Chapter 10
“What would you like to do tonight, CeCe?” he asked cheerfully once they were back in the car, trying to force himself into a brighter mood.
“I’m pretty tired from all that swimming. Maybe we can just relax?”
“Sounds perfect. Your place or mine?”
The thought of seeing Rafe’s private world tempted CeCe, but she knew they’d be all alone at his house, and the chemistry between them was hard to resist. At least at her place Jessica would be in the other room. They stopped to rent some movies then headed back to CeCe’s apartment.
Jessica was lounging on the sofa, flipping through the channels when they arrived.
“Hey sis, I brought Rafe home with me; hope that’s okay,” CeCe asked, leading Rafe into the living room. “We rented some movies.”
“Oh yeah, sure, I’ll just get out of here, then.” Jessica jumped up and grabbed her phone and soda off the coffee table.
“No, stay,” Rafe and CeCe said simultaneously, then turned to each other and laughed nervously, the chemistry sizzling between them.
“Oookaaay.” Jessica gave them a weird look but plopped back down on the love seat.
“You want to pick the first one?” Rafe asked, handing her the movies.
Jessica flipped through the disks, sticking out her tongue. “Yuck, yuck, and double yuck. Let me guess, my sister picked these? Unless your taste in movies is as bad as hers is.”
“What do you like, horror flicks?”
“Better than unrealistic love stories with sappy endings. How about this one — at least there’s some action in it.” She popped open the cover and stuck the DVD in the machine.
Rafe and CeCe curled up on the couch together with Dexter at the other end. Rafe wrapped his arm around CeCe’s shoulder and pulled her closer, and she nuzzled his chest with her cheek. He smelled like chlorine and coconut suntan lotion with an underlying scent that was all male. CeCe breathed in deeply, savoring it. This was exactly how she’d always fantasized a relationship would be.
Rafe ran his fingers mindlessly up and down her arm while they watched the movie, and the sensation was all CeCe could concentrate on. His hand eventually came to rest on her hip, and the heat of it seared through her clothing as if his skin was melting into hers. Her hand was resting on his chest, and she let it slowly slide down his abdomen, feeling the outline of his muscles. She didn’t have any memories from childhood about how a man’s chest should look, but she knew from books that tight sections of muscle under smooth skin was usually considered very appealing. She was tempted to lift the edge of his shirt and slide her fingers under it so she could feel Rafe’s skin, but instead she just traced the ridges of his abs with her fingertips.
Rafe sucked in a breath when CeCe’s finger skimmed the top of his shorts. Her touch was driving him crazy. He wanted to haul her into his lap and relieve the sexual tension, but with Jessica five feet away, he settled for spreading his hand against her belly and pulling her closer. He dropped gentle kisses on her head occasionally, and when Jessica left the room for a refill, he lifted CeCe’s chin to sneak a kiss.
When the movie was over, Jessica tossed the remote their way and made a face. “Well, it was bad enough watching you two lovebirds cuddle during an action movie, I can only imagine how much worse it’ll get when you put in that romance. I’ve got a shift in thirty minutes, anyway, so I guess I’ll give you some privacy.”
CeCe blushed at Jessica’s comment, pulling herself out of Rafe’s lap and sitting up. She twisted her hands nervously once Jessica was gone, the intimacy they had shared a few moments ago now seemed awkward.
“I like your sister,” Rafe said, trying to lighten the mood.
“Is she anything like yours?” CeCe felt like he knew a lot more about her life than she did about his, and she longed for him to open up to her.
Rafe loosed a small chuckle as he compared their sisters in his mind. Elethea was pretty much the exact opposite of Jessica. “No, nothing. Elethea is very serious. She’s all dress suits and business meetings, not blue jeans and action movies. I can’t remember the last time I saw her do something just for fun.”
“That’s an unusual name — Elethea. Is it a family name? Does it mean something?”
Rafe bit his lip and stared at her, not sure how to answer. The truth would most certainly lead to a conversation he wasn’t sure he was ready to have yet. But maybe it was time to tell CeCe the truth about himself. He had to do it eventually, and he thought she trusted him enough now that maybe she could overlook her aversion to the medical profession.
