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

by Rachel Taylor

  “I was visiting a friend, and I saw you. Why didn’t you tell me how sick you were, Lissy? How long have you been in here? I would’ve been here a long time ago if I’d known.”

  Lissy sighed and closed her eyes. “Go home, Cheydan. I didn’t want you to see me like this.”

  He sucked in a breath. “Lissy, you’re beautiful to me no matter how sick you are. I want to be here for you. I… I care about you.”

  Cheydan’s words bloomed in Lissy’s heart like roses unfurling their petals, but her mind instantly crushed them. She couldn’t let him devote another minute of his time to her when she had nothing to promise him in return.

  “I’m dying, Cheydan.”

  “So, your condition has grown more serious. That means they’ll move you up the transplant list, right? They won’t let you die. They’ll have to give you one,” Cheydan insisted.

  Lissy shook her head. “I refused dialysis; it’s only a matter of time.”

  “What? Why?! Lissy, you can’t give up! Just because things didn’t work out with your birth family doesn’t mean there isn’t still hope. You’ll get a transplant eventually.”

  Lissy sighed. “It could be years, Cheydan. Years of lying in this hospital bed, sick, unable to do anything. I don’t want that kind of life. It isn’t worth it.” Her eyes glazed as she stared off into the blankness of the hospital room around her.

  “Lissy, don’t say that! Life is worth living! Things will get better eventually. You just need to be patient. I’m here for you, Lissy; you don’t have to be alone.” Cheydan grabbed her hand again and rubbed her knuckles roughly with his thumb. His eyes were wide and desperate as he stared at her, terrified of losing her, his heart rocketing with desire.

  He couldn’t heal her, but maybe he could convince her to be patient and wait for things to get better. That was his gift, wasn’t it? Surely he could persuade her to take the dialysis and wait for a kidney. He let a dose of power flow from his fingers into hers.

  Lissy closed her eyes against the onslaught of his affection. For a moment, she thought about waiting — another week, another month, another year. It wouldn’t be so bad with Cheydan there to comfort her, to keep her company.

  She wanted so badly to let him in, to let him stay with her and hold her hand and devote all his energy to caring about her like her parents did. But she couldn’t do that, couldn’t let him sacrifice his own life because she couldn’t live hers. He had plans and goals and ambitions, and he didn’t need a sick girl dragging him down, no matter how much he thought he cared about her.

  She stiffened her spine and pulled her fingers from his hand, opening her eyes again to stare at him. Taking a deep breath, she steeled her heart and told the biggest lie she’d ever told.

  “I don’t want you here. It’s over, Cheydan. You need to leave.” She rolled over on her side away from him, facing the wall.

  Cheydan’s heart nosedived as her words registered, and it exploded as it crashed. He loved her, and he was willing to do anything to be with her, even a miracle if that’s what it took. But how could he give himself completely to her if she didn’t love him back? His heart and mind wrestled each other, twisting his face in anguish as they tried to decide.

  “Cheydan?” A curious voice distracted him for a moment from the crisis as Zeph appeared at Lissy’s door.

  Cheydan whipped around, his heart stuttering at the sight of his best friend and the only other person besides Dominion Connan who could possibly help him.

  “Zeph? What are you doing here?” It seemed like too incredible of a coincidence that Zeph would arrive at the most critical moment of Cheydan’s life.

  “I came to see Dominion.”

  Cheydan nodded. Of course, Zeph would want to spend as much time as he could with his friend and mentor before the old man left them. It was obvious his days were short.

  “What are you doing?” Zeph asked, staring curiously at the girl in the hospital bed.

  “This is my friend Lissy…” Cheydan wanted to explain that she was the girl he’d told them about at the carnival, but he wasn’t sure how Lissy would feel if she knew he had been telling others about her.

  Zeph stepped into the room and approached the bed to greet her, but as soon as he neared, his eyes widened and he gasped.

  “Lissy, this is my best friend, Zeph.”

  She rolled over and offered Zeph a kind but uninterested smile. Zeph’s head whipped back and forth between Lissy and Cheydan, an unvoiced question coloring his face. They looked at him curiously, but neither seemed to understand why he seemed so perplexed.

