by Anna Santos
“So, no baby?” I asked, looking at the test on the floor.
“No baby,” she confirmed, grabbing the test and throwing it into the garbage bin. Then, she got up, dusted off her clothes, and tied up her hair.
I straightened up as she wiped away her tears.
Camille looked in the mirror and fixed her mascara before saying, “Let’s go have our first how-to-train-your-wildfire class.”
I smirked at her joke, only to add, “First, you need to eat. You need to be strong and healthy if you’re planning to be a mom.”
Chapter FOUR
ARIA
The tension could be cut with a knife or a chainsaw—whichever one would be faster to make it easier to be there. Dad was staring at Cedric with his scrutinizing eyes that seemed to ask, “Who are you and what do you want with my child?” Or maybe it was with the ‘I have a shotgun and I’m not afraid to use it’ look. Thinking about that, Dad would probably get that written on one of those shirts with funny punch lines that he and I loved. He would definitely have one like that if it meant it could scare away any possible boyfriends for me.
My dad was a nerd, make no mistake. He was the one who’d introduced me to superheroes. I’d grown up watching Star Wars, building LEGO Star Wars Death Stars, fighting with laser beams, and attending comic book conventions where I was dressed as Princess Leia and he as Chewbacca. He did a pretty good imitation of Chewbacca’s noises. I was an only child, and he didn’t have a boy to play with him, but I pretty much covered that and made my dad my best friend and the proudest and clingiest dad in my neighborhood.
You must understand, I was his little girl, and he was not expecting me to have a boyfriend before I was thirty. Even then, he would probably think it was still too soon. Besides, I’d never displayed any kind of interest in having one. He wasn’t prepared to have his daughter dating a grown man with a gorgeous smile and stunning blue eyes. It was rather a shock to him when he realized that Cedric wasn’t a young boy lacking social skills like myself. Cedric was so gorgeous that he made other women turn their heads to stare at him as he passed by. I had already made peace with that. I wasn’t going to lose any sleep over it. Cedric was oblivious to them anyway.
My worst nightmare was happening. My dad didn’t like Cedric, and he was doing his best to let that show.
“What do you do for a living, boy?” my dad asked him after a staring contest.
“I work with security,” Cedric replied nonchalantly.
“I thought you were studying and that was how you met Aria,” my dad said, raising an eyebrow and narrowing his brown eyes.
The curiosity monster had been poked now.
Cedric stared at me, not knowing what to say to that. We should have probably covered a plausible excuse to explain our relationship to my parents.
“We met at a summer course, Dad. Everybody can attend those, even graduated students.”
“Oh, so do you have a degree? What’s your major?”
It was my turn to narrow my eyes at Dad. He was being biased against Cedric. He didn’t need to be ugly to be smart. There were plenty of hot and smart guys in the world.
Then, it occurred to me: Did Cedric have a degree from a university? He was a gargoyle and also the future king of his kingdom. Did he find time to get a degree?
Cedric answered my dad, “I’ve finished a master’s degree at the London Business School. I’m planning to pursue another master’s degree in International Business Negotiation at the Sorbonne.”
Dad retorted, “Why pursue another master’s in business?”
“Because I own a company, so I have to keep myself well-informed. Also, managing so many soldiers is a hard job, and I need to have more than muscles to handle most situations.”
Dad frowned, folding his hands over the table. “Soldiers?”
“They’re a security force; however, they trained to be soldiers before being sent to the real world to face the constant perils.”
“Yes, the world is becoming a dangerous place.”
“It has always been,” Cedric stated, leaning back in his chair.
I felt incredibly proud of him. He knew how to handle my dad. It was a relief.
“So…you work out a lot,” my dad observed.
I was pretty sure that it was meant to be a question, but it came out more like a statement. I could have face-palmed myself with embarrassment.
Cedric replied with a grin, “We need to.”
My mom intervened. “Studying in London must have been nice, to learn about other cultures. It also explains how you speak English so well. With a bit of an English accent, if I might add.”
