Date with Destiny Collection: Angel Romance Series: Books 1 - 4 Page 4

  He followed Eve to her car then asked for her address just in case they got separated. “I’ll meet you there,” he said, waving goodbye as he rushed to his own vehicle.

  They joined the throng of students trying to exit the parking lot, and a few minutes later Eve pulled into an apartment complex. The building’s facade was old but well-maintained, and large trees shaded the cars. Zeph was surprised; he had assumed she lived in a house.

  “How long have you lived here?” he asked, joining her on the sidewalk.

  “Since I was seven. We moved after my dad died. My mom couldn’t afford our old house on her own. It was a money pit, anyway; something was always going wrong. Plus, she couldn’t really handle all the maintenance with three young kids.”

  “Do you mind if I ask how your dad died?” Celestia weren’t immortal; they lived about as long as humans, but their bodies did seem to be more resilient to sickness and disease. If they weren’t mortally injured, most of them lived to a ripe, old age.

  “It’s okay. It was a long time ago. He had cancer.”

  Zeph wrinkled his nose in confusion. He’d never heard of a Celestia with cancer.

  Eve unlocked the door to her apartment and led him in to the bright, warm space. The walls were white, but bold artwork decorated them, and the detritus of family life dotted the rest of the room with color. A collection of shoes littered the entryway, books cluttered the end tables, and the couch was strewn with a variety of patterned throw pillows. Zeph immediately felt at home.

  “Sorry it’s kind of a mess.” Eve kicked toys out of their path. “It’s hard to keep up with the tornado of younger brothers.”

  Just then, the offending siblings came racing out of the kitchen and would’ve crashed into Eve if the sight of Zeph hadn’t brought them to a halt.

  “Who’s he?” they parroted, sporting identical looks of confusion. One was a few inches taller, but otherwise they were practically twins. Their dark blond hair hung shaggy over their ears, and they wore matching milk mustaches on their round faces.

  “This is my friend, Zeph. Zeph, these are my brothers, Alex and Andy.” Zeph offered a limp wave as Eve’s brothers gave him a once over.

  The older one squinted his eyes and scrunched his lips. “Does mom know about this?”

  “Yes, now scram before you scare off my company with your freakishness!” Eve bugged out her eyes and shooed them away.

  The boys rolled their eyes but made their way down the hall to their room, turning back only once to peek at their sister and her new friend.

  “Want a snack?” Eve asked, heading towards the kitchen. A smattering of crumbs, an empty cookie package, and two milk-stained glasses were left behind on the island, and Eve mindlessly cleaned them up before digging in the fridge. She pulled out a bag of grapes and held them up for Zeph’s approval.

  “Sure.” Zeph snagged a couple from the bag.

  Eve led the way to her room and Zeph trailed behind, stopping to glance at the family picture above the mantle. A button-nosed, pig-tailed Eve stood between two adults, her arms around her toddler brothers.

  “Those are your parents?” Zeph stared at the happy-looking family. The man looked like a grown-up version of Eve’s brothers with the same dark blond hair and round face. Eve’s mother shared her pale skin and green eyes, but her auburn hair held only a hint of Eve’s fiery shade.

  “Yep, Steven and Julie Jones.”

  Zeph halted at the names. Neither one was Celestia. He was more confused than ever. How could Eve possibly be Celestia if neither of her parents were? She obviously wasn’t adopted; she looked too much like her mother to belong to anyone else. But Eve’s aura couldn’t be denied. She put off the exact same glow as every other Celestia Zeph knew.

  Eve resumed her walk towards the bedroom, and Zeph followed, even more determined to learn her secrets.

  Eve’s bedroom was exactly as Zeph might have expected, if he had given it any thought. Pretty and girly, with everything tidy and organized. Floral curtains draped the window, and a matching comforter was pulled tight across her bed. Mathlete trophies lined one shelf of her bookcase, and the rest were filled with books perfectly aligned according to size. There weren’t any posters of boy band members or Disney teen stars like in Zeph’s sister’s room, instead framed watercolor lithographs decorated the pale walls.

  “I take it the twin tornadoes aren’t allowed in here?”

