Eternal Starling (Emblem of Eternity Trilogy) (6 page)

As we danced, I couldn’t help but wonder what was happening to me. In a matter of hours, my feelings for Alex had shifted from controlled dislike to romantic interest. I’m usually a very rational person. I’m not spontaneous and I always over-analyze every decision I make. But I couldn’t deny how comfortable I felt in Alex’s arms—happy, absolutely content. Almost like I was supposed to be there.

We stood holding each other for what felt like only a few minutes, but the changing songs alerted me that it was probably longer than that. The heat on my back hadn’t dissipated and I was lost in the euphoria of the moment: a touch, a dance, more intimate than any kiss I’d ever had. Too soon, before I was ready to stop, Alex whispered in my ear.

“Evie, it’s late. I should probably get you home.”

I sighed again, only this time in resignation. “What if I don’t want to leave?”

Alex’s mouth slid into a smile. “I don’t want you to leave either,” he said, “but I don’t want to mess this up.”

I couldn’t really argue with that, I knew moving too fast could ruin a relationship. I took a moment to realize I had just thought about us in a relationship. Did Alex think we were in a relationship too?

Alex held my hand, the electricity even stronger now. I walked next to him as we glided down the beautiful stairway. He guided me into the kitchen, complete with top of the line stainless steel appliances and black marble countertops. He opened a cabinet and grabbed a set of keys. We walked out the back door through the maze of trees dangling with crystals, still shimmering, this time from the light of the moon and stars instead of candles.

Alex’s familiar Audi was parked outside the massive garage. He held the door open for me as I got in. Alex moved to the driver’s side and started the car. Getting home didn’t take nearly as long as getting to Alex’s house in the carriage—which was disappointing after what had turned out to be such a great night. I had never met a person I wanted to talk to this much. I wanted to know everything about him from his favorite foods to his most embarrassing moments. I would have gladly stayed up with him, talking all night and into the next day.

We pulled up to my house. Alex turned the engine off and got out of the car. I already had my door open and was halfway out of the seat when I saw Alex standing in front of me.

“Evie,” Alex said, disapproval on his face.

I stood up, confused at his expression. “Yeah?”

“You didn’t let me open your door for you.”

I started to laugh. “Is acting helpless some sort of requirement for being around you?”

“It’s not being helpless,” he said. “It’s chivalry.”

I smiled as sweetly as I could. “I can open my own doors.”

“It’s not a question of whether you can open your door. It’s a matter of being a gentleman.”

I gave him an assessing gaze. “You know, history major, there was this whole idea in the 1960s called the women’s movement. You should look into that.”

Alex frowned like I should know better. “It has nothing to do with your independence, and everything to do with how well I treat you and how special I want you to know you are to me.”

I considered that, realizing I wasn’t going to win this argument, at least not tonight. “I guess I can see your point.”

A hint of victory flashed through his smile. “So, you’ll let me open your doors from now on?”

My eyebrows puckered. “If I remember, fine.”

“I won’t let you forget.”

“But,” I added, “only if I can get the door for you sometimes too.”

Alex seemed caught off-guard, and laughed. “Sounds good.”

I grabbed my purse, ready to go in the house. Alex took my hand unexpectedly and it was like a lightning bolt shot through me again and my birthmark flared with heat. He walked me to the porch, taking my keys from me. As I waited for Alex to unlock the door, I saw a shadow move in the front yard. It ran from a tree to the side of my house near some bushes. Maybe it was a trick of the light, but it startled me. Alex noticed. “What’s wrong?”

I leaned to look around him. “I thought I saw a shadow by the side of the house. It disappeared into the bushes.”

I stepped away and tried to move past him to investigate what I’d seen, but Alex, who had opened the door, pushed my shoulders back until I was standing in the house. “Stay here,” he ordered, shutting the screen door.

I watched Alex walk quietly down the front steps and onto the lawn. I opened the door slowly and followed him. He was combing through the sweet-scented rose bushes and square-trimmed boxwood shrubs that separated my house from the neighbor’s when I came up behind him. “Find anything?” I asked.

Alex tensed and turned around. “I know I told you to stay inside.”