  “Zeph, I’m really glad you’re here. Do you have a minute to talk?” Cheydan asked, his eyes silently begging Zeph to help him.

  “Sure.” Zeph shook off his confusion and turned his attention towards his friend. “Do you want to go get something to drink from the cafeteria?”

  Cheydan nodded. “Lissy, I’ll be back. Please just… be patient, okay?” He stared at her, the longing in his eyes riveting her to her spot and commanding her to nod her head. He didn’t think she would do anything to hurt herself besides letting her illness take its toll.

  Zeph and Cheydan walked silently down to the cafeteria, grabbing cups of coffee before settling into a small table at the back of the room. The room was quiet and mostly empty, with a strip of lighting under the buffet hood the main source of light. Zeph fiddled with a sugar packet, tearing it open and stirring it into his coffee while waiting for Cheydan to speak his mind.

  “Lissy’s the girl I mentioned at the carnival — the one who was trying to find her birth family,” he explained. His hands shook around his coffee cup, and it rattled as he set it down.

  “She’s dying of kidney failure and needs a transplant. I tried to help her. I even broke the law for her, Zeph. I gave her information I wasn’t supposed to give.”

  Zeph cocked an eyebrow at the revelation. Cheydan was the last person he expected to break the rules.

  “It didn’t even do any good. We found her aunt, but her mother’s dead, and no one knows who her father was. She has a sister, but she ran away. Nobody knows where to find her.”

  Zeph widened his eyes but stayed quiet, letting Cheydan finish his story.

  “She thinks it’s hopeless, Zeph. She wants to give up, quit having dialysis and let her disease take her. But I can’t let her do that! She’s too special to die. All she needs is to be patient, and I’m sure things will turn around. I tried using my gift, but it wasn’t strong enough. If I’m going to help her, I’m going to have to go all the way.”

  “You mean a miracle?”

  Cheydan nodded, squeezing his coffee cup to steady his hands and raising the mug to his lips. The hot liquid warmed his lips, but did nothing for the cold that had seeped around his heart.

  “Are you willing to do that?” Zeph didn’t need to point out the consequences to Cheydan; it was obvious he was fully aware.

  “I’m already in love with her, Zeph. I’d do it in a heartbeat…”

  “But…?”

  “But she doesn’t want me. She told me to leave. She hasn’t spoken to me for a week —since we found her family. I think she was just using me. If I do a miracle for her, I’ll never get over her, Zeph. But how can I walk away from her, knowing she’s going to let herself die?”

  Cheydan stared at Zeph in agony, desperation contorting his face. He had never turned to his friend for advice like this. This was the kind of dilemma he thought only a wizened elder like Dominion could provide. But Dominion was dying, and Zeph knew Cheydan better than anyone, besides his brother. Maybe he could see clearly enough to help Cheydan through the fog.

  Cheydan held his breath, afraid of what Zeph would say. Do a miracle and fall in love with a girl who didn’t want him, or walk away and let her die? Neither answer would satisfy.

  “Have you talked to Maddock about this?” Zeph asked, and Cheydan sat up in surprise. “Has he met Lissy? Have you met his girlfriend?”

  Cheydan curled
his lip in confusion. What did any of this have to do with Maddock and his girlfriend? He shook his head.

  Zeph breathed out heavily, pushing his coffee cup aside. “You need to talk to him. Have him come here and meet her.” Zeph trembled with nervousness; he was afraid to say anything else.

  Cheydan stared at his friend, mystified, relieved, and disappointed all at the same time. He was expecting Zeph to tell him which path to choose, not pawn him off on his brother. But Zeph was right, Maddock was too important for Cheydan to make this decision without talking to him. He picked up his phone and sent a quick text.

  Maddock’s arm was on the back of the couch, mere inches from Maddy’s shoulder, the hairs on his forearm sparking with electricity from her nearness. He put it there hoping he could gradually slide it down around her, but every time he was about to, his conscience resisted. He had spent every spare moment of the last week slowly wooing Madison, and he thought he was finally making some progress.