  “Completely off limits. This is my sanctuary.” She spread her arms and turned in a circle.

  “It looks just like you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s really pretty.” Zeph gave a shy smile then dropped his gaze to the floor.

  Eve tilted her head and stared at him until he lifted his eyes, then her own skittered away. “Thanks,” she said softly.

  The compliment caressed her like a thousand butterfly wings. She’d been told she was pretty before, but never by a boy. “Um, do you have any homework? I usually do mine right away.”

  “Yeah. I have some Spanish homework.” Zeph dropped his book bag and dug inside. He wasn’t sure if he was glad she had changed the subject or not. He couldn’t believe he’d actually said that out loud. Normally his mouth was stuffed with cotton when he even thought about talking to girls.

  “Me too! I didn’t know you took Spanish. Señorita Santino is great, isn’t she?”

  “I guess.” Amora Sophia had a soft spot for him as a double Divisa, but he just couldn’t bring himself to like her. He’d spent his whole life in her shadow, not living up to his potential. It definitely took some effort not to be swayed by her charisma, though. Love and wisdom? Talk about your ultimate combo. She was practically perfect. Zeph’s stomach roiled with jealousy every time he thought about her and her stupid double gifting.

  “You don’t like her?” Eve tugged her books out of her bag and folded herself down to the floor, Indian style, careful to pull the hem of her dress over her knees.

  “No, it’s not that. It’s just… she almost too perfect, don’t you think?” Zeph copied Eve’s position, his knee accidentally touching hers when he crossed his legs. He almost jerked it away in embarrassment, but Eve didn’t seem to mind it there so he left it, enjoying the tiny contact.

  “She’s always seemed sincere to me.” In fact, Señorita Santino was one of the special people, Eve thought. The ones that seemed to glow with an other-worldly goodness. Like Zeph.

  Zeph shrugged. “At least her homework is usually easy. Did you get this same worksheet?”

  Eve nodded. “What did you get for number one?”

  Zeph scooted a little closer so they could compare papers. With their heads together, Zeph could smell a tiny hint of perfume. Something sweet and fresh, just like her. Did she wear so little so he’d be tempted to move in close? It probably just wore off throughout the day, he argued with himself. He seriously doubted she had planned to seduce him with her perfume. Still, he breathed in deeply, trying to catch another whiff.

  When she turned to look at him, they were close enough to kiss, and Zeph noticed Eve’s eyes dilate as she glanced at his lips. She blushed and dropped her head, tucking her hair behind her ear and smoothing her dress.

  “I like your dress.” Zeph thought it was nice to see a girl dressing, well, girly. Most of the girls wore tee shirts and jeans, which didn’t look bad, but Eve’s wardrobe made her stand out like a flower patch in a garden of weeds. His sister dressed nicely, too, but she was so stylish it was almost intimidating. Eve was approachable, despite her beauty.

  “Thanks. I like dresses. They distract from my personality. You dress really nicely, too.” Eve fingered his plaid, Ralph Lauren oxford.

  “Oh, that’s my sister; she picks out all my clothes. I think she’s trying to make me less of an embarrassment.” Zeph dismissed the compliment with a wave. “But what do you mean about your personality?”

  “Well, you know, I’m in the science club and the Mathletes. I’m kinda geeky.”


  Zeph just shook his head. “I don’t think so.” She was the poster girl for smart is sexy.

  Before Eve could respond, the house phone rang, and they could hear Eve’s brothers tumbling over each other as they raced to answer it. A few moments later they were pounding on her door.

  “What is it?” Eve called.

  Alex stuck his head in the door, and Andy poked his in beneath it. “Mom said she’s running late, and she wants you to start dinner.”

  “Okay, I will in a minute.”

  “What are we having?” Andy squeaked.

  “Whatever’s on the menu, doofus. You know where it’s at.” Alex shoved his brother away from the door. The two wrestled each other back to their room, thumps and squeals echoing down the hallway.

  “Sorry. It won’t take too long. You can hang out with me in the kitchen if you want, or you can stay in here.”

  “Can I help?”

  “Sure, if you want to. Do you like to cook?”