“It means healer.” Rafe’s mouth stayed open but he struggled to release the words. He eventually forced them out. “She’s a doctor, so it fits.”
CeCe immediately stiffened and sucked in a shaky breath. Rafe wasn’t sure how deep her fear of doctors went, but this was confirmation it was significant. His own body tensed at her reaction. How could he ever admit the truth to her? If she didn’t immediately reject him because he was a doctor, she’d hate him for deceiving her. Rafe’s heart clenched at either possibility. He cared too much for her to risk losing her. How had he let it go this long without telling her? He’d hoped that once she got to know him she’d realize she didn’t have to be afraid of him, but he was deluding himself, and now, when she found out, she’d have two reasons to hate him.
Anxiety roiled through Rafe like bubbling lava, searing his insides. He cared too much about CeCe to lose her now, but if he told her the truth she’d recoil even worse than when she learned about his sister. He couldn’t keep the secret forever, though. If their relationship could ever progress, she’d have to know the truth.
Rafe wracked his brain, trying to figure out how to tell her without losing her, but every scenario he imagined ended in disaster, and he couldn’t bring himself to risk it. God, please don’t let me blow this, he silently begged, but the shame of the deception he’d already perpetrated sunk his soul like a heavy anchor.
“Do you want to watch the other movie?” Rafe asked, suddenly desperate to ignore the problem, change the subject. CeCe nodded eagerly, letting out a tense breath.
She knew now why Rafe had been vague about his family. His sister was a doctor, and she’d made it clear how she felt about them. CeCe sucked her lip, hoping her sudden recoil hadn’t offended Rafe. He couldn’t help it that his sister was a doctor any more than CeCe could help that her sister was a waitress with an aversion to men.
She wondered if Rafe’s sister would treat her like all the other doctors had, if she ever met her. Would she scoff at CeCe’s illness and insist it was all in her head? Would she encourage Rafe to push her into therapy? Maybe she’d even discourage him from dating her, a mental case with an imaginary disease. Those were the reactions every other doctor had had.
CeCe tried not to let herself worry about it. Her relationship with Rafe was still new and tender, and who knew if she’d ever even meet his sister. He’d said they were close, though, so if she stayed with him she eventually would. Maybe Elethea would be different, CeCe hoped. Rafe certainly was. He’d barely batted an eye when she explained her syndrome to him. Would his family be just as understanding?
Rafe climbed from the sofa and switched out the movies, relieved that CeCe didn’t press the subject. Who knew how she’d react if she found out his father was a doctor, too?
They laughed and cuddled through the second movie, a romantic comedy, but the happy mood was broken, and tension hovered around them like a fog.
Chapter 11
Gray clouds rolled in, emulating Rafe’s mood as he readied himself for church on Sunday. It was the day of the quarterly ceremony, the time when the Dominion visited their local congregation to recognize the important milestones in a Celestia’s life — birth, death, miracles and marriage. Only this time, the Dominion would take the place of honor — in a casket instead of the pulpit.
His death had come as no surprise to any of them. Dominion Connan had anticipated his o
wn death more than 20 years ago when his replacement had been born. He’d kept that knowledge a secret, though, until a few years ago when it was time to start training Zephaniah Arella to take over for him. The revelation of Dominion’s successor had stunned their community, though, because Zeph had been the least likely choice. A rare double Divisa born of two others, Zeph’s birth had been highly anticipated, but when Zeph showed no recognizable gifting at all, everyone thought he was a dud.
His gift had actually been present all along, a supernatural discernment that only Dominions were blessed with, one that would allow him to recognize the gifts of all future Celestia. Once Dominion Connan announced that Zeph would be his replacement and started training him, the community began to prepare themselves for Dominion’s imminent death.
Celestia weren’t immortal, but their bodies were resistant to most disease, so they lived long, healthy lives and usually died of old age well into their hundreds. At 123 when he breathed his last, Dominion Connan had lived a full life and was ready to go, but that didn’t make the loss of him any easier to take.
