Celestial Beginnings (Nephilim Series) (22 page)

“Don’t mind her.
She spaces every once in a while.” It was the other woman that she didn’t know. She then took her hand and snapped right in front or Terah’s face. “Earth to Terah. Wake up!”

Terah’s face broke out into a smile and she elbowed the other woman’s stomach.
“Ha Ha. I was just thinking.” She then looked to Trinity. “Sorry. I was just trying to figure something out.”

Smiling, Trinity shook her head.
“It’s alright.” She then turned to the other woman and held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Trinity. Do you also work with Malachi?”

“Yeah, we all do.”
She made a circular motion with her hand indicating everyone that came, then shook Trinity’s offered hand. “Name’s Tori.”

“Technically it’s Victoria.”
Terah put up both hands, palms out in defense. She took a step away from Tori, but smiled at the death look she was receiving. “But no one is allowed to call her that.”

They both started teasing each other back and forth.
It was then that she realized the two of them reminded her of Nicci and herself. They acted as if they were family, rather than co-workers.

Malachi and Gemariah came out of the house then, and Trinity noticed the carefree banter between those two as well.
She finally got why he wanted these people here so much. They were his family. Obviously, the two girls were close as well as the two guys. Trinity’s gaze then narrowed on the man leaning against the wall, away from everyone. Where does he fit in, she thought?

Trinity tried to excuse herself.
“It was nice to meet you both.” She then pointed over to the mystery man. “I’m just going to go say hi.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
This came from Tori.

“Why not?”

Terah then jumped in.
“Gideon is not the friendliest person in the world. He’s cut from a different cloth, per say.”

Trinity was a firm believer in giving everyone at least a chance.
“Well, he came all this way. I might as well say hello.” She then smiled to them before making her way over to him.

She glanced at Malachi when she was almost there.
He was smiling when he looked back at her but then his face turned to stone when he saw where she was headed. The man stood up straighter and glared back at Malachi. Obviously, there were some issues between the two of them.

Before she even had a chance to say anything, he spoke.
“What?”

“Gideon, is it?”
Trinity was never one to back down from intimidation.

“You know it is.
What do you want?” He still wouldn’t look at her, but instead stared into the distance.

“I just came over to say hello.”
Trinity shrugged.

“Okay, hello.
Now, goodbye.” Gideon glanced in her direction, but then looked away to light another cigarette.

Trinity glanced around.
Everyone was watching them. When she looked at Malachi, she saw that he was turned in her direction, but Gemariah had a hold of his arm, as if holding him back.

Shoulders squared, she turned back to Gideon.
“Did I do something to offend you? Is that why you’re being so rude?”

This brought forth a chuckle from him.
“Trust me, your existence is so miniscule to me that you couldn’t possibly offend me, and I’m rude to keep people like you away.”

When he took another drag on his cigarette, Trinity noticed his hand.
There was a dull black dust like stain on his fingers and side of his hand. Angling her head to the side, she saw the same type of color under his jaw. There was no doubt in her mind what it was.

“What are you drawing?”
Trinity threw it out there in the most casual voice she could.

That got his attention.
Standing up straighter, he finally looked her in the eye. “What kind of a question is that?”

“Well, I’ve always loved charcoal drawings.
There’s something more whimsical about them when the lines are not as precise as another drawing with a different media.”

All he did was stand there with his mouth slightly open.
He looked like he wanted to say something, but couldn’t.

Trinity just rolled her eyes.
“Oh come on. I did not go to school for four years and major in Art to not see the signs.”

He still didn’t say anything, but instead glanced around the back yard at people.

“Is it a secret?” Trinity was now whispering.

Gideon visibly swallowed but answered back in a whisper as well.
“I just haven’t said anything.” Looking up, he scanned the backyard again. “What does it say about people that you’ve known for years, when a person that’s known me for a minute can see something that they can’t?” He squared his shoulders before looking back down at her. That was when she noticed the shutters closing back over his emotions. “How did you know?”

Trinity grabbed his hand, ignoring the flinch, and pointed out the color.
“There is a slight discoloration on your fingers. I had the same one in college. It’s under your jaw as well. Most people when they work and stop to think, they touch around their face somewhere. Not too many people remember to clean off under their jaw.”

Gideon pulled his hand away.
“Why would you study art? I thought you were a photographer. What’s one have to do with the other?”

Trinity was confused and answered warily.
“Because photography is art.”

“No it’s not.”
He answered in all seriousness.

“What do you mean it’s not art?
Of course it is.” Trinity was more shocked than anything.

“No.
All a photographer does is snap a picture of something that’s already there. Where’s the creativity?”

It was now Trinity’s turn to stand there with her mouth open.
Looking around, she noticed that everyone had gone about their business, but were still occasionally glancing her way. Damn. That means someone would notice if she tried to strangle him.

Taking a deep breath instead, she defended her profession.
“You’re wrong. A photographer has to judge angles, work with lighting and depth; and that’s all before you reach the dark room. There is so much more to it than point and click.”

“If you say so…”
He obviously still didn’t understand.

Trinity was getting flustered.
Placing her hands on her hips, she took on a defiant stance. “You have no idea what can be done in a darkroom. Have you even ever been in one?”

