Chapter One: Eerie Feelings

*** 3 years later***

"Hold still, this won't hurt I promise, after this, I'll give you a treat okay" I tried to sound reassuring.With a steady hand, the procedure was no more than ten seconds and pain free. When the shots were done, Fluffy got on his hind legs and gave me a big hug before he left with his owner. As soon as my patient left, I checked my board and it seemed to be that he was my last appointment for the rest of the evening. I'm not gonna complain though, people have been bringing in their pets all day long, nonstop. We were short-staffed today, so I was basically the only doctor working. With a little more pep to my walk I made my way quickly towards the break room to grab my lunch bag and set of keys. The quicker I made it to the break room the quicker I would be able to sneak past Peggy before she gave me any more last minute patients. To my surprise, she was distracted with something in the back room.

A blast of cold air hit my face as I made my way outside. Continuing an accelerated fast walk towards my cherry-red Camaro, the hairs on the back of my neck slowly started to rise up and goosebumps started appearing on my forearms. There wasn't even anything out here, except the flickering lamp post and some shops that were closing up for the night. Nothing seemed out of place, in fact, everything was perfectly fine just like any other day, except for one thing, I reached into my purse and felt for my keys. Ugh my night can't get any better, can it? Now I have to go all the way back and get them, that is if everyone is still there and can let me in. I ran back this time and banged on the door, hoping that Peggy would still be sitting at the front desk. Nobody came, so I waited another minute and knocked again, still nothing.

In the corner of my eye, a dark figure appeared and started making its way down the sidewalk towards my direction. okay don't panic, it's probably just my imagination. Slowly, I turned my head to get a better view of the thing that was walking towards me. Beads of sweat started to form on my forehead as my heartbeat became faster with each passing second that went by. Nope. This definitely could not be my imagination. It appeared to be a man… at least that's what it seemed to be as far as I could tell. Peggy open the damn door before I'm the next victim on the news tonight. I shook the door at this point but I'm pretty sure no one was going to come to my rescue. He was so close that I could see his figure better. The mysterious man had broad shoulders, long hair and was extremely tall. His height wasn't the only thing that stood out to me. His eyes, they were ...glowing this electric blue color. Oh Hell nah glowing eyes! I started to get light-headed, then all I could see was black at this point. Hitting the ground with a loud thud, the world grew cold around me.

In the distant background, I heard this deep husky voice say something, but it was hard to hear him. As my senses slowly came back to life, the ground beneath me shifted and sank inward. I awoke from my sleep in a panic and came back to reality. Surprisingly, it was not a basement, in fact, it was quite the opposite. It appeared to be a cozy living room with warm lighting. The wood floor was this beautiful mahogany brown and all furniture was a creamy vanilla with big puffed up brown pillows that acted as the finishing accent color. Wow, this place was nice, especially for living in a small town like Waverly. Finding a big house like this in such a small town is rare. Carefully, I tried to get up from the couch but winced in pain and grabbed my left side. Ouch! okay so getting up was not an option for me right now. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, the most jaw-dropping, gorgeously handsome creature appeared before my eyes and suddenly the idea of staying put didn't seem like such a bad idea. Why am I just now seeing him around? Hmm maybe he's new here, I knew almost everyone that had lived here and I never once saw this guy. I think I may have blushed because he smiled and chuckled a little. "I wouldn't try to do that if I were you. You hit the ground pretty hard and you have a massive bruise on your side there" he said while leaning against the big white pillar across the room. Yeah, I got the memo. " Ohh really, you don't say" I smarted back with my lovely sarcasm. He started walking towards me and sat on the wooden coffee table that was right in front of the couch I had been laying on for who knows how many hours. When he got closer to me my heart rate sped up and goosebumps similar to the ones that appeared on me in the parking lot appeared on my forearms. Ummmm. This is weird, like really weird. I tried sitting up to get as far away from him as possible but pain overtook me again. "Don't worry Luv, I won't hurt you if that's what you're thinking. Hold still, let me take a look at that." His hand softly brushed over my side to examine the injury and naturally I winced in pain once again."So uhh are you new here?" I asked with a shaky voice as he continued to look. " Yeah, I moved here just a few weeks ago. I'm still learning the town, even though it's almost impossible to get lost here".