Dominion had a knack for making everyone feel special, and he developed relationships with every Celestia in his community. His death would be felt by all. As Dominion’s doctor the last few years, Rafe felt an intimacy with the man that he would sorely miss. Rafe took special care with his outfit that morning, making sure his suit was pressed and his tie straight. He’d bypassed his collection of solid, brightly-colored neckties in favor of one with Bugs Bunny on it — something he knew Dominion would appreciate if he could see from beyond. He could almost hear him saying, “What’s up, Doc?”
Because Indianapolis was Dominion’s home base as well as that of his replacement, his funeral would be held here, but Celestia from all across the region would be in attendance. The Dominion traveled every week from one congregation to another, performing the quarterly ceremony, so every Celestia in the region was under his delegation. Zeph had rented out a convention center for the event, knowing their local church could never hold all the attendees. Still, Rafe wanted to leave early to make sure he found a good spot in the auditorium.
The parking lot was already crowded when he got there, and Rafe glanced around for a familiar face. As a child, he’d always attended with his family, but he’d gone alone now for several years, ever since he moved out of his parents’ home. So why did he suddenly feel so alone now? Was it grief that magnified his loneliness? He’d never been in a big hurry to find his mate, content to focus on his education and then on his career, but today he felt the isolation of being single deep in his bones. He longed for someone to share his grief, someone to commiserate with him. Not just anyone — CeCe. He wanted more than anything to have her on his arm.
Rafe shoved his hands in his pockets for lack of someone to cling to and hurried inside, his eyes scanning for someone he knew. Weak light poured in through the large glass front of the lobby, illuminating a thousand unfamiliar angelic faces. Rafe knew every single Celestia in his local congregation but rarely crossed paths with others. Rafe marveled as he realized every person here felt an intimate connection to Dominion Connan, and his respect for the man of God grew. How had Dominion managed to develop relationships with so many Celestia? Rafe knew he wasn’t the only one Dominion treated like a friend.
Rafe pushed through the crowd, heading towards the auditorium, and he was just about to text his family to see where they were sitting when a familiar voice called his name.
“Doc Rafe!” Risse Arella called, her sweet, pale face quivering with emotion, her eyes wet with tears. She stood next to her boyfriend, Jake, encircled by several others — the Engel twins — Cheydan and Maddock, and their girlfriends, Lissy and Amanda. Amora Sophia Santino stood nearby as well, the youthful forty-something teacher looked barely older than the young adults standing around her that she’d had in her Spanish class just a few years past.
Rafe joined the circle, happy to find friends, even though he envied the way they clung to their partners. Only Amora Sophia was alone, but Rafe had heard she was dating Jake’s father, and he wondered if the next ceremony would include him as well.
“How are you doing, Risse?” Rafe asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. The teen had grown close to Dominion as a volunteer at the nursing home where he had convalesced.
“I’ll be okay. I know he’s well and happy now; I just miss him so much.” She sniffled a little, and Jake squeezed her hand.
Rafe glanced at Maddock and noticed the freshly-starched suit and tie he wore, a strange contrast to his normally disheveled appearance, and he wondered if he had dressed up just because of the funeral or if today was special for other reasons as well. Cheydan and the others were equally coiffed.
“Are you presenting today?” Rafe asked, and Maddock nodded, smiling.
“Yeah, Zeph said he would follow the usual format, even though everybody’s here. I can’t believe he’s gong to call us out in front of this huge crowd, though.”
Maddock and Cheydan had performed their first miracles since the last ceremony, so they were slated to be honored in front of the congregation. Lissy and Amanda would be formally introduced, too, as their future mates. The girls looked a little leery about all the attention, but the guys beamed with pride.
“When’s it gonna be your turn, Rafe?” Maddock winked at him. “What’s the story on that hot blonde you were canoodling with at the restaurant the other day?”
“Yeah! Maddock told me you went out with CeCe Bellamy.” Cheydan’s eyes lit up. “Are you two an item now?”
