Chapter 1

United Kingdom  

A girl was packing her stuff while munching a granola bar. Her music system was playing the song "Bird Set Free" and she was also singing a few lines with that whenever her mouth was getting empty in between her munching. 

"Books... Books... Books...." Checked

"Clothes.." Checked 

"Documents....." Checked 

She reminded herself and lifted her invisible collar to praise herself only. 

"So, are you done with your stuff?" 

She heard a voice behind her while looking for a few more things to pack. 

Her roommate barged in with a few gift bags in her hands and a warm smile. 

"Hailey......... Where have you been since this morning." She slapped her best friend cum roommate's arm.

"Bingo... I was out to buy your gifts. Come on Iris, you are leaving for your home after such a long time. I should stuff you with so many things." 

Hailey couldn't stop herself from throwing herself at her best friend Iris. Even though she would miss Iris after completing high school but seeing Iris glowing after deciding on visiting her parents, she was more than happy. 

"Honey, that's why I love you so much." Iris giggled showing her a pouty cute face.

"Huh. More than David?" Hailey asked, raising one of her brows. She knew Iris would lose the game immediately but all she wanted to do was to irritate her cute best friend. 

"Bitch....." Iris glared playfully.

"Look. Now the real bitch comes out from the shade of pink cotton candy." Hailey nodded her head making a sorry face. 

"You know it, Hailey." Iris blushed just with the mere thought of David. She couldn't hide her pink cheeks anymore 

"Well well. What? I don't know anything. Except for that one incident. Like in the dark under the moon..... You ....David....." Hailey faked remembering the scene while stroking her fingers on her forehead. 

"Shut up..... It was just a kiss." Iris threw a pillow on Hailey who somehow managed to dodge it. 

"Yeah.... today...Kiss......next day sex.......then babies....."

"Hailey, stop it....." Iris ran towards Hailey when she jumped on her bed to avoid getting beaten up. 

But Iris wasn't a girl to let go of things so easily. She tackled her down and very nicely beat the shit out of her with the pillows. For the next few minutes, the room was filled with laughter, smiles, giggles, and many more. 

"So, are you planning to tell your dad about David?" 

"Yes. He is everything I have. The only family member." Iris felt a small pang of pain inside her mind. She was hardly five years old when she lost her mother and since then her father was the only family member she had. There was none apart from him until she met Hailey and David. They became her family and two major support systems apart from her father. 

She was sent to the UK after her mother's death. Since then only her father has visited her twice or thrice each year. She knew he missed her like anything but he never allowed her to come back to Seattle after her mother passed away. Since then she has completed her study in the UK itself. Hailey's parents treated her well too. They used to call them up on weekends and eventually they grew a nice bond altogether. Time passed and she turned eighteen two months back. Even though her father promised to meet her on her birthday, he didn't show up. 

That was the first time that her father didn't keep his word. He always found time to pay her a visit to the UK, especially on her birthday. Being a little worried She kept on calling her father's number but no one picked up. Panic-stricken Hailey started crying thinking something bad had happened with her father. 

When she called him up again after some hours, her cell phone was answered by someone else and she was told that her father was in the hospital. At first, she felt like her world crashed down. After her mother's death, the only bloodline she had was her father. No way she could lose him. Listening to her cries the man on the opposite side explained the matter to her. It looked like her father's car got into a small accident and he ended up in a hospital. He was fit and fine with a few scratches and one hairline fracture. The doctor suggested bed rest so he didn't fly to the UK. Her father started apologizing for not meeting but she kept on scolding her for being reckless while driving. The father-daughter duo ended up laughing together over the call. They couldn't just be angry with each other for a longer period.

Knowing that her father won't let her come easily to Seattle, she decided to surprise him by meeting him suddenly. 

Her high school ended up giving her a vacation to decide on further studies too. Even Hailey was also telling her to visit her dad for once before settling down in the UK. And that was another reason she wanted to talk about David with her father. 

There was always a question going on about her father's decision to send her to the UK. He always tried to keep her away from Seattle and that was something that was eating her peace of mind. Even though she had never questioned her father, this time she decided to know exactly the reason behind it. 

The moment her father told her to settle in the UK, her suspicion rose ten folds. Who would want his daughter away from his hometown? She needed a few answers before following her father's decision.

It was not a big deal to get admission to college here but what Iris wanted at that moment was at least some warmth from her father. She misses him like anything since she had lost her mother. With the ongoing distance, she was not ready to increase it further.

David was born in Spain and brought up in the UK. He was the high school football captain. Like all sorts of romantic stories, she had also a long list of admirers and well-wishers She never thought that the high school heartthrob would take interest in her. And that happened. When she thought of her first encounter with David, even after a year she still blushed as usual. With him, everything felt like a dream and they were eagerly waiting to make it real. 

