Chapter 2: Sera

    Sera sat on her bathroom sink and began to apply her makeup. Her long platinum hair was already curled and hung by her waist. She took the time to use just a little more brown eye shadow around her gray eyes. She didn't own much makeup, just a tiny four-color pallet, peachy blush, mascara, and neutral pink lipstick. She never really needed such things; even then, her cosmetics only cost her five dollars.

    She took her middle and ring finger, applied blush to her round cheeks, and then used lipstick on her full, rounded lips. She wouldn't say she was the most beautiful girl but wasn't ugly either. She hopped off the counter and looked at herself; she wasn't the skinniest girl on the planet. She had what most people would call a slim but curvy body, the perfect hourglass with wide hips and thick thighs but a smaller waist and appropriate-sized breasts for her frame, and it helped that she was only about 5'4. Yes, she was lovely in her fuzzy owl pajama bottoms and purple tank top. Charming really.

    She could thank her biological mother, Alis.

    She had only ever heard about her biological parents, how her mother was known for her kindness and softness, and how her father could make anyone laugh. The kind of couple that deserved a happy family and didn't deserve what happened to them twenty-two years ago.

    Twenty-two years ago today, her parents were killed in a fire. The hospital they were at had erupted into flames; the firefighters had ruled it an accident, stating that it had been an electrical fire from a malfunctioning machine and a poorly cleaned-up leak from the ceiling. The only reason they had died was because Sera was there; they had died trying to save their newborn baby girl; they should've never gone back into that damned hospital.

    Sera turned away from the mirror, the memory of the article she had found online at 13 replaying through her head. The reporter stated that there were only two casualties and minor injuries. The parents of a newborn child had raced back into the hospital to find their newborn child when they couldn't see her with the maternity nurses outside on the third floor.

    Sera recalled different comments below the article ranging from 'those poor parents and that poor child' to 'idiots.' People believed they threw their life away for nothing because you can always have another child, but you can't if you are dead.

    Sera's heart ached for the parents she could never remember; her heart ached for what could have been. She swiped the lone tear from her cheek and walked to her closet.

    There is no use thinking about what could've been. She needed to look into the future, and that future was between her and Scott. She pulled a long box off the closet floor and placed it on her bed. The red wrapping paper and golden bow on top of it hid a small note. She pulled the letter out and read the words.

    "Love you always, Scott," and smiled. She removed the paper and ribbon and pulled the lid off the box. Inside was a sparkling black dress. She gasped when she held it up and realized how short the spaghetti strap dress was. It was beautiful but very short.

    "I get to play the game of keeping the dress down tonight, it seems." She muttered to herself. Scott had always tried getting her into more... 'exposing' dresses, but nothing like that. Never this much; he knew she didn't care to have everything hanging out in the open.

    Sighing, she decided to put it on anyway. He had spent his hard-earned money on a gift for her so she had something nice for her birthday. The least she could do was wear it and be appreciative.

    She quickly pulled her pajamas off and slid on the dress. It came about mid-thigh and had a significant plunge down the neckline, showing everything she owned.

    "Lord have mercy..." Sera muttered, referring to the sparkling material. It looked beautiful on her. However, it was so short that she quickly looked at the clock on her worn dresser and jolted. It was already 7:30??

    "Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t." Sera said. She quickly grabbed her black flats, her phone, and her purse, then rushed out her bedroom door, not having to worry about her parents being home. She quickly ordered a cab to be at her place as she stood outside her home. After about ten minutes, she saw her cab pull up and breathed a sigh of relief. Hopping in the back, she gave the driver instructions, and off they went to the bar that Scott had wanted to go to.

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    Sera walked into the bar and looked around for Scott. When she didn't see him, she checked her phone, and it was 7:58. She was a little early, so he wasn't quite there yet. She decided to grab a seat at the bar and ordered a drink.

    Sera sent Scott a quick text telling him she was there and waiting for him at the bar. As time ticked by, she started to get slightly concerned, so she sent him another text asking when he would be there.

    Around 8:30, she called him, "Hey babe, I was just wondering when you're going to get here. I just want to make sure you're okay. Call me when you can." The bartender came over, and Sera hung up the phone.

    "Get stood up, honey?" Sera asked. She put her phone down and looked at the redheaded bartender.

    "No, he wouldn't do that; he's just late. That is all," Sera answered back. The bartender eyed her and just nodded her head,

    "Okay, Hun, let me know if you want another drink." Sera nodded and turned her head toward the door, biting her lip. The noises of the bar drowned out her thoughts. She started bouncing her legs with anticipation. She motions to the bartender for a third drink, hoping it will calm her nerves. She looked at her phone again and downed her drink in one go. It was almost nine o'clock. Where the hell was he?

      "Hey baby, you alone?" a voice said behind her. She turned her head and saw a bearded man standing behind her. He smelled cigars and beer, and sweat was beading on his forehead. She did her best not to lean away as he leaned towards her and put his hand on her bar stool. He looked like he had been drinking all day, and it took everything in her not to show the disgust she felt on her face.

    "No, I'm not." She said, turning around to look at her phone again. She jumped when he put his hand on her back, his callouses scraping her exposed shoulder.

    "That's not what it looks like. Let me buy you a drink. I can keep you company until whoever you're waiting for gets here." Sera felt her heart pick up, and she started to panic slightly.