  She always resisted his efforts to help her initially, but eventually she’d break down and let him buy her dinner or take her to a movie. He was careful not to come on too strong — he didn’t try to kiss her or hug her or even hold her hand. He thought she might have let him, but only because she felt like she owed him something. He didn’t want that. He wanted any affection they shared to be her idea. Besides, if he touched her even a little bit, he knew he would have a hard time keeping his hands off her. He might be half angel, but he was still a teenage boy.

  He grinned as he looked down at her, sitting so closely next to him that he could almost see the electricity buzzing between them. He’d invited her to his house after work for pizza and a movie, and they were sitting on the couch in the den, their thighs and shoulders touching, when Maddock’s phone beeped. He leaned into Maddy as he reached to pull his phone from his back pocket. She smiled as his face neared hers, even if it wasn’t intentional.

  Maddock stared at the phone with a scowl on his face, and Maddy dared to peek over his shoulder at the message.

  I need you. Can u come to the hospital cafeteria?

  Maddy looked up at him curiously as Maddock sighed. “It’s my brother.”

  “It sounds important.”

  “Yeah, it does.” Maddock sighed again.

  “You should go to him, Maddock. I don’t mind.” She laid a hand on his leg and all his reasoning skills vanished.

  “You could come with me… if you wanted. I mean, I don’t know how long I’ll be, and it’ll probably be boring, but —“

  “I think you should probably go alone. It might be something serious. But I’d be happy to meet your brother some other time.” Maddy smiled up at him, and his insides dissolved into a marshmallowy puddle. He sent his brother a quick reply.

  I’ll be there in 10

  He turned off the movie and grabbed his keys, leaving their empty plates and glasses for later. “The shelter is on the way, so I’ll just drop you off if that’s okay.” Maddy nodded. That wasn’t okay with him at all, but it seemed to be what she wanted.

  “Are you and your brother close?” Maddy asked as they climbed in Maddock’s car. She loved how it smelled of his cologne — fresh and spicy. The backseat was a mess with discarded clothes, empty water bottles and food wrappers, but he kept the front seat clean — for her, he once said. The thought made her happy.

  “We used to be closer. When we were little we did everything together, but now our lives are pretty different.”

  “How old is he?”

  Maddock glanced at her in surprise. “I never told you? We’re twins.”

  Maddy snapped her head towards him, her mouth open. He’d talked about his brother before, but he’d never mentioned that detail. “Really? Are you identical?”

  Maddock nodded with a smirk. “Everybody can tell us apart, though. We don’t exactly have the same style. He dresses a lot better than I do.” His voice grew quiet. “Actually, he’s better at just about everything.”

  “Like what?” Maddy had a hard time imagining a better guy than Maddock.

  Maddock toyed with the keys dangling from the ignition, staring at the road to avoid making eye contact. It was dark, and a light drizzle had wet the pavement, so he drove carefully, mindful of slick spots.

  “He’s more ambitious, more focused. He always did better in school than I did. He’s had his whole life planned out since he was like, seven, and I can’t even remember what day of the week it is most of the time.”

  Maddy laid a hand on his bicep, and Maddock flinched, flexing the muscle. Maddy’s insides tingled a little at the feel of the bulging muscle.

  “You make it sound like you’re a slacker, but you’re far from it, Maddock.” How could he think that? He was always willing to jump up and help anyone who needed it.

  He grinned at the compliment. “I mean, I’m not jealous or anything. I’m happy with my life, and I love my brother.”

  “I’m jealous of my sister,” Maddy murmured. “I’m pretty sure her life is ten times better than mine.”

  It was Maddock’s turn to be surprised. “You never told me you had a sister.”

  “A twin.”

  Maddock’s jaw flopped open.

  “I’ve never met her. My mother gave her up for adoption when we were infants. I don’t know why she kept me — she never really wanted me either. But the other baby was sick and needed a lot of medical treatment. My mother gave her to some rich family that could afford it.” Maddy’s voice was dark with envy.

  “She stuck around for a couple years before she dumped me off on her sister.”

  Maddock could see the pain etched across her face, even in the darkness. He reached for her hand and squeezed it. “I’m sorry, Madison.”