“I don’t like being told what to do,” I said. “You should probably learn that about me.”

“I’ve known it for a while. But I keep hoping one of these times you’ll listen.” He moved more boxwood branches and turned back to me. “I’m not sure what you saw, but it seems to be gone now. I’ll check the backyard before I leave.”

I shrugged. “It was probably just a stray dog.” Alex’s eyes continued to dart around the yard and I could tell he was still concerned. “Or maybe it was some kind of monster,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Alex stared at me. “I’m sure you’re right.” He seemed lost in thought and took my hand. “Let’s get you inside.”

Chapter 4

The next week, I was sitting at the table trying to think of a clever Facebook status update when I heard a knock at the door. I got up to answer it and saw Alex on the other side holding a red petunia he’d picked from the flower garden in my yard.

“Hey.” He smiled as he walked into the house and handed me the flower.

“Hey, yourself,” I said. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

He turned his attention to some photos of me and Jasmine hanging on the wall. “I could go outside and call first if you want.”

I laughed. “That’s okay. Do you want to sit?” I asked, motioning to the couches.

Alex walked past the love seat and settled into the couch. I was about to sit next to him when the phone rang. I had a feeling I knew who it was. I’d replied to an email from my mom earlier and mentioned a guy I’d been seeing. I was sure she was calling for details.

“That was quick,” I muttered as I got up. I wondered how long my mom had been waiting at the computer for my email response.

A crease formed between Alex’s eyebrows. “What was quick?”

“Nothing,” I answered. I was dreading having to deflect Mom’s questions while Alex was with me.

I kept my eyes on Alex as I picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“Evie?” The voice on the other end wasn’t my mom, it was Jasmine. I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Hey, Jas! What’s going on?”

“Zach and I are going to the pizzeria for dinner tonight. Do you want to come? You could call Alex and meet us there.”

“Actually, Alex just got here. Let me see if we have plans.”

I put my hand over the receiver. “Do you want to go to dinner with Jas and Zach tonight?” I asked.

Alex perked up, interested. “Sure.”

I got back on the phone. “That sounds great. When do you want to go?”

“We could meet there in about thirty minutes?”

“Thirty minutes?” I glanced at Alex. He nodded. “That works for us.”

“Yay!” Jas said, “A double date; I’m so excited! See you soon!”

After I put the phone back on the hook, I sat down next to Alex. He reached for my hand and I smiled. I was glad our relationship had progressed enough that he felt comfortable touching me.

“It will be nice to spend some time with your friends,” Alex said. He had met Jasmine and Zach a couple of days ago when he stopped by the house to take me out for coffee. Zach had seemed surprised at how nice Alex was, and Jasmine couldn’t keep her chin off the floor. As soon as Alex left, Jas went on for a full hour about how hot he was. Zach hadn’t been thrilled.

“Yeah, it will,” I agreed. “I haven’t been out with them in awhile.”

“Where are we eating?” Alex asked.

“The pizzeria. Have you been there? It’s pretty good.”

Alex laughed. “Pizza is always good when you’re in college.”

It seemed like he wasn’t a pizza fan . . . which could be a problem for the future of our relationship. “Do you want to go somewhere else? I could call them back.”

“No, the pizzeria is fine.” He seemed to have something on his mind. Finally he turned to me and asked, “Were you expecting Jasmine to call?”

I wrinkled my brow at the question. “No, why?”

“When you got up to answer the phone, it sounded like you were expecting to hear from someone.”

“Oh, right,” I said, remembering. “I thought it was my mom. I sent her an email right before you came over and thought she was calling about it.”

That piqued his interest. “What did you write that would make her call so quickly?”

Huh. This was going to be uncomfortable. “Nothing,” I said. “I mean, I just answered some questions.”

He watched me as he moved his thumb back and forth over the top of my hand. “What kind of questions?” he asked innocently.

I lifted a shoulder. “You know,” I hedged. “Stuff about work, dating, friends, Jasmine, reminders about my car.” I was hoping I’d slipped in the dating part covertly enough that Alex wouldn’t notice it. I was wrong.

“Hmmm . . . and what did you tell her about dating?” he asked, trying to hold back a smile.

