyes give him a one over, she noticed he was very tall; at least a whole foot taller than her. He was fairly tan, which meant he probably worked outside a lot. Judging by his shabby coat, overalls and rolled up sleeves she guessed she was probably right. His dark hair was in desperate need of grooming, and he clearly hadn't shaved in days. But his green eyes... He started to chuckle, and Sophie tried to hide her embarrassment.

"I mean no harm Miss I promise, you just look a little lost," he said.

"I am not lost," Sophie replied, enunciating every syllable. Being lost would mean she had a destination in mind, she mentally added. She kept her chin held high. She remembered her mother telling her if she ever came face to face with someone new, to keep your chin held high and your eyes off the floor. Never let your guard down. "I was about to walk in," she explained.

"Then why haven't you done it already? Saw you standing there for at least a minute now."

"You were staring, eh? Well someone scared the living daylights out of me, and it would be rude if I didn't acknowledge his existence," she said curtly.

"How kind of you," he said jokingly, and Sophie tried not to roll her eyes. Sophie sighed. "Am I annoying you miss?" he asked with a boyish grin on his face. Sophie shook her head.

"No, you're not. I'm just... tired." They stood there quietly for a moment, and then he cleared his throat and held out his hand.

"I'm Rufus. Rufus Callaway." Sophie hesitated for a second, and then shook his hand briefly.

"Sophie. My name is Sophie."

"You're not from round these parts," he said. She noticed it wasn't a question, but an obvious fact. She wore a dark blue dress with a white scarf wrapped carefully around her neck, and silk gloves to cover her fingers. Compared to the folks she'd seen tonight, she was dressed like royalty. And the clothes she had in her bags wouldn't help either. She shook her head, and half smiled.

"Where exactly am I?" she asked.

"You're in Paradise," he said with a grin. Sophie scoffed. She looked around at the old buildings covered in rust and chipped paint.

"Yeah right, what's this town really called?" she asked, and the look he gave her told her he was serious. "I see... well if this is 'Paradise', wherever I was before must have been heaven on earth," she mumbled. Rufus took no offense to the remark. He took out his watch from the inside of his coat pocket, and glanced at Sophie.

"Do you have some place to be or would you like to grab a bite? It's nearly midnight and I haven't eaten a thing since my break," Rufus said nonchalantly. Sophie was surprised by his forwardness.

"I..." Sophie said hesitantly. Normally, she would have refused, but she hadn't eaten anything in a few hours either. Then her stomach grumbled. Her face turned bright red. Rufus smiled.

"I'll take that as a yes. C'mon, I know a place that's got good fish. They've probably got an extra bed for you too," he said, and beckoned her to follow him. He started to walk down the dimly lit road, disappearing into the shadows. Sophie quickly grabbed her suitcase and shuffled after him.

"Hold on, how'd you know I didn't have a place to stay?" she inquired, trying to catch up with him.

"Well you probably would've gone there already, right?" he replied, turning back to look at her. That comeback never seems to get old, she thought. He turned his back to her and continued to walk at his own quick pace. Sophie trailed behind him, still wondering whether she should trust Rufus or not. This was all happening so fast. 'Paradise' was sketchy, but he didn't seem quite so bad. He was offering her hospitality and food. She would only stay a few nights, tops; just enough time for her to gain her strength and get back on her feet. Maybe this town was the perfect place to start fresh. To forget what happened. To forget him.