Cedric smiled at her. She didn’t seem to be taking my relationship with a boy as hard as my dad. She had been friendly when she’d greeted Cedric.
“I speak several languages,” Cedric said.
I was sure that it was true. Although, I also knew that he didn’t need to since angels understood all the languages and could be understood by people no matter what their language was.
Mom probed further, “But you were raised in France, right?”
“Yes, I was born here. I attended school in London, though. It was my parents’ choice.”
“Let’s talk about something else,” I proposed.
“Let us get to know the boy a bit better,” my dad complained. “So how old are you?”
That was the golden question without a doubt. I froze, staring at my dad. I was afraid of what he was going to say next after Cedric’s answer. Speaking of that, I had no idea what Cedric’s reply would be.
“I’m twenty-two.”
“You do know that Aria just celebrated her eighteenth birthday, don’t you?”
I grinned painfully at my dad’s words. There it was, the reason why he’d asked Cedric his age.
“Yes, but she’s mature for her age,” Cedric replied.
My happiness at his answer was short-lived.
Dad retorted, “Yes, but the point is that she is still extremely young, and I hope you understand that she’s here on holiday.”
“Dad!” He was being rude.
“What?” he asked me with his mischievous Sith Lord face. “It’s true!”
“Aria will most likely attend Stanford or MIT for a major in biology. She isn’t sure yet. She could also have a shot at Juilliard if she decides to perform at the audition.”
It was my mom’s turn to brag about me. I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment.
“Really?” Cedric asked, turning to look at me with a proud smile on his face. “I didn’t know she was so good at playing the violin. I’ve heard her tuning it, but she’s never performed for me. I want to listen to you play.”
I nodded with a timid smile. Butterflies were bouncing against my stomach because I was feeling extremely nervous but also happy to introduce Cedric to my parents. I wanted them to like him. If we were going to stay together, they would have to like him. It would make things much easier after I dropped the bomb: Mom and Dad, I’m married to Cedric and I’m not coming back home. Oh, and there’s more—I’m an angel. Do you want to see my wings?
“And do you play any instruments?” my dad asked.
“Dad, stop being a snob,” I demanded, shooting daggers at him with my eyes.
“I’m not being a snob. I’m curious about the boy,” my dad countered.
“I play the piano,” Cedric answered.
I found myself melting deep down inside. That had been another thing I hadn’t known, and it was making me feel even more thrilled about being his mate.
“My mom made sure I learned it. I can also play the guitar. Yet, I don’t have much free time for hobbies these days.”
“You have to play for me one of these days,” I said, excited.
“It’s a deal,” Cedric said, smiling at me and placing his hand on mine. It was an innocent gesture, but it made me assess my parents’ reaction carefully. My dad was about to say something when his phone rang. I sighed with relief when Dad got
up, apologizing, and answered it.
“Don’t worry about George, he’s just making sure you’re okay to date Aria,” my mom said. “He’s actually really friendly.”
She must have liked Cedric, to say something like that.
“That’s all right. If I were him, I would probably do worse. You did a fantastic job in raising Aria. She’s a captivating young woman with her heart in the right place.”
“That’s sweet of you, honey,” my mom said, definitely liking Cedric.
My dad came back with a friendlier face. “That was Steve. He got us some tickets to go to the Louvre. Actually, it’s a two-days’ pass. Do you want to come with us, darling? You can bring your friend along. I would really like to spend some time with you.”
“I would love to.” I squealed, genuinely enthusiastic. The Louvre was among the places to visit in Paris I most wanted to see, and I hadn’t been there yet. Besides, I’d been missing my parents, and I wanted to spend extra time with them.
Then, I looked at Cedric and lost my smile. “Can I?” I asked him, unsure if I was allowed or not. Not sure whether he would like to go or not, either.
