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As we wait for our dessert to arrive, I want to break the ice. I rack my brain trying to find something to say, but then apple pie arrives, and we dig in. I start raving about this new show I have been watching - anything to keep the conversation going. Eventually, she’s more at ease as she chimes in every now and again with her opinions.
When we finish, I try to apologize. “Listen, we got off on the wrong foot. Your brother is a good friend of mine, and well, I can’t have you hating me.”
She chuckles. “Is this your version of an apology?”
Wow, this is going to be harder than I thought. I bounce my head up and down, and bite my lip. “Raven, I’m so sorry for treating you horribly, and hope that you will let me make it up to you.”
This brings a smile to her face. “And exactly how do you plan on doing that, huh?”
I sit up straight in the booth, and put my hands together. “Your brother would like me to take you to the Scarlet Dance.”
Raven is surprised at my offer. She clearly doesn’t know how well I clean up in a tux.
7
Raven
Damnit, Ryan. He knows I have always wanted to go to that dance, but no one has ever asked me. The stories every year about the dazzling lights, the grandeur of the decorations, and the music fills the air with its vibrant energy. But now here I am, pissed at my brother for asking Adonis to take me.
He’s confident, so sure of himself and his place in the world. Almost to the point of being irritating. It comes off as arrogance. He hasn’t been a total pain in my ass tonight though. I squirm in my seat as his eyes land on mine again.
“Okay, but only because I have wanted to go since I was a little girl. Otherwise, you would be shit out of luck.” I put my hand out to shake his. “To be clear, it’s not a date.”
He shifts in his seat a bit at that, and it throws me off. A glazed expression takes over his face and he becomes distant. Is it something I said?
"So, you don’t have to worry about that. Two years ago... my girlfriend, Britney, passed away in a car accident."
My hand flies to my mouth. "I'm so sorry.”
Adonis nods. "She was driving home from work one evening when a semi-truck ran a stop sign and hit her car. The impact killed her instantly.”
Okay, so I might not like this guy a whole lot, but I still wish I could take away his pain. Losing someone is hard, but the person you love, that has to hurt every day.
“Is that why you came to Grapevine, because of her?”
He runs his fingers through his hair. “She got a job right out of college to teach at the elementary school, and I was still looking. Grapevine seemed like the perfect little place to start a family.”
I close my eyes, imagining spending the rest of your life with someone and then it getting ripped away. The pain and loneliness he must encounter.
"It was my fault somehow," he says, his voice thick. "I should have been there to protect her."
I shake my head. "It's not your fault."
Adonis looks down in sadness.
Instead of being a grumpy asshole, he’s dealing with a tragic loss. It makes me reevaluate my perception of him and perhaps I should cut him some slack.
“That’s another reason why I love this place. The apple pie is a tradition."
I give him a quizzical look. “Oh?”
“My girlfriend, she used to make the best apple pies. Whenever we had a family gathering or a birthday celebration, she would always make it for dessert. I was so impressed by her baking skills.”
I smile.
“It’s been tough. But I’ve been trying to keep her memory alive. I come here three days a week to get a slice of apple pie. It’s not the same, but it’s a way to honor her memory, keep her alive in my heart.”
I reach across the table and give Adonis’s hand a gentle squeeze.