I looked down at my hand in his. “I told her I met a guy hiking in the mountains and we were hanging out a lot.”

He frowned. “That’s it?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

He furrowed his brow. “That doesn’t seem like a topic that would provoke an immediate phone call from a parent.”

“You don’t know my mom,” I assured him.

“You didn’t tell her anything else?” he pushed, curiosity evident in his tone.

I was embarrassed, but thought I’d get it out of the way. “Um . . . well . . . I might have mentioned that I like you.” I tried to race through the last part hoping he wouldn’t be able to decipher it. I glanced up quickly to see his reaction. At first, he was smiling as he thought about what I’d said. But after a few seconds, his expression changed as he pushed his eyebrows together, perplexed. Great, I’d scared him off already.

“What’s wrong?” I asked. “Was I not supposed to say that?”

“No, that’s not it,” he licked his lips and turned to me. “I thought we were past just liking each other.”

I pulled my shoulders back, sitting up straighter. “Oh!” I said, the surprise registering in my voice. “Well, I wasn’t sure. We haven’t really talked about it.”

He considered that, holding my gaze. “Maybe we should.”

After a few awkward seconds that involved a lot of stomach fluttering, I broke my eyes from his and did a thorough inspection of my cuticles instead of responding. I wasn’t sure how to start a relationship conversation, or what to say. He noticed, and raised his hand to my chin gently lifting my head until we were looking at each other again. “My feelings for you are strong, Evie. How do you feel about me?” he asked.

I bit my lip and considered. Since my last relationship ended with Luke’s seized truck engine, I didn’t think I was too great at intense relationship discussions. Because I was a novice at this, I had to really think about what to say. Alex took my hesitation as a bad omen. “It’s okay if you don’t feel the same way about me that I feel about you,” he assured me, though his expression was somber.

“No, that’s not it. The way I feel about you is . . . incomprehensible.” Alex’s face gave away his confusion. “What I mean is that I’ve never felt like this about anyone. My feelings for you are also very . . . strong.”

Alex grinned—almost gloated—at my admission.

“So where does that leave us?” I asked.

He thought about it. “Next time you talk to your mom, I think it would be wise to tell her about your boyfriend.” His smile radiated and I couldn’t help but smile myself.

“Okay, but be prepared, she’ll probably want to start emailing you. You’ll also get the chocolate chip cookies as often as I do.”

Alex laughed. “I can’t wait.”

I was glad to have that conversation out of the way, and proud of myself for getting through a relationship issue without resorting to any sort of vandalism. I noticed the time. “We should go. We’re supposed to meet Jas and Zach in ten minutes.”

I grabbed my keys and walked out the door. “I’ll drive,” Alex said. “My car is blocking the driveway.”

“Okay. I’ll drive next time,” I said, as Alex opened the car door for me and I got in.

“We’ll see,” he murmured as he shut the door. I was sure he hadn’t meant for me to hear him.

“What is, ‘we’ll see’ supposed to mean?” I asked when he got in the driver’s seat.

“Nothing,” he said with big, innocent eyes.

I looked at him as I buckled my seatbelt. “Since when do you have a problem with my driving?” I asked, a little irked.

Alex exhaled as he started the car and backed out of the driveway. “It’s not so much your driving—though that’s scary too. I have a problem with your car.”

My mouth gaped. “What are you talking about? Most guys would murder to have a girlfriend with a car like mine.” I was so annoyed I didn’t even recognize that I’d called myself his girlfriend for the first time.

“That’s exactly my point,” he said. “You get more attention than you realize when you’re in your car.”

I gave him the most incredulous look I could muster. “Are you honestly jealous of a
car
?” I was completely baffled. I’d never had to deal with a guy who didn’t like my Mustang.

“I’m . . . uncomfortable with how many people notice you when you’re in your car,” he qualified.

“Well,” I huffed, “you’ll have to get over it. I love driving my car.”

He gave me a calculating look. “Fine, we’ll compromise,” he said. “You can drive your Mustang when you go out, but I get to drive when we’re together.”

“That’s stupid,” I said flatly.

“Very mature.”