"Ah okay yeah you see, I know almost everyone that lives in this rinky-dink town." I said as I tried to not make too much eye contact with him. "Yup, everyone has been giving me funny looks for the past two weeks and I could never figure out why" choking back on a laugh, I said " Well you're not exactly good at blending in with the crowd. For starters you're a freaking giant and two, you've been blessed with a gorgeous face." oh please help me now, why did I just tell him that? I need to get out of here and save myself from this embarrassment. Where is the stupid clock, its probably past midnight? I looked around the room and found what I was looking for. Oh no, this is not good, I've been here for like four hours. Noticing the panicked expression on my face he smirked a little and said "I think you better lay low and just sleep here for the night. I can drive you back home first thing in the morning". No no-no-no. I cannot stay here, especially in some strangers' houses.

That idea was totally out of the question but unfortunately, he was right. I better take it easy, I can barely even move without sharp stabbing pains jabbing at my side. I sighed "You're right, I can barely even move right now as it is. You wouldn't happen to have any ibuprofen or anything by chance would you?" Could I be any more of an embarrassment, of course, he has ibuprofen. He chuckled and smiled just big enough for his pearly white teeth to show "yes, I have some, hold on". I laid my head back on the pillow and stared at the ceiling as he headed into the kitchen to grab some water and the pills. I might as well just jump off a cliff, he must think I'm a quack or something by the way I'm acting. After all, he was just being hospitable and helping me out. There's no reason for me to be freaking out this much. A few minutes had gone by and he returned with a glass and two pills in his hand. "Here you go, i'll give you another round later if the pain and swelling hasn't improved" with a somewhat shaky hand I reached for the pills and drank the water. "Uh, thanks…" geez this was awkward. Clearing his voice he said, "Oh yeah, my name is Devon by the way." Oh, right I totally forgot, where are my manners "I'm Ally" I said, trying hard not to sound too nervous. A soft smile spread across his face "Such a pretty name…. Ally". My stomach flitted with butterflies as I sat there and admired his voice. I must've been daydreaming for a few minutes because when I zoned back in he was staring at me waiting for an answer. " I'm sorry what was that again?". He cleared his throat again and said, " I asked if you'd be comfortable sleeping on this couch or if you would like to sleep in the guest bedroom upstairs? "Uhhh the guest bedroom sounds like the better option of the two right now and besides I'm so tired." " yeah i was thinking the same thing, well not for me to sleep in the guest room but for you to uh sleep there" he blushed and shook his head out of embarrassment. Thank goodness I'm not the only one getting nervous. "Anywho, are you able to get up now or do I have to carry you up the stairs too?" I tried to deny the fact that I wasn't in pain but clearly I still was. As I was in the middle of trying to come up with some excuse for him not to carry me, he swiftly but gently took me up into his arms and started walking towards the stairs. "It looked like you were trying to come up with a reason not to get carried so I'm taking matters into my own hands". Pffft I cannot believe this guy. I shook my head in disbelief as he effortlessly carried me up the stairs and into the room.

As soon as you walk in, the first thing you see is this massive king-sized bed with bedposts on each corner. Draping from the posts all around the bed is this beautiful silk-like material. The walls were a rich chocolate brown and the floor was a pretty mahogany wood flooring. In the corners of the room were all different kinds of plants, some had flowers and some just had big leafy green leaves that towered over the other plants. Even though the room gave off a vibe of high class, there was something that was comforting and down to earth about it. It was very homey and had a soft gentle touch to it, something you wouldn't really expect to see from a man of his… kind. He continued walking into the room and gently laid me down onto the bed. I sank into the mattress, it was the most comfortable thing in the whole world. He must've seen the excitement in my eyes because he let out a little chuckle and shook his head. "What are you laughing about over there," I said with a playful grin. "Oh nothing, it's just that I didn't expect you to get geeked out over a mattress". " Well obviously you've never slept in this bed before then if you're saying that". He rolled his eyes and tilted his head to the side as if he was about to reply back with a snide comment, instead he ignored me and started turning back to head out the room. Before he closed the door he smirked and said goodnight and instructed me to get some sleep. Pfft like that was going to happen, but he was right, I needed to rest especially after tonight's turn of events. Pushing away from the thoughts that still raced in my mind, I snuggled down into the comforter and fell asleep.

A soft cool breeze swept through the room like gentle waves that slowly drew me back to the surface from my slumber. The sun rays seeped through the white sheer curtains and greeted me with a warm golden kiss upon my face. For a moment, I forgot where I was but then realized, because Devon came into my room with a towel wrapped around his waist as he was brushing his teeth. I quickly grabbed the blanket and pulled it up to my chest. "Uhhh hi," I said with wide eyes and a nervous laugh as I realized how he was dressed. As if he knew exactly what I was thinking, he chuckled. "Well someone seems to be awake now," he said while still smirking. I rolled my eyes. "I was already awake, I was just about to get up until you rudely barged in," I said while trying to sit up in bed. "Hey, this is my house, I don't think I have to knock. Besides, if I would've knocked I wouldn't have been able to get a sneak peek of you before you covered yourself with the blanket. He winked and a burst of laughter escaped from him when he saw my face turn cherry red from embarrassment. After a few moments of him laughing hysterically, he slowly backed out of my room and clicked the door shut. Aughhhhh.