“Of course,” he answered with a smile, reassuring me. “But I’m afraid I have some other business to take care of, and I won’t be able to go with you and your parents. I would have loved it, though. Too bad I have a meeting with Jacob.”
“Oh,” I whispered, a bit less excited. It would have been fun if he was there with me, and we could explore the Louvre and look for the most exciting things of the several exhibitions. I would have liked to share that moment with him.
“We can take pictures of you and me making funny faces next to the Mona Lisa,” my dad said, trying to cheer me up, no doubt.
I smiled at him and nodded.
He added, “And pretend to be a scary mummy at the Egyptian exhibition.”
I reasoned with him. “Dad, I’m not a kid anymore. We have to behave properly inside the Louvre. I don’t want us to be kicked out.”
My dad teased me. “Oh, relax and live a little.”
It was amazing how he always made me feel like a killjoy. He was the one who should act mature, but it was always the other way around. My mom didn’t mind; she would actually laugh at his immature behavior. He had a young soul, as the saying went. In my opinion, he didn’t give a damn about what other people thought about him. That was one of the many reasons why I loved him to death. Plus, everybody at school thought I had the coolest dad. It was true, he was.
“What time are you planning to leave to go to the Louvre?” Cedric asked.
“We’re waiting for Steve to let us know once he’s arrived,” my dad replied.
“I could have taken you to the Louvre,” Cedric said.
“My brother-in-law is a taxi driver. He wants to show us the Arch of Triumph before we go to the Louvre,” my dad explained.
The Arch of Triumph? My day was getting better and better.
My father’s phone rang again.
“It seems like everybody wants to talk to you today,” I joked.
“What can I say? I’m a popular guy,” he retorted.
I giggled.
He got up. “You better come with me to answer this phone call. It’s your sponsor, darling,” my dad said to my mom, and they left to go somewhere quieter to talk.
The word “sponsor” left me intrigued. Philippe’s name popped into my mind. I was probably overthinking it. It was too early for him to be up. Vampires slept during the day and came out at night.
Cedric’s words brought me back to Earth. “You should start preparing your parents for the fact that you’re not leaving Paris, nor are you attending any American university.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, his implication lost on me.
“If we survive the trial, and I’m confident that we will, you can’t leave my side. Our home will be here and in my kingdom in the other realm.”
I pondered his words with a blank stare as I put my ice cream spoon in my mouth and sucked on it.
“I can’t be away from you, Aria,” he declared, probably concerned about my silence. “And if you love me…then you’ll want to stay with me. Besides, we’ll have a lot of duties as rulers of the angels and gargoyles.”
“And my science career?”
That was all that was bothering me. Does ruling at Cedric’s side mean that I’m not going to continue studying and can’t go to the university?
“What science career?”
We’d never talked about my hopes and dreams. I took my time to stare at him before I enlightened him. “I want to be a cancer researcher and search for a cure.”
“I’m sure there will be plenty of other things you’ll be able to do when you’re a full angel. You’ll have a lot of cool powers, and you don’t need to be a scientist. It’d be a waste of your time.”
I furrowed my eyebrows, swallowing to alleviate the tension in my jaw. Angels could be thickheaded.
My heart sank. I put the spoon in the ice cream bowl and pushed it away from me. I was no longer in the mood to eat dessert.
“Come on, Aria. There are thousands of people looking for the cure. Who says you’d be the one to find it? And, if you truly want to learn about science, you can study here. There are plenty of facilities in Paris. You can help William with his own research.”
“We’ll talk about this later,” I grumbled, watching my parents coming our way.
They were smiling, and Dad looked more relaxed.
I was the one who was tense now. However, I wasn’t going to spoil their happiness with my grumpiness. I was going to suck it up and put a smile on my face. But if Cedric thought that we weren’t going to talk about my future career anymore, he was dead wrong.
Cedric underlined the essence of his previous speech. “Aria, remember that you should start to prepare your parents for the fact that your permanent address will be in Paris.”
