She didn't know what to think of River and she couldn't tell what his intentions were. He was cute; that was a fact she couldn't deny, and it was nice of him to offer her to show her the best places in Miami - even if she hadn't come to Miami to go sightseeing but for the vibe and the peace the city exuded, and his offer was unnecessary because of that.

However, he'd been nothing but kind to her since they met, even when he'd dropped the act of being a waiter and she'd seen the human side of him. The expression on his face as he awaited her answer told her that he really didn't mind guiding her around this afternoon. There didn't seem to be a dark side to him, no matter how hard she sought; it was his nature to help others, so why was she still doubting his intentions?

Because he's a stranger, that's why, she thought. The past three years should have taught her not to trust strangers.

Though, as long as he didn't get too close to her, it couldn't hurt, right? He didn't know who she was or who she was related to. He was also just fired from his job, which he couldn't have planned. Them meeting had been a coincidence and there couldn't be any danger. After all, she was the one who'd decided to go after him when she saw him and his boss arguing; she'd taken the first step. There'd been no plan, besides the plan that fate had for them.

She believed in fate, so she answered, "I'd like that."

It was then that he truly became someone else; a better, happier version of himself. None of his apologetic smiles had been quite as beautiful as the genuine one showing on his face right now, complemented by the shimmer in his eyes. She wondered why it made him so happy just to get the chance to guide her through Miami; he was just fired, so a smile would be the last thing she expected to see. But nonetheless, her eyes didn't lie and her answer had actually brought him joy.

However, he tried to hide it when he asked, "So, is there anywhere you want to go?" She could tell that he was taking his role as a guide very seriously by his gestures and his tone of voice. "The beach is right there, but there's nothing spectacular to see."

He had both his arms on his back, waiting for her answer, but not being able to see what he was doing with his hands made her nervous; what if she'd made a mistake by saying 'yes'? She could've interpreted the whole situation wrong. What if she was in danger? Her heart began beating rapidly. Was there a kitchen knife in his pocket? A blindfold, perhaps?

He could take her drag her to a van in just a few seconds, letting her vanish from the world for the second time, if she wasn't cautious enough.

"Isn't Miami famous for its beach?" she asked, keeping the shiver in her voice under control. While she'd been waiting at the airport for departure just two days ago, she'd been Googling Miami. "I can't go to Miami and not see the beach, right?"

"We're on the wrong side of Miami for the beach," he said. He pointed across the water where the silver skyscrapers were, reflecting sunlight. However, her attention fell to his hands and arms. He wasn't holding a weapon, she noticed, but his arms were muscular enough to not need one to take her down. "That's where you should be if you want to see the best beach in the world."

He was right, she saw; this beach really wasn't that spectacular. There had been a few people picnicking, but they had been the only ones and even they were leaving while the sun was still high up in the sky. These weren't the sandy white beaches and palm trees the internet had promised her.

"Then it's a good thing I had a guide to tell me that," she chuckled. She tried to laugh the fear away, but she couldn't help but feel on edge in the stranger's presence.

His smile grew even more. "That's what I'm here for." Then River started walking. "So, why are you in Miami?" he asked.

To get away from my parents and the memories, she thought with no hesitation, but she didn't want to say that out loud. She hardly knew this guy. "Just..." she began, trying to make up an excuse. "Just wanted to see something new. I've never been here before." She took a quick few steps to catch up with him. He'd already managed to get ahead of her and he was walking fast.

She felt a little guilty for immediately thinking of her parents when he asked her that question. They'd done nothing wrong to her and it wasn't all bad to live the privileged life of her parents. It had many benefits, actually. She'd never worried about money, because it had never been an issue. She could take spontaneous trips like this one to Miami and it would be no problem - though her parents hadn't been so happy this time. She'd vanished for three years and now that she'd finally returned, she'd decided to leave for Miami.

But she really needed this break, so she went anyway. Here, she was finally relieved of the heavy weight on her shoulders and it felt like she could breathe again.

"There were other places you could go," he said, his eyes sparkling teasingly. "At least, I assume you haven't visited every city in this country."

She blushed a little as if he'd caught her making up a lie. She hated lying, but she couldn't tell the truth yet. The reason she left San Francisco was part of a much bigger story that she wasn't ready to tell. She hadn't told anyone the full truth of what happened in those three years yet.

"It was the plane that left the earliest and was the farthest from home," she said, trying to laugh another lie off, but it felt wrong to hide the truth from this guy that had been nothing but kind to her.

He laughed too, much to her relief. He didn't think anything of it. "At least you're honest," he said.

Oh, how wrong he was.

"Is there any reason you wanted to get away from home?" he then asked. Bull's eye. That was the one question she didn't want to answer.

"Not really." She shrugged her shoulders and smiled again. She desperately wished he'd think of another topic to talk about, because she didn't like where this conversation was going.

"So, it was just a spontaneous decision?" he asked.

She nodded. Another lie.

"An adventurous type, I like it," he said.

She felt her cheeks redden again. 'I like it.'

He soon realized the words he'd said too, because he corrected himself. "Not like that! Just... I'm like that too sometimes. Life is always planned and thought through a million times, which is so boring. I like surprising myself and doing the unexpected."

With that, he'd given the perfect description of the life with her parents, she realized. Her parents had planned her entire future for her and although the past three years had put a dent in that plan, they weren't about to give up their dreams for her just yet. The only problem was that they'd never thought to ask her what she wanted.

She just smiled a small smile. She couldn't tell him how right he actually was.

"So, you're from here?" she then asked. It was hard to ignore how awkward the situation was. Because they didn't know each other, it was a challenge to keep the conversation going, but at least she had managed to dodge any more questions he could've asked about why she was here.

"Yes, I live here," he said. "I've lived here all my life."

"Must be nice," she said, looking out into the distance. Even in February, the ocean was clear blue and the sun was high up in the sky in Miami.

"You get used to it after a while," he said. "I hardly ever go anywhere else and I've seen this city so many times."

"Would you want to visit any other cities?" she asked.

His face lightened up for a moment, the thought of traveling making him happy. She noticed the small change in his facial expression, but it disappeared quickly. She wondered why; didn't he allow himself to dream?

"Yes, I'd love to," he said, but his smile had faded.

"Where would you want to go?" she asked. At the same time, she questioned if she wasn't pushing it too far, like she'd felt when River had started asking her questions about her reason for going to Miami.

"New York, probably," he said. "And Hawaii and Las Vegas..."

"And outside the States?"

She tried to look him in the eyes, but he seemed to have left this universe, lost in his own imagination. "Italy..." he said. "I've always wanted to go to Italy."

* * *

With that, we're already at chapter three! Don't worry, it's about to get really exciting soon... Have you ever been to Italy?

Don't forget to vote and comment!