Moonlit Hearts

Chapter 4

(Present)

**Isabella**

Isabella caressed her fingers over the invitation card. It seemed a festival called Lunar Howl was going to take place the following week. It reminded her of when she met that son of a b*tch Adrian. A warm feeling crept over her skin at the welcoming nuance of the neighborhood. It seemed the festival week had already started. Everywhere was decorated with balloons and plastic crescent moons. Stumbling upon Silverwood online accidentally while surfing the internet for her nursing textbooks, she fell in love with its nature and small population.

Immediately, her heart was appeased by the accommodating people. Five neighbors had already visited with cakes and pies. She felt welcomed into the small town and was optimistic she would make a significant change. She had barely packed into her two-bedroom bungalow.

The next day was great for shopping for new décor and essentials as her luggage bore a few important items. Back in Seattle, she sold and donated most of her stuff to Goodwill. She had sworn that beginning a new life meant getting rid of old things. Thankfully, she brought a dress along that was a fit for the welcoming party.

Isabella was so revved up that something spectacular awaited her presence. The thrill seared through her bones. For the past three months, she'd been stripped of happiness since her mother passed away. All she'd felt was anguish. The healing process had taken an eternity, but she was relentless in discovering more about herself. It was her chance to begin over again and make new friends and colleagues where no one knew about her past. This festivity was a start. Her first day here was beginning to feel like home. The four-hour journey and the absurdity of standing up for herself had worn off. Her mother would be immensely proud.

She decluttered her luggage and picked a few portraits of herself, a few with her mother telling a chronological story of her toddling wild years, then stepping into preteen, where she had her first beauty pageant, her prom night at eighteen years, graduating college a few years later with her mother's beam stealing the picture. Isabella chuckled at her mother, the older version of herself wearing her graduation cap.

She placed the miniature portrait over her heart, nursing the feeling that her mother was in the room. Isabella was captivated by a jutting-out picture behind the frame; she pulled it and was thrown into awe. It was a half-picture that used to have her in it. With emotions gone haywire, the last thing she needed was to be haunted by the dark-haired man with a charming smile. He was so young and didn’t seem to care about the world. His grey eyes with specks of amber illuminating blossoming love.

In that picture, his strong arms bulged with muscles and sinewed with veins wrapped around her waist under the light rain in the middle of the road. Her hands were around his neck as the beautiful moment was captured before they kissed. She had felt loved and protected. Well, that was a long time again. There was no way she would ever see him and accept him back again. Crumbling the picture in her hand, she threw it into the crackling flames of the fireplace. She watched every last bit burn to a darkened crisp. Her deft chin was raised; she would never allow a man to come so close to her heart.

***

Anxiety worked its way through her as she neared the town square decorated with fringe strips. Dangling paper lanterns loomed over the square, casting myriads of soft, iridescent glow. People gathered around stalls and tables for food and drinks.

Lost in the sea of unfamiliar faces, Isabella was surrounded by a vast expanse of pine trees and the citrusy cone scent. The peaceful streets of Silverwood were flanked by traditional cottages decorated by lush creepers, glimmering hedges, and a garden of beautiful flowers that shone radiantly under the moonlight. Isabella closed her eyes for a fleeting second, unlocking her senses to the natural essence calming her racing heart. She was lost in the chaos of laughter and chit-chat.

Scents of flavored pies and sandwiches fondled her nostrils. The combination of spices, wood, grasses, and floral scents was an aromatherapy; her past faded into oblivion. The country music blare got teenagers dancing and the elderly engaged in duos. She was eager to join in the festivities.

A loud growl erupted from her stomach pit, distracting the therapeutic moment. All she ate since she arrived was a slice of pie. When she opened her eyes, kids dashed past her, her heart thumped at them getting injured. She often got a wave here and there, welcoming her. Her obsessive stare at the scenery must've given her newbieness away. She lit up at their hospitality, feeling utterly welcome.

There wasn't a past to think about for once. Isabella couldn't help smiling. Amidst the gaiety, she sensed a presence hiding behind the cloak of darkness. Her body trembled at her short-lived excitement. This mysterious presence exuded an air of fright and intrigue. The burning urge to turn kept her rooted to the ground. Drawn by the feeling, she twirled. It couldn't be.

Huge and domineering, with an acute gaze that cut through her deeper than a knife. She could tell his gray eyes in the dark, causing shivers to run up her spine. The roars of her heart muffled the noises around her. The dim light bathed his taut face and licked over his slick back hair. His bulging arms were folded against his massive chest. She couldn't tell from a distance if he was as shocked as she was. She wouldn't be surprised if Adrian Blackwood wasn't. Stumbling backward, she bumped into a guest, breaking their brief contact. Isabella apologized. When she returned her sight to the ancient humongous tree. Adrian had vanished. Looking around, frantically searching through the small crowd, left Isabella with an aching desire to find him.

Her thoughts were in disarray, and each thud of her heart made breathing difficult. Ruined mood, quickening pace, and clouded vision. Isabella left the party. She couldn't be dreaming. It was Adrian. Shocked by his calmness, she must have sent him all her terrified signals. He must've enjoyed watching her.

"Son of a b***h. Did I really see him or did I hallucinate " Isabella muttered, "Either way I must get out of here." There were tons of questions she wished to ask. Demanding closure for his flight. Tears tumbled down the slope of her cheekbones as she was led by her swelling rage coupled with the fright of this discovery. Farther away from the festival, wandering deeper into the night, her wits were numb, and she couldn't discern her environment. Her shoes crunched loose rocks until she slumped on the dirt under the canopy of a tree veiled by mist. The serenity of the woods had taken the edge off her shock. Sitting in silence, she convinced herself that she would be prepared for years, but she humiliated herself.