  “I don’t know, I’ve never tried. I mean, other than microwaving. My mom does all the cooking. She’s trying to teach my sister, but Risse isn’t too interested. She always gets distracted by her reflection in the appliances and has to go touch up her makeup.”

  Eve laughed — a light, bubbly giggle that tickled Zeph’s insides.

  “So, what is on the menu?” Zeph asked as he followed Eve to the kitchen.

  Eve pointed to the calendar hanging on the fridge. “Yum, chicken Parmesan, my favorite. Does that sound okay to you?”

  Zeph’s eyes bulged. “You know how to make chicken Parmesan?”

  “Sure.” Eve chuckled. “It’s not that hard. Do you want to learn?”

  “I seriously doubt I’m capable of making anything more complicated than a grilled cheese sandwich, but I’m willing to try.”

  Eve pulled the chicken and cheese from the fridge then grabbed some sauce and breadcrumbs from the pantry. “I hope you don’t mind Ragù; we don’t usually bother to make our own sauce.”

  Zeph shook his head and watched in fascination as she flitted around the kitchen — turning on the oven, heating a skillet, and pulling spices from the cupboard. Within moments she had Zeph breading chicken pieces in a concoction of spices she had whipped up like a magic potion right in front of his eyes.

  “Now we just need to brown the crust.” Eve gently lowered a chicken breast into the sizzling pan.

  “So, when did you learn to cook?”

  Eve struggled for a few seconds with the lid on the jar of spaghetti sauce before handing it to Zeph. “I don’t know; I guess I just picked it up through the years, watching and helping my mom. When my dad died, she had to do everything, so I tried to help her as much as I could.”

  Zeph took the jar and twisted with all his might, praying he was strong enough to open it. He didn’t want to look like a wimp in front of Eve. With a loud pop, the jar opened, and Zeph breathed a sigh of relief as he poured the sauce into the waiting pan.

  “Do you do a lot of the cooking, then?”

  “A couple times a week. I’m better at the planning, though, so usually I make the menu and she does the cooking. The boys get to do the dishes.” Eve smirked.

  “You look like you know what you’re doing to me.” Zeph gently stirred the sauce while Eve flipped the chicken.

  “Cooking is a lot like math. The recipe is just a formula. If you follow all the steps in the right order, you’re pretty much guaranteed success. I’m not very creative; I don’t come up with recipes on my own, but it’s easy to follow someone else’s.”

  Zeph nodded, impressed with her logic. Who was he kidding? Everything about Eve impressed him.

  Eve spread a little spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish before adding the chicken. She poured on the rest of the sauce then sprinkled a generous layer of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top. Wrapping the pan in foil, she popped it in the oven and brushed off her hands.

  "Now we just have to let it bake! It’s my turn to choose the vegetable, but I’ll let you decide. What do you like?”

  “Umm, green beans?"

  “Coming right up!” Eve grabbed a bag from the freezer and put them on to steam. “Garlic bread?”

  Zeph nodded vigorously, and Eve plucked a loaf from the freezer.

  “So what do you think? Not too hard, huh? Are you gonna try it on your own sometime?”

  Zeph chuckled. “I don’t know about that, but it wasn’t as complicated as I imagined. You made it look easy, but I’m not sure I would be quite as successful on my own.”

  “Well, I could come over and help you.” Eve dropped her gaze to the floor as she tugged on her hair.

  “I might take you up on that.” Zeph beamed. He must be doing okay if she was interested in hanging out again, he thought hopefully.

  “So what kind of chores do you do at home?”

  “Take out the trash? My mom stays home, so I guess she does almost everything. I have to clean my room, but I’ve never done a very good job of it, so I think she’s given up on it ever being acceptable.” Zeph smirked.

  “What about your dad? What does he do for a living?” Eve started grabbing plates and silverware from the cupboards.

  “He’s the chief of police.” Zeph took the utensils from her and followed behind, placing them beside the plates as she laid them down around the table.

  “Oh, wow. I probably should have known that. I guess I don’t pay enough attention to the local news.”

