Myra and I sat at the kitchen table, waiting for the water to boil.
“So, what are you doing’ this weekend?” I asked.
“Oh, my mom wants me and Zoey to stay with her the entire weekend. Bake, watch old movies, stuff like that. You should come.”
“It sounds like a family affair,” I said, pouring hot water into the mugs.
“She is convinced that you’re her third daughter, just born to different parents. She’d love to have you.”
“Where’s your dad?”
“Football with his high school buddies. It’s at Uncle Steve’s house in Florida this year.”
“I don’t know. I’ll think about it.”
“So how was the drive home with Mr. Hottie?” she asked, sipping her tea.
“Fine.” I was expecting that question, but still unprepared for it.
“Fine? Well, that’s boring. Give me details. I suspect something good happened. He was determined to drive you home.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You two were doing something in the driveway, weren’t you?” She put her tea down and glared at me suspiciously. “He kissed you, didn’t he?” She had already started excitedly bouncing in her chair.
I didn’t want to answer that question. Luckily, my sister walked in, providing a nice distraction. “Hey, what’s up, sis?”
“Hi, girls. Not much. I’ve been out looking for a job.”
“How’s that going?” Myra asked.
Shannon exhaled. “Not well. I can’t find anyone hiring.”
“That’s weird,” I observed.
“How was work for you two?” Shannon asked, kicking off her shoes.
“Good. It was busy as usual. I’ve started training to be a bartender,” I offered.
“Bartender? How exciting.”
“It isn’t that exciting,” I replied.
“What were you two talking about?”
Myra grinned widely. She wanted to spill all about Demien. I didn’t want twenty questions from my sister, so I kicked Myra under the table.
“Ouch! Why did you do that?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to,” I lied and gave her a scowl which all but said shut up! “Myra’s weekend plans. She’s going to her mom’s to have a girls’ weekend.”
“That will be fun. Is Zoey coming back into town?” Shannon went to the cupboard and pulled down a mug. After pouring hot water into the mug, she joined us at the table.
“Yea, she is. I can’t wait to see her. I haven’t seen her since last Christmas.” Myra’s eyes lit up.
“Oh, I hope to see her.” Shannon and Zoey were close growing up. Our families did everything together, so it was only natural for everyone to be besties.
Twenty-Two
“I am so sorry, Zanj.” Demien’s eyes were full of sorrow and heartbreak.
“Sorry for what?” I asked, baffled.
“I suspected for a long time but couldn't be sure until it was too late. I’m so sorry.”
“I still don’t understand. What are you sorry for?”
“By the time I knew for sure, it was too late. I tried to stop this.” His eyes were burning with guilt and regret.
“You tried to stop what?”
He ignored my questions and continued with the story. “I’ve been looking for you for a long time.” Demien dryly chuckled. His eyes turned deadly serious eyes. “We are soul mates.”
“What? Are you insane?”
Demien’s eyes intensified into a black orb with dark violet specks. A lump of fear caught in my throat, causing me to choke a little as my breath hitched. “I wish I were.”
“You are really beginning to irritate me.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
Ignoring me, he continued. “At first, I didn’t realize you are Angel, or as I call you, Zanj. I wasn’t able to gain undeniable conformation, which is what I had been searching for since I laid eyes on you.”
I stared at him, frozen. What kind of crap was he trying to feed me? I knew guys say some stupid things trying to get into a girl’s pants, but this was beyond the line.
He continued as I stared with my jaw dropped. “You were the Archangel of Justice. You are my soulmate.” His breathing was shallow; his eyes were lost somewhere far away. “We were separated a long time ago when you were born to a family here on earth. I came to earth to find you. Archangel Michael told me I would never find you, but I didn’t want to believe him. I couldn’t believe him. I couldn’t lose you. I stayed a human lifetime but came up empty handed. I decided to go back to heaven and meet you there. When I went back to heaven, the avenging angels greeted me at the entrance. Apparently, even though I was a high-ranking Archangel, I still couldn’t go to earth without permission. They ripped my wings out, per se, and cast me down to earth. Archangels could usually do whatever they pleased.” His expression was lost in memory. He let out a quiet half chuckle. “We used to go to earth all the time to console the hurting, protect humans, things like that. Apparently, being summoned by a human is okay. That was considered ‘permissible’ to leave.” He scratched his forehead with his thumbnail.
As I listened to his insane babbling, I couldn’t help but wonder if it were possible. I had an unexplainable attraction to him. No; it was more than that. It was a pull, like a gravitational pull. I could feel the irrational, maddening connection since I laid eyes on him. If I were being truthful to myself, I would admit that I had felt the same pull in my dreams my entire life. My soul confirmed the truth behind his words. My brain was a different matter. This all sounded so crazy. I couldn’t allow myself to believe any of it.
“You don’t believe me. That’s understandable.”
“Would you believe it, if you were me?” The truth was I did believe him. The