Rafe blushed but held his head high. “We’ve gone out a few times.” The others were curious about her, so Rafe gave them a quick explanation.
“She would be perfect for you, Doc. I can’t imagine a better person for you to heal. I wish I could be there when you do it. Can you imagine how happy she’ll be to finally see again?” Cheydan said. The others nodded in agreement, but Rafe cringed. He wished he could be that confident about her reaction.
“What was it like for you when you got your miracle?” Rafe asked the humans — Lissy, Amanda, and Jake. Now that Rafe thought about it, he realized that none of them had been in an ideal situation. In fact, each one of them had been at odds with their eventual mate right beforehand. Rafe admired the courage it took for the other Celestia to perform their miracles even though they weren’t sure how they would be received. Could he and CeCe have the same kind of happy ending?
“It was amazing,” Lissy replied, tossing her long brown hair and smoothing her elegant dress. “I was in the hospital, wanting to die, and the moment Cheydan touched me everything changed. All of a sudden I had hope again, even though my circumstances were the same. I felt so much peace and love. Then he had to go and collapse on me, making me think I’d lost him.” She rolled her eyes then gave Cheydan a coy smile.
“Same here. I was so mad at him,” Amanda squeezed Maddock’s arm, “mad at her,” she nodded towards twin sister, “mad at the world. Then suddenly I wanted to help everyone, no matter how much it cost me.”
“All I remember was fighting with Risse and then suddenly wanting to kiss her. Of course, I’d been wanting to kiss her since the first time I saw her, so I guess that wasn’t such a big deal,” Jake admitted, raking a hand through his hair. Risse turned bright red.
Their stories gave Rafe hope that maybe things could work out between him and CeCe, even though there were challenges, and his countenance lifted despite the somber occasion.
“When are we going to hear about your first miracle, Amora Sophia?” Rafe nudged the pretty hispanic with curly hair and a quiet smile. It was unusual for a Celestia to wait so long before they performed their first miracle, but Amora seemed to have the patience of a saint, even though her gifts were love and wisdom.
“Maybe next time,” she said with a wink. Every jaw dropped open, but especially Jake’s. His hard-hearted father could definitely use a dose of the magic Amora Sophia had to offer.
“We bet
ter get in there if we want a decent seat,” Risse interrupted, noticing how the lobby had emptied. She also wanted to spare Amora Sophia the inquisition she knew was coming if they stayed there talking. Amora gave her a grateful look as the others nodded their assent.
Rafe followed them in, content to sit with them, until he caught a glimpse of his sister on the other side of the auditorium. He waved goodbye and headed towards his family instead. Sunday family time was important to his parents, and Rafe made an effort to honor their wishes by sitting with them whenever possible.
His mother, Tammy, spread her arms and her smile as he approached, drawing him in for a bear hug. “There’s my handsome son! Love the tie, by the way.”
Rafe’s father and sister made faces at the silly pattern, but still looked happy to see him. Rafal was an older version of Rafe, with a handsome face and medium brown hair that was cut a little shorter than Rafe’s to hide the fact that it was thinning and graying. He was trim and fit, a firm believer in exercise and a healthy diet. “Good to see you, Son,” he said, patting Rafe on the back.
Elethea was similarly thin, almost too skinny, but she covered the sharp lines of her body with stiff suits and kept the unruly hair she’d inherited from her mother tightly coiled in a french twist. She was pretty, but she tried her best to hide it, wanting people to appreciate her for her intellect rather than her looks.
The lone human in the family, Tammy DiAngelo was a sharp contrast to her husband and daughter, with round curves, untamed hair, and a vivid wardrobe that matched her personality. She was practically unrecognizable then, in a black dress with her hair pinned up, but her dimpled face was lit with happiness, despite her attempt to look somber. She did the accounting for their family’s medical practice, an occupation which didn’t suit her personality at all, but to which she had happily attended for many years.
Date with Destiny Collection: Angel Romance Series: Books 1 - 4 Page 53