  “It’s okay.” Zeph smiled. “It’s actually kind of refreshing to be anonymous. My dad is sort of a big deal in our… community, and I never quite live up to their expectations. It’s hard to live in his shadow.”

  “That must be tough. You think your parents are disappointed in you?”

  “Definitely. I mean, I know they love me, but I was supposed to be the golden boy, and instead I’m mediocre at best. Maybe I can impress them with your chicken Parmesan recipe.” Zeph grinned.

  “I don’t know why I’m telling you this, you probably think I’m a loser now, too.” He rubbed his hands over his eyes then ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh.

  “I think I’ll reserve judgement till I get to know you a little better, but I like you so far.” Eve smiled, brushing her hand across his.

  “You’re not a criminal, are you? A drug addict? Do you cheat at school or steal candy from little kids?” Eve teased.

  Zeph laughed and shook his head.

  “So what’s there to be disappointed about?”

  “Well, when you put it that way…”

  “You’re practically an angel!”

  Zeph startled at the description. Was she hinting that she knew what he was? He was almost positive she was a Divisa, but he was equally sure she didn’t know it. He didn’t want to freak her out before he got a chance to know her. She wasn’t looking at him expectantly, waiting for a revelation, so he let the moment pass, hopeful he’d get another opportunity later.

  Just then, Eve’s mother arrived, and she smiled to see her daughter looking so happy. “Hi honey.” Julie gave Eve a peck on the cheek.

  “Is this your new friend?” She mentally congratulated herself on not embarrassing her daughter by winking, even though she wanted to.

  “Yeah, this is Zephaniah Arella. Zeph, this is my mom, Julie.”

  “Hi Mrs. Jones.” Zeph held out a hand, and Julie took it, pleased with his manners.

  “Supper’s almost ready.” Eve pulled the foil from the pan to check on the chicken. The scent of garlic and oregano bloomed from the oven. She put it back in uncovered to broil the cheese.

  “It smells great, sweetheart. Thank you for doing that.”

  “Zeph helped.”

  “That’s great! It’s nice when a man is not afraid of the kitchen.”

  Zeph and Eve exchanged a look and a chuckle.

  “Should I call your brothers?” Julie asked.

  “Yeah, I’ll start plating.”

  A few minutes later, Eve’s
family took their places around the table, and Eve directed Zeph to the seat next to her.

  Zeph was surprised when the family began eating without saying grace, but then he remembered that Eve had said her family wasn’t religious. He could tell right away that Julie wasn’t Celestia. Had Eve’s father been? His curiosity was overwhelming.

  Julie chatted with the boys about their day while Zeph enjoyed his chicken Parmesan. He couldn’t believe how good it tasted. The cheese melted on his tongue and mingled with the spicy sauce as he chewed the tender pieces of chicken.

  “This is really great, Eve. You’re amazing.”

  “Thanks.” Eve blushed and pushed her food around on her plate.

  “So, are you my sister’s boyfriend?” Andy blurted around a mouthful of green beans. Zeph choked a little before turning to look at Eve. The boys elbowed each other and chuckled.

  “I think he wants to be!” Alex agreed.

  “Boys, mind your own business!” Julie scolded. “Never mind them, Zephaniah. They clearly have no manners! Why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself?”

  Zeph cast another glance at Eve who nodded encouragingly. “Um, I’m a senior. I have a sister who’s two years younger than me. Um, what else do you want to know?”

  “What do you like to do for fun? Do you play sports? Are you in any clubs?” Julie asked, but Eve was just as interested in the answers. She really didn’t know that much about him yet.

  “I do a little of everything, I guess. I played football and basketball last year. I play a little guitar.”

  “Do you like video games?” Alex held his garlic bread like a game controller and pressed the imaginary buttons. “I bet I could beat you at Call of Duty!”

  Zeph chuckled. “You probably could. I’ve played some, but I’m not that great.”

  “Do you know karate?” Andy asked. “I’m a green belt!”

  Zeph shook his head. “I tried Tae Kwon Do when I was a kid, but I didn’t get that far. You could probably beat me, too,” Zeph teased.

  “May we be excused, Mom?” Eve asked, sensing Zeph’s discomfort.