Tug of Fate | When Stars Align Book one

First Meeting

Australia, 15th October 2017

Logan

I cannot understand the stomping elephant feeling in my heart. That is what happens when your heart feels like there is a herd of elephants running through it.

As Liam and I make our way down the foyer to the backyard of this ancient mansion, that is also the hike company's office, I am not sure if I am just excited for something or if I'm having a heart attack. We are here for the Hikers Meet and Greet. We start our hikes tomorrow morning, and today we meet our fellow hikers and guides. It is 3:30 pm, and the sun is bright outside. It's a lovely day, and as we start on the Sterling range tomorrow, I feel excited about the day to come.

Liam and I head on outside, our eyes scanning the crowd for Ali. We haven't spoken about it, but I know that both of us are excited to meet Ananya. Once outside the door, and the elephant stampede on my heart almost becomes unbearable, like they are angry. I am jerked to a stop by Liam and when I look up I find him looking behind us. I cannot see his eyes because he's wearing sunglasses, but by the expression on his face, it is clear that he is as perplexed as I feel.

"I think we should go that way." he says, jerking his head over his shoulder.

"Why? Do you feel something?" I ask

He just shrugs and we both turn around and make our way to the other side. Almost as suddenly as the elephants had started their stampede, they went into a happy dance. Am I really thinking of my heart as elephants? Am I really going crazy right now? I am asking myself, but it is the truth. I can literally feel my heart dancing. It is the weirdest feeling ever.

My heart is dancing to its own tempo, and I can feel we are reaching a crescendo now. We are still scanning the ground for Ali, when her purple streaked hair catches our eyes. She is waving to a curly haired girl who is going the other way, towards the refreshment table. There are a few people walking and talking around Ali's table, so I don't catch a glimpse of everyone there.

Then people move. And I see. And it makes sense, everything makes sense. The dancing elephants, the stomping, the crescendo, the joy, the dance and happiness – it all fucking makes sense.

Because I see HER.

It would be a shame to call her hair, hair. It is like straight golden brown silk strands, with bangs down her forehead, ending at her violet-blue aviator sunglasses. Golden skin, with full pink lush lips, biteable-lickable-fuckable lips..

Whoaaaaaa.... Slow down playboy!

And she laughs. The smile on my face comes of its own accord. She's sitting, laughing at something a man next to her said, and is wearing a light blue cotton dress that covers her knees while she is sitting. This is the voice I had been obsessed with. I just know it. Nightingale.

"Logan! Liam!" Ali shouts. She waves at us, and my Nightingale jerks her head towards us. Fuck she is beautiful! The full force of her beauty almost knocks me off my feet, and if not for Liam's shoulder next to mine for support, I would have fallen. Ali pulls her to her feet, and they both make their way across to us. She reluctantly looks behind her and waves to the man she was talking to, and I feel a serious bout of jealousy take over me.

But before I could even make sense of my feelings, everyone moves aside. Call it fate, or destiny. But for a brief moment, there is not a single person between Ananya and I, and Oh My Fucking God she has the body of a Goddamn Angel!