Hailey was always skeptical about other boys but when she found David falling head over heels for Iris she couldn't help but push Iris more into his embrace. Being best friends with Iris she was always interested in choosing the best for Iris. 

Iris was thinking all such things when Hailey hit her with the pillow while lying on the bed. 

"I am going to miss you." Hailey pouted like a kid.

"Me too. But I seriously wanted to visit my hometown. It has been 13 long years since I haven't seen my house or my area." 

Iris tried to remember while searching through her childhood memories. They were not fully clouded, yet not clear enough to portray perfectly. 

"I miss the woods that were just a few miles away from my house. I miss the chilly weather and hot summer camps." Iris added, closing her eyes to remember something. Those happy moments with her mother. 

She was more like a fairy to her. Whenever she used to get hurt by falling or something, her mother used to rub her hands and the pain used to subdued. She used to call it magic but her mother mentioned that as her love that could protect her from any evil forces. 

Thinking about her mother a lone tear escaped her eyes. Hailey turned her face and found a few drops on her best friend's flushed cheeks. 

"Hey..... Missing your mom?" She knew Iris would only cry when she would miss her dad or mom. Else she was the strongest among them. 

"Yeah..." Iris wiped her tears and gave a small nod to Hailey.

"There is a surprise for you," Hailey said, pulling Iris in a bone-crushing hug. 

"And what is that?" Iris laughed a little, breaking the hug.

"Dumbo. If I tell you how would the surprise remain?" 

Time passed Iris kept her stuff ready before leaving the room. Hailey double-checked everything and shut the door behind them after coming out of their room.

"Let's go.." Hailey grabbed one of Iris's bags and helped her to get downstairs. Iris wasn't aware of the situation downstairs. The moment she came out of her apartment she saw a car standing in front and there were a huge number of balloons floating around the car. A small red carpet was placed just from the gate of her apartment towards the car. Even though it was just a few feet, the preparation looked more like a red carpet ceremony. 

"Surprise." Hailey's sudden outburst startled Iris when she turned her face and saw Hailey standing with a party popper. 

"Hailey...." Iris couldn't complete her sentences when she heard a similar voice behind her calling out her name.

Slowly she turned her face only to find David kneeling in front of her extending his hand toward her. He was holding a small ring box making it look like a movie clip taken from a romantic movie. 

"David..." Iris exclaimed seeing him in such a position. She couldn't help but go forward to hold his hand without thinking anything else.

"Iris... Will you marry me?" 

He didn't stutter, he didn't flinch, he didn't even look underconfident rather he made it clear for Iris to believe.

"David...." Iris was taken aback, she couldn't understand what was happening. Everything felt like a dream at that time and she lost her further words. 

"Come on Iris. Say it...." Hailey yelled from her back when she got her senses back. 

Pulling David to his feet she wrapped her arms around him tightly and spoke with the same intensity.

"Of course, I would David." She knew there was no question about that. Of course, she would marry him no matter what. 

"Will you be mine forever?" David spoke near her ear, making her shiver with excitement a bit. 

"Yours, always." She replied, inhaling the strong cologne of David. 

David broke the hug and grabbed her hand gently. Brushing his fingers on her soft skin he pulled her ring finger out to slide the ring he had bought just for her. 

"For you...." He whispered while sliding the ring on her finger. Iris looked at the white diamond closely and brought it near her lips to kiss it. 

"I..... .. have...." She stopped in the middle as David's surprise was sudden and she had no ring to give him.

"It's ok." Sensing her uneasiness David assured her not to worry. But soon she remembered something. Searching in her backpack she found a small wristband that was carved with her name in cursive. Her family members knew how to make such bands and she had one also. It had a specialty. They said as long as the band was with her no one would harm her. She slid the band on David's wrist telling him that it would always protect him. 

"And what about your protection?" David couldn't help but ask about hearing the story behind the band.

"You are there to protect me, right? David, you are my protector from today." Iris blushed while saying so and David hugged her again. This time Hailey joined her too and they all promised to meet soon.

Iris broke the hug even though she was greedy to stay in David's arms. They had to leave for the airport to catch the flight. Already they were late with all such surprises. She hopped inside the car with David and Hailey when they noticed big grey clouds start covering the sky. The piercing silver lightning slashed open the sky like a ruthless beast. The harsh wind started blowing and the clouds started gulping the daylight wrapping the surroundings with a blanket of darkness. 

"What a sudden change in weather. Damn it." Hailey cursed while instructing David to drive faster before the rain started heavily.

"Yeah. What sort of welcome is this for me?" Iris couldn't finish her words when the roar of the thunder made them flinch.

"Damn it... Seems like a wolf is growling." David spoke while putting his car in first gear after igniting the engine.