Sins of Sevin(10)
Her reaction made me feel relieved, like I wasn’t crazy. Still, I’d never told anyone about my hobby or how it started.
“Thank you for sharing that with me.”
“Well, you make me want to share things with you for some reason. I don’t know. You seem…familiar to me or something. I’m not used to this.”
“Yeah. Me, neither. Actually, I’m not even allowed to be talking to guys unless they come preapproved.”
“Well, I won’t tell anyone if you won’t.”
“Okay.” The smile on her face was so beautiful it hurt. When the sunlight caught the gold speckles in the brown of her eyes, I had to look away to grab my bearings.
I never even asked her name. But what’s the point? I needed to leave.
I just want to know her name.
Then, I’ll leave.
“We know each other’s secrets, but we haven’t even exchanged names. What’s yours?”
She hesitated then said, “Sienna.”
“Sienna? That’s nice.”
“Thank you. What’s yours?”
“Sevin.”
The color seemed to drain from her face. “What did you say?”
“Sevin. I know. It’s like the number, but it’s spelled like Kevin with an S. My mother was unconventional, and she had the name picked out before I was even born. I—”
Sienna suddenly got up and straightened her skirt. “I have to go.”
What?
“Did I say something wrong?”
“No. No, no. I just realized it’s getting really late. I have to go before it gets too dark to ride home.”
“Alright, well, it wa—”
She wouldn’t even let me finish. My heart was pounding as she ran to her bike.
I shouted, “Sienna…wait!”
She waved frantically and took off like a bat out of hell. “Bye!”
I didn’t know why it was so hard to let this girl go. It made no sense. But clearly, something freaked her out. I stood dazed, watching her long, black hair flailing in the wind until she disappeared.
As I continued my drive down the dirt road, I wondered if my tired mind had imagined her.
CHAPTER 5
EVANGELINE
By the end of the two-mile ride, my throat felt raw from gasping for air. Consumed by shock and humiliation, I had cried all the way to Adelaide’s with tears streaming down my face.
Slamming the door behind me, it seemed impossible to catch my breath.
“Oh my word, Vangie. What on Earth has happened to you?” Adelaide had been cooking her famous beer and lentil soup on the stove and dropped the spoon down on the counter to rush toward me.
I shook my head repeatedly, unable to stop crying long enough to form words.
“Did someone hurt you?”
Wiping my nose on my sleeve, I shrieked, “No.”
“Come here.”
In Adelaide’s arms, I let the remaining tears empty from me until I could find my voice again. As always, she smelled like a mixture of motor oil and patchouli.
“Sit down. I’m gonna make you some hot tea, and you’re gonna tell me everything. Alright? Everything.”
Adelaide handed me the steaming hot cup of jasmine, and I took a sip. When I finally calmed down, I said, “I don’t even know where to begin.”
“Take your time.”
“I was on my way here. I would have gotten here like an hour and a half ago, but I ran into this guy on the road.”
She wrinkled her forehead. “Guy?”
“Yes.”
“Alright…”
“I’d fallen off my bike, and he got out to help me. The second I laid eyes on him…it was just…something was there. He was so handsome. It was more than that, though. But God, he was…you know me…I don’t find anyone attractive.”
“I know. You rarely mention the opposite sex. I was starting to wonder if you were one of my kind. Just kidding, Vangie, but you know what I mean.”
“Yes. I do. He was definitely great-looking, tall, black hair, mysterious eyes, big masculine hands. But see…it wasn’t just his looks. It was more the way he looked at me, like he saw inside of me or something. There was a connection. It was indescribable. It was just this…”
“Chemistry.” Adelaide nodded in understanding.
“Yes.”
“Sometimes you can’t really explain chemistry. It’s just there from the get go. Keep talking. I’m just gonna go stir the soup,” she said, walking over to the stove.
“Yeah. That’s what it felt like, just this invisible charge or energy in the air. Anyway…at first, I didn’t know how to handle what I was feeling. I just freaked out and left on my bike. But I could hear behind me that his truck wouldn’t start, so I turned back around to help. You would have been so proud of me. I figured out what was wrong with it!”