  Maddy flinched at the name. Lately, he’d taken to calling her Maddy, but he still called her Madison when he wanted to make a point of treating her differently than everyone else had. She regretted ever lying to him about her real name, but now it felt too awkward to correct it.

  They turned a corner, and the bright lights of the shelter illuminated the sky in front of them, interrupting their conversation. Maddock pulled up to the front doors and Maddy opened the car door. “Thanks for a nice night, Maddock. Call me later?”

  Maddock nodded, his heart melting under her warm gaze.

  Chapter 21

  “So tell me a little bit more about Lissy,” Zeph asked, trying to kill time till Maddock arrived.

  Cheydan’s face lit up, and his frown lifted. “She’s sweet, and smart, and beautiful. I can’t explain it, Zeph, she’s just… special.”

  Zeph grinned — he knew the feeling. When you found the one, you just knew. It had happened to him the moment he laid eyes on Eve.

  Heavy footsteps echoed in the nearby hallway, and the boys turned their heads in anticipation as Maddock rounded the corner.

  “Hey, Zeph, I didn’t know you were here.” Maddock threw an arm around his friend’s shoulder and squeezed.

  “Hey, bro, what’s happening? You look wrecked.” He pulled over a chair from another table and sat it in backwards, not bothering to turn it around.

  Cheydan gave him the Cliff Notes version, and Maddock listened quietly, watching his brother’s heart sink deeper into a pit of agony.

  “Wow, bro. That’s harsh. I really don’t know what to tell you. Zeph, did you give him any advice? You’re the new Dominion and all.”

  “Zeph told me to call you.”

  Maddock gave Zeph a look of disbelief. “He’s the smart one, Zeph, not me. I can’t even figure out how to match my clothes most of the time. What makes you think I know what to tell him?”

  “Actually, I was hoping maybe your girlfriend could help him.”

  Cheydan and Maddock both scrunched their faces and stared at him.

  “Cheydan, why don’t you go introduce your brother to Lissy?”

  “O-kay…” The boys gave him another curious glance but rose from their chairs, Cheydan motioning for Maddock to follow him.
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  When they reached the door to Lissy’s room, Zeph and Maddock hung back while Cheydan poked his head in. “Lissy?” he whispered, walking quietly towards her bedside.

  Her eyes were closed, but she turned her head and opened them. If it was possible, she looked worse than she did a few minutes ago. She gave a small smile before remembering that she didn’t want to encourage him.

  “Lissy, you said you wanted to meet my brother sometime, well, he’s here. Can I introduce you?”

  Lissy tilted her head in confusion. “I’m not really up for company, Cheydan.”

  “Please, Lissy, just for a moment?” Cheydan didn’t understand why Zeph thought this was important, but he trusted his friend.

  “Okay.” She sighed.

  Maddock heard her, and Zeph nudged him into the doorway. His brother blocked his view of the bed, so he didn’t see her until he was next to him. As soon as he caught a glimpse, though, his mouth fell open and he gasped, grabbing his brother in surprise.

  Lissy’s heart monitor went off at the same moment, and her eyes fluttered shut as she groaned.

  “Lissy! Wake up!” Cheydan yelped, dropping to his knees beside her, his hands grasping frantically at her body.

  Two nurses bustled into the room and took over, pushing the brothers out of the way. The boys watched helplessly as the staff worked to revive her, Cheydan clinging desperately to Maddock’s arm.

  “Lissy!” Cheydan cried a few minutes later when Lissy gasped and her eyes popped open. He rushed to her side again and the nurses made room.

  “Is she going to be okay?” he asked them, his voice raw with worry.

  The older nurse turned to him, a look of sympathy in her sad eyes. “For now, but if she doesn’t take dialysis soon, she doesn’t have long.”

  “How long?” His voice quivered. “Weeks? Days?”

  “More like hours, honey. We’re going to go notify her parents, so you probably want to say your goodbyes. I’m sure they’ll be here in a few minutes.”

  Cheydan sank to his knees, great sobs wracking his body as his tears drenched her sheets.