    "No, thank you. I'm fine, and I was just about to leave." Sera said, trying to get out of her chair. She grabbed her purse off the counter and snatched her arm from his hand.

    "Oh, don't be like that. I'm trying to be nice." Sera tried to yank her arm out of his grip but to no avail. His grip just tightened to borderline painful.

    "Let go of me, I said no." She said, raising her voice in a panic. A musky scent hit her nose, and she felt a slight warmth from behind her.

    "Don't be a little bitc-" He suddenly stopped speaking as he looked behind her. His eyes widened, and he let go of her arm abruptly.

    "I think she said to leave her alone, or did I hear her wrong?" A deep voice said from behind her. An arm lay on her shoulder, and she shivered slightly from the action alone. It was clear what this stranger was doing. Back off was what he was saying. The bearded man put his hands up and backed off.

   "Sorry, man, I didn't know she was spoken for." He whined, his eyes not moving from whoever was behind me.

    "I'm sure." The deep voice rolled down Sera's spine, and suddenly, she was eternally grateful not to be on the receiving end of that tone. Before she knew it, the man had turned around and returned to wherever he had come from.

    Sera turned around and sucked in a breath. She had to look up to see his face. He was handsome, but not in a conventional sense. He was the type of man that made people stop to watch him. His appearance stood out from the crowd. He was someone you could never mistake for someone else.

    His chocolate brown hair and slight stubble from a couple of days' shave stood out across his face. But his golden eyes were show-stoppers. He looked like he had come to take a load off from a hard day. He was still in a suit, just without his tie.

    "Thank you," Sera breathed in awe. Thank you for your help." He didn't smile or move; he stared back at her like he could see into her soul. After a moment of silence, she heard her phone ring at a familiar tune. That was enough to break their eye contact as he slid his eyes to the phone in her hand.

    "Excuse me." She whispered as she picked up her phone and walked out of the bar into the chilly night air,

    "Oh my god, Sera, I am so sorry baby." Scott's voice came through the phone. Still shaken from the encounter, she asks,

    "Where the hell are you, Scott? It's 9:15."

    "I know; I'm sorry, I got caught up at work. We had an emergency meeting with HR tonight. The boss came in late, and we just finished. I'm sorry I didn't text you. I had my phone on silent."

    "You had your CEO come into work for an emergency meeting at 9:15 at night?" Sera asked in disbelief. Something wasn't right about that, and she didn't know what.

    "Are you saying I'm lying?" Scott said irritatedly, "Come on, Seraphina, it's not like I would lie about something like that. I thought you were smarter than that." Sera just sat on the other side of the phone. She honestly didn't know what to say.

    "Yeah, I am smarter than that, so where the hell are you, Scott?" She said she didn't like accusing him of lying to her, but she was hurt. It was her birthday, and the one person who was supposed to be here wasn't.

    "None of your business, Sera. God, why do you have to ruin everything?" Sera's eyes welled up, and she pinched her brows, trying not to raise her voice as people piled out of the bar.

    "I'm not ruining anything, Scott. It's my birthday, and you're nowhere to be found; I'm already headed home." She lied. She knew she wasn't leaving yet, but he didn't know. "I waited almost an hour and a half for you. I was worried something had happened to you. How am I ruining anything??" Sera cried into her phone.

    "You know what, I don't have to deal with this crap. Hope you are happy." Then Sera heard the click of the line being disconnected. She stood there for a couple of minutes, then finally lowered her phone to her side, tears streaming down her face.

    He had left her alone on what was supposed to be the happiest night of the year.

    He had left her alone.

    She was alone. She didn't have anyone. She backed up to the brick wall and slid down it, scraping her back as she went down.

Alone.

    Sera tried to control her breathing, tried to control the rush of emotions piling up.

Alone.

    The words just kept repeating in her head.

Alone.

     Her breathing picked up, and she slapped her hand to her mouth as she started hyperventilating. She couldn't breathe. When had she forgotten how to breathe?

    Tears started pouring down her face as her body shook. She kept gulping in the air, but it was never enough. She rocked her body back and forth. Why did she deserve this? What did she do that was so bad that she was left alone like that? On this day?

    Her vision began spotting in and out.

     She couldn't breathe. Why couldn't she breathe? She felt two hands gently grip her shoulders and hold her. Panic set in all over again. The overwhelming need to disappear was too great.

    "What did I ever do?" She gasped out to herself, trying to gulp down the air.

    "Breathe." A voice cut through the thoughts in her head. "Breathe for me, princess." She felt her body rapidly warm up as she was embraced.

    Slowly, she felt her lungs open. She felt the tears drop onto her chest as she curled in on herself in the warmth, a warmth she had never felt before, even when Scott held her.

    "Breathe." She finally registered the deep voice that called out to her.

    Slowly, she took slower and deeper breaths, and the spotty vision disappeared. She could breathe; she had never forgotten how, but in a panic, she had felt like she had.

    "There you are." He whispered. "There you go." He moved one of the hands from her back to the nape of her neck and held her tighter.

    "Just keep breathing." She didn't know what it was, but he calmed her like nobody else. He comforted her soul. He settled her entire being. When she felt steady enough, she looked at him to find him staring down at her.