chapter 1: the handsome stranger

Charlotte’s pov

“I can’t believe I will be an official member of our coven, I heard that once you are a part of a coven you get access to all the magic In the world” I said to my father who smiled.

“hey, calm down kiddo, and not just all the magic in the world, but also in the afterlife. You will be able to get access to all the magic of the million dead witches in the world, from the witches of Salem and those before them” he explained making me even more excited.

We were coming from our vacation trip; we take those every year and we had to come back early for this one because I am going to join the coven.

When you turn sixteen covens throw a ritual where you officially join the coven and become one with everyone.

This is to help witches and to make sure that we all have access to magic, and we use it responsibly, it means I will be officially an adult.

We stopped by a restaurant to have dinner because it was getting late, and mom didn’t want to get home and cook so late.

“Wow that amazing, and Charlotte will have access to all that magic? don’t mess it up” my little brother David said, and I just rolled my eyes at him.

“I forgot something in the car, I will be back” my mother said as she got up and left the restaurant. “didn’t you say you want to go to the toilet? Come on lets go before your mother comes back” my father said to David, and he nodded as they got up and left me sitting alone.

I looked around the place and it was beautiful and elegant, it was clear that my mother chose the place.

Everything around me just stopped when a man entered the restaurant, he had this very dark and mysterious aura.

His dark hair was all in place, not even a strand in sight and I looked at him from top to bottom and realised that this man was perfection.

Everything about him screamed perfection, even though it was a little windy outside he looked like he just got dressed and didn’t even walk in this windy weather.

I think he felt my eyes on him because he looked in my direction, he looked shocked to see me and then I saw hope and relief in his eyes as well.

how can someone be so handsome even when they seem shocked? I tried to avert my gaze so not to stare but I couldn’t, it was like his eyes were pulling me towards him and I felt this weird attraction to him.

I could tell that he seemed older, like in his late 20s which is weird because I am not attracted to older man but there was something about him.

He started walking towards me, his blue eyes looking at me like a stormy sea and I couldn’t even read all the emotions on his face.

He stopped at my table and looked at me, when he entered the restaurant I could tell that he was a proud and very confident man.

But he seemed shocked and nervous as he was looking at me and I wondered what was happening with him and why he was like that.

“Charlotte” he said, and I looked at him confused, “how do you know my name sir?” I asked him and he smiled when I asked him.

“so, it’s you, Scarlett it’s really you?” he said with a smile and then kissed my forehead before I could say anything.

I was frozen for a minute, surprised by the sudden act of affection from a man I just met in a restaurant who is also a stranger and also by my own reaction.

I leaned to his touch, like it was something I longed for, and it felt oddly scary and also familiar to me and gave me crocodiles in my stomach. But then it hit me, he said Scarlett not Charlotte, “I am sorry sir, but my name is Charlotte not Scarlett.

I thought you said Charlotte that’s why I asked you how you know my name” I said. his smile dropped, the hope in his eyes died and I saw as that dark aura he had earlier come back, and he nodded.

“I am sorry, you look like someone I have been looking for for centuries” he said, and I chuckled looking at him.

“centuries?” I asked him and he gave me a nervous chuckle, “its been so long that it feels like centuries, you look exactly like her that I could have sworn that you were her. Anyways, I am sorry again Charlotte” he said bowing his head a little.

 I listened to the way he talked, his accent and his mannerism, he behaved like the men we read about in books like pride and prejudice.

It was like he was from another time in more ways than one. The first one was the way he talks, his manner of speaking but also because someone this handsome shouldn’t exist.

He turned around and was about to leave but I couldn’t say goodbye yet, it felt weird and kind of painful being parted from him.

I didn’t like the sight of him walking away, I felt this ping in my heart, like I am going to regret letting him walk away, like I shouldn’t or I couldn’t watch him walk away.

“wait” I found myself saying and he turned around and looked at me, those blue eyes are like magnets that keep pulling me towards them.

I got up and went to him, he looked confused at first but then I held his hand and took off my bracelet that was in left hand. I put it in his hand and smiled, “I hope that you find her, this is a lucky charm, and my best wishes are with it. I hope you find your Scarlet because its clear that you love her and miss her” I said.

he looked at it and then me, I tiptoed and kissed his cheek before basically running back to my seat, but I caught his smile before he turned and walked away.

When he went to a private room I released a breath that I didn’t even realise I was holding, why did that man I don’t know affect me like that? hell why did I just kiss his cheek?

As I was beating myself up for what I did everyone came back and we ordered food, but every few minutes I would look at the door he disappeared behind hoping he would come out just one more time so I can see him.

He looks like those character you see in fantasy books, those who are so perfect, and I knew that his face will forever be stuck in my memories.

Never in my life have I ever wanted to paint someone as much as I want to paint him, I can only see how it will look like in the end.

We ate dinner but the whole time I felt like someone was watching me and a part of me told me that it was him.

That behind those tinted windows he is just there looking at me, ‘it’s because you resemble someone he still clearly loves you idiot’ a part of me reminded me.

that Scarlett girl is one lucky chick to have a man like him looking for her, how can I even forget the love in his eyes.

we left the restaurant and went back home which wasn’t as boring as I thought, all the way back home I would just think about the mysterious guy.

He seemed so cool without even trying, “why are you smiling like that honey? You have been doing it ever since we got to the restaurant” my father said.

I just shrugged, I cant tell my father that I am thinking about this older man who mistook me for someone he seems to love and kissed my forehead.

Or that I kissed his cheek, I cant tell my parents that my first love is a strange man I met in a restaurant who also seems to be 10 years older than me.

we got home and I went straight to my room to paint his face before I forget it, but something told me that I would never be able to forget that face or those eyes.

and that’s not the weirdest part, I felt like I knew him, like I know him more than he knows himself.

Why else would I feel this way about a stranger, why else would I fall in love with someone I just met once?