“Oh yeah, and you’re the poster child for maturity, being jealous over some metal and paint.”

A muscle worked in Alex’s jaw like he was trying to hold back what he really wanted to say.

“And what did you mean when you said my driving is scary?” He had started it, so we might as well get all the car issues out of the way.

“Evie,” he turned to face me, “you drive like a bat out of hell.”

I inhaled sharply. “No I don’t!” I couldn’t believe I had to defend my driving abilities.

Alex took a deep breath. “Do you even realize there’s a speed bump on your street? There’s a bright yellow sign that says ‘bump’ and huge white arrows on the street pointing to it. I don’t think you’ve ever noticed. You hit it like you’re Evil Knievel trying to clear twenty cars every time. The sign might as well say ‘ramp’.”

I glowered at him. “So what? I like to drive fast; no one’s getting hurt by it.”

“Not yet,” he said, the disapproval clear in his tone.

“Who do you think you are? My dad?”

He looked at me with a slight frown that said he thought I was overreacting. “I’d just like to keep you alive for a while.”

I rolled my eyes. “We split the driving, fifty-fifty,” I offered.

He considered that and his eyes brightened. “All right,” he said, “but since your Mustang doesn’t have air conditioning, we drive my car if it’s over seventy degrees. And since Mustangs are rear-wheel drive, we take my car if there’s any chance of rain or snow.”

“Do we need to write down the rules?” I asked snidely.

Alex grinned. “I can type them up for you.”

By that time, we were pulling into the pizzeria parking lot. I really couldn’t argue with him about the air conditioning and rear-wheel drive since he was right. “Fine, we have a compromise.”

Alex was smug, like he’d won another victory. His attitude bothered me, but I wasn’t going to let it ruin our night. I started to open the car door, but Alex was right there holding it open for me. He just smiled as I got out and glared at him. He shut the door, setting the alarm and taking my hand. As soon as I felt his touch I calmed down, at least mentally; the rest of my body became a lot more restless.

Jas and Zach were waiting for us in the lobby of the restaurant.

“Hey guys!” Jas’s face lit up when she saw us.

“Hi Jas. Hi Zach,” I said.

“Hello,” Alex’s deep voice was seductive even to me. I couldn’t imagine the effect it was having on Jasmine.

Zach exchanged a head-nod with Alex and Jasmine smiled shyly. “Hi Alex. I’m glad you guys could come with us tonight.” Jas was being overly cordial and chewing her bubble gum like she was in a race. I hadn’t seen her so antsy since we were almost caught toilet papering the yard of our high school math teacher.

“Me too,” Alex said.

The hostess took some menus from her stand and we followed her to a table in the corner of the pizzeria. The smell of garlic, bread, and cheese permeated the air as we scanned the menus and placed our order. Zach immediately asked the server for a Pepsi; it was the only thing he ever drank and he was fanatical about it. Even though he wasn’t at our house much, we always kept a twenty-four pack of Pepsi chilling in the fridge for him.

While we waited for our food, Zach asked Alex all the general getting-to-know-you questions that I’d asked him when we first met. Alex reciprocated with questions for Jasmine and Zach.

The server brought our food and we talked as we ate. Alex asked Jasmine and Zach how they met. That conversation eventually led to Jasmine’s observations about my dating life.

“You’re definitely an improvement,” Jas said to Alex. His expression was curious, inviting her to go on. “Evie doesn’t have the best luck with guys,” she explained.

“Hey!” I said, trying to defend myself. “They haven’t all been bad.”

“Oh, really? Let’s see,” she raised her eyes as she thought. “There was the guy obsessed with jerky. Remember the theme card he made you for Valentine’s Day? When you opened it, it mooed.” She shuddered as she thought about it. “Or the one who asked you to prom with the stipulation that he be allowed to drive you there in your own car.” Jas leaned forward on the table looking straight at me, “And let’s not forget the holy grail of asshats: Luke,” she said, turning her attention back to Alex. “I could tell you stories about that idiot for hours. One of my favorites was when he told her he didn’t have time to deal with her feelings so she should think through her emotions and journal it, then get back to him when she wasn’t so pissy.”