I pursed my lips. I didn’t want to spoil my parents’ fun.
“Unless you want them to hate you right now, you’d better hold your horses,” I mumbled, clenching my hands on the seat of my chair. Putting on a smile, I attempted to confirm if my suspicion was right. “Dad, who was it on the phone?”
“A friend who was inviting us to dinner this evening,” Dad said mildly.
“And Gabby’s also joining us at the Louvre,” my mom informed me. “Isn’t it great? It’ll be a family trip.”
“That would be awesome,” I said, happy at the thought of seeing my cousin again.
She wasn’t as bad as I’d first thought. She was friendly, and I felt sorry for her since she’d burst into tears in front of me. Also, the vampires had been messing with her head. I wanted to know if she was okay and make sure her boyfriend wasn’t being a jerk.
I suddenly realized that I hadn’t talked about anything that had happened in the restaurant with Cedric. He didn’t ask me either. It hadn’t been too long since I’d last been face-to-face with Philippe. I didn’t miss him, nothing of that sort, but I wanted to know if he was plotting to ruin my relationship with Cedric. The elusive answer that my dad had given me was unsatisfying. Of course, if Cedric had heard Philippe’s name, he would have gotten upset and probably wouldn’t let me leave the house ever again.
“Are you sure you don’t want to join us, Cedric?” my dad asked.
I stared at my angel boyfriend with curiosity.
“I would love to go, but I can’t cancel my meeting. However, I would love to have you for dinner at my home tomorrow, since you have other plans for tonight.”
I rejoiced rather fast at his invitation. It would be awesome to have my parents dining with us.
“I would love to know Aria’s parents a bit more,” Cedric added.
“Please say yes,” I demanded of my parents, making puppy dog eyes. “You’ll love Camille and Jacob.”
“Are they your parents?” my dad asked Cedric.
“My sister and brother-in-law,” he answered.
&nb
sp; I realized the mistake I had made. It would be hard to explain to my parents the number of people living in that house and the existence of Camille. But Camille’s blonde features and cuteness would be enough to make them believe she was Cedric’s sister.
“She’s my new best friend,” I stated. “You’ll love her, Mom. She’s adorable and extremely friendly.”
“I’m glad you’re making new friends, Aria.” Mom grinned. “We would love to have dinner at your home, Cedric.”
“Yes, we would love to meet your family and see your home,” my dad agreed, but he was not nearly as enthusiastic as my mom. “Shall we go, then?”
Dad got up as he looked at me.
Blinking, I questioned, “Where?”
“To the car,” Dad said. “Steve will be arriving outside to pick us up. You can spend time with Cedric tomorrow. Now, you’re going to spend time with your parents. Your uncle said it might take some time to enter the Louvre, and I want to see as many exhibitions as I can.”
“The quickest entrance is in the Carrousel du Louvre, the underground shopping mall,” Cedric informed us. “You can also try the entrance at the Porte de Lyon, but sometimes it’s closed. The most crowded entrance is at the glass pyramid because everybody wants to enter from there.”
“That’s good to know. I’ll tell Steve about it,” my dad said.
“I’ll accompany you to the car,” Cedric added, getting up and offering me his hand.
We strolled our way down the mall, dodging the other shoppers and looking for the way out. I was glad that Cedric knew his way around, or we would probably get lost before we found the exit we were looking for.
I was silent, caught up in my thoughts.
“Are you okay?” Cedric asked.
“I’m fine,” I lied.
“Promise me you’ll keep me company by texting me,” he requested.
I nodded., “I may have to pretend to go to my uncle’s house to sleep there. Or actually sleep there. Especially if Gabby is joining us.”
In reality, I had no idea what Gabby knew about where I was living. It had been Philippe who’d enthralled her to think I was still living with her family. Things were a bit messed up. Above all, I hated the fact that I had to lie to my parents. But Cedric was right, they would never accept it if they knew that I was living with a guy. We weren’t doing anything wrong…yet.