Comfy clothes and a pair of converse were neatly placed at the end of my bed. The sweet and thoughtful gesture brought a warm fuzzy feeling to the pit of my stomach. This kind of behavior was new and foreign to me. Most guys usually showed me their worst traits first which is exactly why I left my city life behind for a more quiet setting. Moving to Waverly was the best decision I made. Hardly anyone to gossip about you or get into your business. Most older generations here are more welcoming and hardly any drama happens around here. The closest thing to drama would be whenever someone cheats on a round of Bingo in the Town Hall. Wrapping up my thoughts, I grabbed the converse and made my way out of the bedroom and down the stairs. To my surprise, Devon was in the kitchen whipping up breakfast with a chef's hat on to top it all off.

Giggles managed to escape from my mouth as I said "what on earth are you doing dressed like that". He looked up at me and had that welcoming smile spread across his face.

"Well I'm clearly making you breakfast as my way of saying sorry for the scare last night and as a parting gift before you leave." Warm tingly sensations fluttered around in my stomach once again. Trying not to make this new and unusual feeling known, I ate as quickly as possible so he could take me home quicker. By the time he finished making the batch of pancakes my plate was already empty and I was tying my shoes. Devon sensed my eagerness to leave so he picked up the car keys and led me to the front door. As if he couldn't have been more of a gentleman, he opened the car door for me and didn't close it until he heard the seatbelt click. At least chivalry wasn't dead, he made it very well known that he intended to keep his manners in top shape, well at least in the time that I've been here. Maybe he was just like everyone else I had met before. They act all nice in the beginning until a few weeks go by and it turns into the worst nightmare of my life. But for some odd reason, I felt like he wasn't that type of person. He made me feel safe and comforted me in my most vulnerable time. By the time I was wrapping up my thoughts, Devon was already pulling up into my driveway. Wow. I didn't even notice how quick of a drive this was. Or was it? And secondly, how did he get my address, I don't remember ever giving it to him. Oh well I didn't have the mental energy to discuss this at the moment.

"So uh, we're here…" I heard him say as I came back from thinking.

I tried to not sound accusatory as I said "how did you know where I live? Did you like.. go through my stuff or have you been watching me"

His expression from happy to concerned and confused said it all. "Uhh no? Neither of those actually… you don't remember telling me last night on the couch?"

Honestly I couldn't recollect last night even if I tried . All I remembered was the embarrassment and the urge to leave but being so comfortable I almost didn't want to.

"Well all I remember was the enormous amounts of embarrassment I inflicted onto myself by saying corny things to you… other than that, not much else".

A smirk appeared on his face as he chuckled and said "Let's just say you told me a lot more things than you thought or even remembered" after a few seconds his facial expressions turned into worry "I guess you hit your head pretty hard if you can't even recall our conversations" His warm hand brushed against my face as if it was out of habit. I tried not to blush but it was getting harder not to. Devon's concern for me was genuine and heartfelt. Yeah he definitely was different from the rest but in a good way. Trying to snap out of dreamworld I came back to the topic of discussion at hand.

"Well actually now that I think about last night I do remember a little bit more. It's probably going to sound ridiculous but I saw these blue pairs of eyes that seemed to be glowing. But obviously you don't have blue glowing eyes. Which probably means I was more sleep deprived than I thought."

He didn't respond right away but I definitely saw him shift his posture in the seat. "Are you trying to accuse me of being something?"

Not really knowing how to answer I said "uhhh no? I was just telling you what I thought I saw and how I might be sleep deprived, that's all" .

Devon relaxed a little more into his chair after I said that. "Oh okay, well I have to get going now. Besides, you need to get back to your cat before you find treats scattered everywhere"

Giggling a little "yeah you're right, I'll uh see you later sometime if that sounds like something you'd be down for? Todays my day off so I don't really have anything to do other than be with my baby Lola".

It took him a few moments to ponder that invitation but after a while he came up with something to say. "Yeah, I'd enjoy that. I'll let you know if something comes up."

"How'd you get my number?"

"Alright fine, I'll admit to one thing, I did look in your bag for that. I mean how could I not?"

He said with a wink and the biggest sarcastic grin ever. I rolled my eyes and laughed as I made my way out of his car and towards my home.