Rising Tides

4

As the week went on, Sarah and Rowan grew closer and closer and she considered him a friend. The attraction she felt towards him was still strong and distracting, but she pushed it aside and focused more on how he made her genuinely laugh and smile for the first time in ages, how her heart felt lighter and her soul filled with joy when he was around her; how the unusual de'ja'vu she felt towards him made conversing with him as easy as she would converse with her mother or an old friend she hadn't seen in a long time. She enjoyed talking about art and music with him and loved how passionate he was about the sea. His love of the sea was truly beautiful to behold.

They shared similar tastes in music and literature. He liked classical and rock and indie music, and she enjoyed oldies bands like The Beetles, The Eagles, and Simon and Garfunkel. Rowan was a singer, too, and could play many instruments. Sadly, his adoptive family didn't support or agree with his passions.

"I have five sisters and one brother." He explained as he scribbled in a sketchbook, his elegant hands and fingers sweeping and gliding across the paper with a fluidity and effortlessness that Sarah envied. His long, delicate fingers held the pencil as lightly and delicately as he would hold the stem of a flower. "Dahlia, Marina, the twins Adaline and Evangeline, Serena, and my older brother, Devin. They're hunters. My father and mother are often on hunting trips with them. They believe I should be more like them."

"What do they hunt?"

He paused in his scribbling and frowned a little, a small crease appearing between his eyebrows as he thought, as if trying to decide how to answer. "My family hunts their own food and provides food for everyone. I don't agree with their methods of hunting. I prefer to think of myself as sort of a vegetarian, so I'm like the black sheep of my adoptive family."

"Oh. Hmm." Sarah puzzled over that for a while, leaning over to clean off a brush in a small jar of water. Her painting was looking really good. She just had to add some last little details and touch ups. "You don't seem very bothered by it."

"I'm not. I'm quite proud of being the black sheep. I don't want to get into the details, but I don't want to follow in their footsteps. I just want to be me."

Sarah nodded. "I can understand that. I know how it feels to be a black sheep, to not really fit in in my own family, and to want to stray from the path your parents want you to follow. My mom wants me to be a lawyer like her, but it would bore me to death. She wasn't very happy when I told her I wanted to be an artist. But, I'm still here doing what I love. I used to want to be a marine biologist, but that's ancient history."

"Why?" Rowan asked, glancing over at her. Those cerulean eyes shimmered like gems in the light that shined through the open window. She wanted to drown in them. They pulled her in like a riptide. She shook her head to rid herself of those embarrassing thoughts.

"I'm afraid of the water."

"Why? Did something happen?"

Feeling shy, she avoided his intense, curious gaze and clenched her fingers anxiously around her brush. "I don't really like to talk about it."

"I see. I understand. I don't want to push you or make you uncomfortable." Rowan said softly, sensing her anxiety and reservation.

"Thank you. What are you drawing?" She looked over at the sketchbook on his desk. It was simple black leather and looked well worn.

He smiled and opened the sketchbook wider and tilted it towards her so she could see. Sarah's breath caught in her throat. It was her! It was a sketch of her working on her painting. Just a simple sketch made up of rough lines and cross hatching, but it was stunning in it's simplicity. Her long hair fell like a curtain around her body. He captured the movement of the strands and the reflection of the light on her hair. The soft curves of her face, the bend of her neck, the length of her arms bared by her tank top, her hands as they gripped the brush and painted, every little detail was perfectly captured.

"It's...me." Was all she could say, breathless, mouth dropped open in shock and amazement. "But...why?"

"Why not?" His smile was as warm as the sun and just as dazzling, making his whole face light up. His voice was gentle and soothing as he spoke, like a lullaby. "I think you're beautiful and you make a perfect muse. Especially when you're focused on your work. I can really see the love and determination on your face."

She felt her face heat up and her mouth opened and closed like a fish. She really wasn't expecting an answer like that. She didn't see herself as attractive at all. Sure, she had her fare share of guys asking her out. She always refused them. None of them interested or attracted her in any way. But now, this unbearably intriguing and confusing man thinks she is beautiful enough for him to draw.

"Th-thank you. I...don't know what to say."

Ocean eyes twinkling, he casually tore the paper out of the book and handed it to Sarah. "Here. You can have it."

Speechless, she carefully took the paper out of his outstretched hand and studied it. So simple yet so beautiful. "Thank you very much. I love it."

"You're welcome, il tesoro mia."

Her heart fluttered in her chest like a caged bird. It felt so full, like it was about to burst. Her eyes prickled and she fought back her tears. Another sense of de'ja'vu nagged at her brain. Something about him giving her a drawing also seemed familiar. But why? A crazy idea came to her.

"So, um, some friends and I are going down to the beach for a party this Saturday. I would be really happy if you could come with us. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I brought another friend along."

Those full lips pursed in thought, baby pink and looked soft as flower petals. "Maybe. I'll see if I can go."

Sarah smiled at him, feeling giddy as a schoolgirl. "Ok."

She could feel Danni's and everyone else's eyes on her for the rest of the class period, along with someone else's, and his eyes burned into the back of her skull from the back of the room. She shivered and ignored him. Nothing was going to ruin her good mood today.