Page 59 of Eyes Like Angel (Eyes Like Angel #1)

Eva

The next day, as I made distributions, I did my best to avoid everyone’s interactions and get the job finished. Mrs. Rivers said the earlier the better, so I had to make my role worth a while. I haven’t seen Adrian for a few minutes? Hours? A day?

Where was he?

“Want me to help you, Sister Eden,” a voice said, recognizing who it was.

Inwardly groaned to my psyche, Romano squeezed in, standing beside me with a twinkle in his dark eyes and an unsettling smile smeared on his worn out features.

I ignored him, ever since he laid his hand on Marceline and laid his hand on Adrian’s neck. Since that day, I thought of him differently, pretending his voice was a random commotion to me.

In the corner of my eye, Romano had his gaze darted below on my gloved hands, spotted the jewelry.

“Are you still happy to see me?” he inquired with his cheeky smile. “I’ve been thinking about the way I acted towards you, and I would just like to be friends again.”

I didn’t bother myself to speak or entertain the notions on speaking to the person who I used to admire.

“Say, where did you get that bracelet?” Romano barged in as I worked my way on feeding the homeless with foamed plates readied, standing closer beside me.

I ignored him, handing the filled plate, since the trays were no good; it was filled with cockroaches roaming inside the cabinet this morning, so Mrs. Rivers decided to switch things up.

After being humiliated by Adrian’s strong gasp, it’s no surprise Romano pretended like nothing was going on with him, as if he had walked into a rainstorm in one piece.

His finger tapped on the bracelet, which I pulled my hand away by grabbing another set of filled plates—some homeless folks had allergies. Therefore, we contributed to handing various meals over.

“I’m busy,” I told him in stern tone.

“Come on, Sister Eden,” he cooed with his thick accent. “We’re friends, right? After everything we’ve been through, you can talk to me, you know.”

He nudged in a playful me once again.

As I handed another filled plate over, in the corner of my left eye, Romano’s smiled turned upside down.

“Fine, suit yourself,” he said, and departed, meeting other girls who will entertain him.

Finished with my duties, I went back to the church kitchen from the back door, which I met up with Emily, who was not assigned aside from me and Micah.

Her dark eyes angled on me from top and bottom until she spotted the bracelet.

“Nice bracelet,” she began, leaning back, scanning the details on my wrist. “Where did you get it?”

Again, just like Romano, I said nothing to her.

What was the point of making a civility to someone who has shown her true colors?

“Why the long face? I was just asking,” her tone grew sharper, a sharp contrast of her friendliness was diminishing.

“In case you didn’t hear me the first time, I asked you where you got that bracelet.

It’s not like a poor nun like you would get the bracelet that cost a fortune.

Besides,” she loomed in and leaned her glossy lips, muttering, “I still find it hard to believe you, of all people, could earn a high-paying jewelry. See, you’re not that innocent; I find you boring and sad.

I told you to stay away from me. That’s why I still fucking hate you.

Do me a favor, stay the fuck away from him, too. He belongs to me, and only me.”

She sneered.

With that, she strolled away with a smug on her face; one that’s so irritable nearly reminded me nails on a chalkboard, oblivious to what she meant.

***

As I was finished doing the dishes, a pair of strong arms enclosed over my waist. I turned to see Adrian with his black suit with red cuffs and red tie and a silver chain linked on his coat pocket, still resembling as a beautiful nightly creature basked under a pale moonlight.

“You did a fantastic job as always, Sister Eva,” he said with a hint of tease.

“Adrian,” I uttered, my breath held in. “Sorry, I thought you were someone else.”

Adrian tilted his head. “Who do you expect?”

“No one. I was caught off guard. I thought it’d be one of your friends or something.”

The truth was, I despised the dreaded notion of someone sneaking up behind my back and ambushed me, fearing of an unknown outcome. Gladly it was Adrian for once.

“If my friends were to do that, I’d make sure to make them pay as much as possible they would never see the light of day,” his voice laced with threat. “Even perverts.”

I exhaled, shoulders relaxed since it was only Adrian. I should’ve gotten used to it by now, but ever since Romano has taken his strides to sneak up behind me, I felt tenser than usual.

“Very considerate of you,” I commented loosely.

His shoulders bopped. “It’s what I do best. I don’t like people looking at a person who’s mine.”

I choked a little, but swallowed my frantic stance and maintain my composure.

“Taking a break is the best thing you could ever reward yourself,” he said, still having his arms over me.