Gideon rolled his eyes.
“Why would I have any need to?”

Trinity held up her hands, palms out, and spoke sarcastically.
“You know what…you’re right. I forgot that we were living in a primitive world where there’s only one way, your way, of thinking. How on earth did we ever survive all this time without your opinion?”

“Frankly, I really don’t know.”
Gideon was as calm as ever.

Trinity had looked away, only for her head to snap back around when he spoke.
It was then she noticed that he was fighting not to smile. Placing her hands on her hips; she then smiled and sighed heavily. “You are an infuriating man, Mr. Gideon.”

A smile started to form but he quickly tapped it down.
“So I’ve been told.”

He must have thought the look on her face was funny, because he couldn’t hold it in any longer and let out a very quick, but loud, laugh.

Trinity thought the look suited him and was about to say so, until the moment was broken by the sound of glass shattering.
  The sound caught her off guard and she let out a small scream before jumping in the opposite direction.

Gideon watched as she caught her breath.
“Do you always startle so easily?”

Trinity tried to laugh it off, but failed miserably.
She had been so on edge lately, she was surprised that was all she did when she was startled. “Sometimes. It all depends on the situation.” She then looked around, back at the table. “What happened?”

Gideon frowned and shook his head.
“Apparently Tori got surprised enough to drop her drink. The glass hit the patio and broke.”

“Huh” She looked over and saw that Malachi and all his friends kept looking over at them with an odd expression.
“Well, I better go and see if anyone needs a hand. See ya around.”

Before she was done talking, Gideon had already dismissed her and was lighting another cigarette.
“You know those things will kill you?”

Something she said must have been funny because he gave a sarcastic chuckle.
“I’ve been told this too.”

“They also give you wrinkles, make you smell bad, and can cause erectile dysfunction.”

He had just taken a drag and ended up choking on it. While he was coughing and trying to catch his breath, she started to walk away. “See, not healthy…”

Trinity looked around at everyone in the backyard.
After meeting everyone that came for Malachi, she contemplated their relationship. They were all different but everyone complimented one another. It was as if they were five different pieces of a puzzle that fit together just right.

When she was almost back at the table, she looked around for Malachi and found him cooking the steaks on the grill.
His back was turned toward her, and she could easily admire his impressive physique; strong shoulders and back, well rounded behind; well-built all the way to his toes.

Hello……good lookin’
!

His head snapped around to where Gideon was standing, but quickly looked away.
Turning around, he started to scan the back yard until his gaze found her, and in turn, caught her staring. He then flashed a quick smile and winked before turning back around. A shiver ran through her when she thought about how the night was not even close to being over. They first had to make it through the party, and then they would have their time together.

******

It was getting late. Joseph and Renée had left a little while ago, but not before Joseph shook his hand and told him to take good care of his little girl. The statement made Trinity blush, but not as much as when Renée hugged her and told her how “dreamy” he was. Malachi had no problem hearing people when they whispered, but Renée was anything but quiet, and Trinity knew he heard every word.

Everyone else was now sitting around his patio table, enjoying the night and each other’s company.
Everyone, except for Gideon, who sat at the table and sulked. Malachi didn’t even know why he was here. He had been nothing but an ass to everyone all night.

Then there was the moment Gideon talked to Trinity earlier.
He was too close to kicking the shit out of Gideon for how he was speaking to her, but then…but then he laughed. He could never remember Gideon ever laughing before. Everyone that knew him had gone into shock at that moment and Tori had all but admitted that’s what caused her to drop her drink.

There was banter between the two of them now that made him uncomfortable.
Granted Gideon was still an ass, but she always gave it right back to him. Neither one of them got angry and it was like they enjoyed the sparring.  

Part of Malachi knew he was overreacting.
He figured this out when Trinity unknowingly projected to him and he thought it was to Gideon. Projecting is something extremely personal that only happens when two people have a strong enough bond. He had never heard of someone being able to without having blood from the heavens in them, and was shocked when he realized Trinity could talk to him. That’s probably the reason why he can only hear and not say anything back. Not that he would anyway; it would bring up too many questions.

Now the sun was starting to set, and all Malachi could think about was to get these people out of his house.
He was looking forward to being alone with Trinity. Malachi eyed her up and down as she sat in the chair. She looked so beautiful tonight, in her worn pair of jeans and a fitted t-shirt, that hugged her in all the right places. She had long since kicked off her flip flops and had been walking around bare foot. He enjoyed the fact that she could make herself so comfortable at his home.

Looking around the table, he tried to gauge how long people were planning on staying.
The drinks were flowing and people were having a good time, so he didn’t see this winding down anytime soon. Nephilims have an alcohol tolerance unlike any human, so it would only be Trinity and Nicole that would be feeling the effects; except for the fact that neither one of them had had very much.

The little that they had consumed seemed as if it was affecting Nicole more.
At first she was okay; it had brought her out of her shell. They had all had a few laughs at her giving Gemariah a hard time. Man, those two really didn’t like each other. However, she had started slurring her words more and fumbling with her glass.

Malachi watched as Tori stood up.
“I’m going to get another drink, anyone else need anything while I’m in there?”