LOVE: WHEN HEAVEN MEETS HELL

Seraphina's POV The weather in Paris was terrible tonight. Dark clouds hung over the city, gathering above the tall buildings as though a storm had been waiting for the perfect moment to break. I dialed Camille's number again, but it still wouldn't go through. "Seriously?" I muttered, lowering my phone. I glanced up at the towering buildings around me, unable to stop the smile spreading across my face. Paris. The city I had dreamed of visiting for as long as I could remember. And now, after everything it had taken to get here, I was finally standing in the middle of it. It felt like a dream I had spent years chasing had finally come true. A distant rumble of thunder interrupted my thoughts. Before I could react, rain began pouring from the sky, soaking my hair and clothes within seconds. The cool drops touched my skin, sending a refreshing chill through me. And I loved it. I loved standing in the middle of Paris, getting drenched in the rain with nowhere else I would rather be. My dream city. The city of love. I closed my eyes and tilted my face towards the sky, letting the rain wash over me. For once, I didn't care about my wet clothes, my luggage, or the fact that Camille wasn't answering her phone. I was here. That was all that mattered. When I opened my eyes, the scene around me made me laugh. People were rushing in every direction, desperately searching for shelter. Umbrellas appeared everywhere, cars splashed through the wet streets, and strangers hurried past one another with their heads lowered against the rain. Everyone seemed determined to escape it. Everyone except me. I stretched out my arms, letting the cold drops slide down my cheeks as I smiled up at the sky. For a moment, I forgot everything else. Then my phone began ringing in my pocket. Camille. It had to be her. I quickly reached for my phone, but hesitated when I felt the rain soaking through my clothes. There was no way I was answering a call in the middle of this downpour and risking ruining my phone. I glanced at my luggage before turning towards a nearby covered entrance. "Please, let it be Camille," I muttered as I hurried towards it. The pavement was slick beneath my feet, and I was so focused on reaching shelter that I barely noticed the puddle in my path. My foot slid. "Oh, shi—!" I lost my balance, my arms flailing wildly as the ground rushed towards me. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for the impact and imagining the pain of hitting the unforgiving pavement. But I never hit the ground. Instead, a strong arm wrapped around my waist, catching me just before I could fall. The sudden movement pulled me against someone, and for a moment, I could only stand there, startled, my heart pounding from the near fall. I slowly opened my eyes. For a second, I forgot how to breathe. It felt as though I had fallen into the arms of an angel. Before I could react, he pulled me closer to his chest, his arm firm around my waist as though he thought I might lose my balance again. My gaze travelled up to his face. His long hair was soaked from the rain, strands falling across his forehead, but that did nothing to hide how handsome he was. I had never been held by a man like this before. Something about being in his arms left me strangely breathless, as though my mind had forgotten how to function. Then I looked into his eyes. He was staring at me, and the way he held my gaze made me feel as though he could see right through me. I could hear his heartbeat beneath my ear. Our faces were so close that I barely noticed the people hurrying past us. For those few seconds, the noise of the rain and the chaos around us seemed to fade into the background. It was just him and me. I parted my lips to speak, but no words came out. What was wrong with me? I had never been this speechless in my life. "Seraphina!" A familiar voice called my name, breaking through the strange moment. I blinked, suddenly remembering where I was. Quickly, I pulled away from his arms and straightened myself, my cheeks warming despite the cold rain. I turned towards the voice. Camille. Camille hurried towards me, holding a red umbrella over her head. The moment she reached me, she pulled me into a tight hug. I hugged her back without thinking, a smile spreading across my face. Camille had been my best friend since childhood. No matter how much time passed or how far apart we were, being around her always felt like coming home. When we finally pulled apart, she held me at arm's length, her eyes moving over my drenched clothes. "Seraphina, what on earth happened to you?" she asked, staring at me as though I had just crawled out of a swimming pool. I burst out laughing. "I was enjoying the rain." She looked at me for a moment before shaking her head in disbelief. "Only you would arrive in Paris and decide to have a personal relationship with the weather." I laughed again, reaching for her hand. "I missed you, Camille." Her expression softened. "I missed you too, idiot." I let out a soft laugh, but then I remembered the stranger who had caught me earlier. I turned around, hoping to find him so I could at least thank him for saving me from an embarrassing fall. But he was gone. I glanced around, searching the faces in the passing crowd, but there was no sign of him. Just like that, he had disappeared. A small frown creased my forehead. I hadn't even gotten the chance to thank him. Camille nudged my shoulder with hers. "Looking for someone?" "No," I answered a little too quickly. She followed my gaze before turning back to me, a knowing smile spreading across her face. "Oh, I get it." I frowned. "Get what?" "The handsome stranger who was holding you like you were the last woman on earth." "Camille!" I exclaimed, feeling my cheeks warm. "What?" She widened her eyes innocently. "I saw you in his arms, Sera. And judging by the way you two were looking at each other, I clearly interrupted something." "You interrupted absolutely nothing!" "Then why are you looking for him?" "I wanted to thank him for saving me from that embarrassing fall," I explained, trying to sound casual. Camille raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so now we're thanking handsome strangers?" "Camille!" "What? I'm only asking." She glanced around the crowded street. "Besides, where did he go? He was just there a second ago." "I have no idea." I looked around one last time, but he was nowhere to be seen. "Forget it. Let's just go." "Fine." She gave me a suspicious look before turning towards my luggage. "Come on, let's get your things before you catch a cold." I followed her back to where I had left my suitcases. The rain was still pouring, and Camille had to tilt the umbrella awkwardly to keep it over both of us as she reached for the handle of my smaller suitcase. "Goodness, Seraphina. What did you pack in here? Bricks?" I laughed, taking the other suitcase from her. "A girl has to be prepared." "For what? Moving the entire contents of your house to Paris?" "Just help me with my luggage, please." She shook her head, laughing as we made our way towards the car park. A few minutes later, we reached her car. Camille unlocked it, and we hurried to put my suitcases in the trunk before climbing inside. The moment I shut the passenger door, I let out a relieved sigh. At least I was finally out of the rain. Camille started the engine and glanced at me. "Now, before you distract me with another story about how much you love the rain, tell me everything. How was your flight?" I turned towards her with a smile, ready to tell her all about it. But as she pulled away from the curb, my mind wandered back to the stranger who had caught me. His face appeared in my thoughts again, followed by the memory of his eyes holding mine. I still didn't know his name. And somehow, that bothered me more than it should have.