“So, what do you intend to do, Adrian?” I asked, undo my violet apron.

“Where are you heading?” he asked, elbow propped on the metal counter, looking angelic and pristine as always.

Maybe because it’s the sun knows how to amplify Adrian’s natural good looks, his princely demeanor has accentuated with a sun glow upon his light-blond locks, loose waves hung over his shoulder, tied into a sleek ponytail, almost like a glowing halo.

“I’m…going home.” I bit my lower lip, refraining myself from blushing.

His eyes drifted within my movement, studying my lips and red blush canvassed over my cheeks.

“I had something else in mind,” he stated, positioning himself.

As I hang the apron, I turned to face him again. “Where to?”

He smirked, his hands running on my curves. “I think you’ll like this event we’re about to be heading. So, shall we head over there?”

***

He drove and parked at the aperture inside his home. Lights inside were open, and noise-free, a perfect way to end the night after a day’s work. It has been a while since I’ve set foot in his estate.

Adrian led me to the lavish kitchen and gathered two champagne glasses and a wine from the glass drawer.

“Drink this,” he told me, hand outstretched the spare champagne glass.

“What is it?” I uttered, rather more like a whisper, studying within the crystal glass holding a white substance and an herb—a mint leaf.

The drink was foggy yet it’s refreshing, couple of blocked ice cubes placed inside and several thin shreds of white strings above the contained beverage, prepared just for me.

Beside it, there was green lime, a sliced citrus slipped in between the line on a crystal glass.

“Mojito,” he introduced the drink, pressing the glass to lips for a quick sip. “Try it.”

My head whipped behind me, not knowing if someone’s spying or tailing on us.

Gut instincts has been a ruckus, unsure if someone’s hiding.

Watching us, watching him entertaining me to an unfamiliar notions, unfamiliar scenarios, unfamiliar…

concept of what normality is. In fact, my mind is filled with qualms and misgivings of consequences aligned, as well as my hazy and dreaded journey to my regular routine, day and night.

Like the man in a Fawkes Guy mask when I was asleep in the church attic in a dead of the night, or how fresh-baked meat and sweets and steaming bitter coffee appeared by my side in a dead morning.

And an unlike appearance of a masked stranger, it hadn’t been easier.

Mysteries after mysteries, wondered who was behind the mask.

His voice snapped the slight thread of my daydreaming curiosity.

“Don’t be afraid. I swear you’re not going to get in trouble,” he addressed, reading my worrying features, predictable as usual.

Another silence plunged in.

“If it makes you feel better, my parents were on a one month vacation to Malta,” he defused the tension. “One and a half month, maybe.”

“One month,” I repeated, eyes widened in puzzlement.

“Oh, not just Malta,” he stated, laced in teasing tone, “they’re also heading to Italy, France and Croatia—visit two weeks each.

Apparently, they hated staying in one place—they got tired of the grey-sky, flowing-river town, and needed a full break, needed something new and exciting.

Glamourous, isn’t it? Italy, to think I was about to go in person. ”

“What was it like?”

He chewed willingly on his delicacy. “Italy is Italy—a very beautiful country. I was anticipating from going to the colosseum, history from the Romans and all, known for its grand tournament. But it’s whatever, since Mom and Dad might spoil it all, making everything about themselves and forcing everyone in Italy they have connections with to be as their lapdog for a translation or as a tour guide.

Either way, I feel sorry for the locals. ”

I bit my lower lip, knowing a little bit of Romans, due to a fact they’re mentioned in a Bible in several occasions.

Romans are powerful members in the society during the time of Jesus in the New Testament.

Neither of the Romans believed Jesus and is being crucified.

But Jesus forgave them at the end in his own salvation.

And with a soul-wrenching heart of his mother, the Virgin Mary, devastated by Jesus’s mistreatment, the crown of thorns and a whip-lashed skin, she stayed by her son’s side when her son had a cross to bear and burdened at the cross with nails on his palms, soon to be brought down.

One time, Father Divine has a miniature statue of Virgin Mary carrying her deceased son, Jesus Christ himself.

He mentioned once that the famous sculpture was made by Leonardo Da Vinci, and he wanted a small replica, and hence he got it, but broke the souvenir by Brother Josh’s canine from dashing in the premise, peeing on a broken figurine, which resulted in enormous receive of slaps by the leather belt and a shock collar on a dog’s neck, electrifying to the system.