speed, head down and in her own world.
A strong hand reached out and caught her by the arm, keeping her from falling and steadying her so she could regain her balance.
Without even looking up, Jen stooped immediately to retrieve her rucksack, but somehow, without her even realising, he already had it in his other hand.
Jen’s eyes swept upwards then and she felt as if they were opened for the first time in a very long time. Her gaze met his bluey green eyes and she was instantly fixated, and he seemed to see everything through those mysterious pools of undefined colour.
He was tall, quite a bit taller than her, and his sandy blonde hair looked ruffled, but strangely not in the least bit unkempt.
In the hazy light he looked to be in his early twenties. His face was well defined with high cheekbones, but did not appear too rugged, though there was an air about him that Jen felt most prominently, and which spoke volumes of much more life experience than merely twenty years.
“I…I’m sorry…” Jen mumbled, looking for words to fill the silence, for she could not tear her eyes away from his, though he seemed to stare back into hers quite calmly, holding her gaze eagerly.
Without a word at first, he held her rucksack out and she clutched it back gratefully, though his free hand still lingered on her arm, and for some reason she didn’t want him to remove it.
“Not at all…” He replied first, his voice pitched so that it sounded soft and worn all at once. “It was my fault. Are you okay?”
His question, at face value, might have been answered with a simple, ‘yes, thank you, I’m fine’.
But, in reality, somehow, Jen could sense that wasn’t the question he was really asking her.
She thought she was going crazy, and had absolutely no idea how to reply.
What he was asking her was very personal, and so deeply ingrained and relevant to all that she was faced with in her life, that his bluey green eyes seemed to pool with boundless concern and affection for her.
Within moments, Jen found herself embarrassed, and felt her cheeks flush furiously as she blushed bright red.
Instinctively, flight kicking in, she turned to leave, taking a rushed, though admittedly at the same time hesitant step out into the night.
But she didn’t make it far, for he caught her now by the hand, not firmly, but just enough to stop her, and seemingly without a thought she spun to face him once again, powerless at his touch.
His eyes saw everything as they bore tenderly into her.
It was as if they looked right into her very soul, and Jen couldn’t help but be drawn further and further into them.
Still, even as they stared at each other yet again, neither of them spoke another word.
Finally he smiled, melting Jen almost completely.
Her knees began to shake.
She felt a sudden rush surge through her body and her heart fluttered, though she had no idea why.
She had never felt this way before.
“Didn’t I see you at the beach the other day?” He asked her then, finally breaking the silence that enveloped them.
Taken aback completely, Jen fumbled for words.
She had no idea.
There had been other people at the beach, undoubtedly there always were, but she never saw them.
She was never looking.
She only ever saw Clare.
“I…I’m…I…” She stumbled, floundering in her own
A strong hand reached out and caught her by the arm, keeping her from falling and steadying her so she could regain her balance.
Without even looking up, Jen stooped immediately to retrieve her rucksack, but somehow, without her even realising, he already had it in his other hand.
Jen’s eyes swept upwards then and she felt as if they were opened for the first time in a very long time. Her gaze met his bluey green eyes and she was instantly fixated, and he seemed to see everything through those mysterious pools of undefined colour.
He was tall, quite a bit taller than her, and his sandy blonde hair looked ruffled, but strangely not in the least bit unkempt.
In the hazy light he looked to be in his early twenties. His face was well defined with high cheekbones, but did not appear too rugged, though there was an air about him that Jen felt most prominently, and which spoke volumes of much more life experience than merely twenty years.
“I…I’m sorry…” Jen mumbled, looking for words to fill the silence, for she could not tear her eyes away from his, though he seemed to stare back into hers quite calmly, holding her gaze eagerly.
Without a word at first, he held her rucksack out and she clutched it back gratefully, though his free hand still lingered on her arm, and for some reason she didn’t want him to remove it.
“Not at all…” He replied first, his voice pitched so that it sounded soft and worn all at once. “It was my fault. Are you okay?”
His question, at face value, might have been answered with a simple, ‘yes, thank you, I’m fine’.
But, in reality, somehow, Jen could sense that wasn’t the question he was really asking her.
She thought she was going crazy, and had absolutely no idea how to reply.
What he was asking her was very personal, and so deeply ingrained and relevant to all that she was faced with in her life, that his bluey green eyes seemed to pool with boundless concern and affection for her.
Within moments, Jen found herself embarrassed, and felt her cheeks flush furiously as she blushed bright red.
Instinctively, flight kicking in, she turned to leave, taking a rushed, though admittedly at the same time hesitant step out into the night.
But she didn’t make it far, for he caught her now by the hand, not firmly, but just enough to stop her, and seemingly without a thought she spun to face him once again, powerless at his touch.
His eyes saw everything as they bore tenderly into her.
It was as if they looked right into her very soul, and Jen couldn’t help but be drawn further and further into them.
Still, even as they stared at each other yet again, neither of them spoke another word.
Finally he smiled, melting Jen almost completely.
Her knees began to shake.
She felt a sudden rush surge through her body and her heart fluttered, though she had no idea why.
She had never felt this way before.
“Didn’t I see you at the beach the other day?” He asked her then, finally breaking the silence that enveloped them.
Taken aback completely, Jen fumbled for words.
She had no idea.
There had been other people at the beach, undoubtedly there always were, but she never saw them.
She was never looking.
She only ever saw Clare.
“I…I’m…I…” She stumbled, floundering in her own
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