Forgotten Fates

Chapter Thirty-Two

Elijah

As I move around the kitchen preparing all the ingredients for dinner, I can't stop thinking about why Alice was able to fall in love with somebody else when the rest of us weren't. All the girls I dated, and the few I had more intimate relationships with, none of them really meant a whole lot to me. It was never because I was the kind of guy who preferred casual flings, I just never could make myself feel more. I tried with Ash, but still never got there.

Same with Cole, every girl he dated would bore him after a week and he would move on. Never from a place of malice, he would always try to make the relationships work. They just didn't. So, what was it that made Alice fall in love with Finn?

While Alice, Paige, and Finn all sit on the back patio, and Cole and I get started on the cooking. He takes over the dough and I work on the sauce, but my focus is constantly drawn to the window every time I hear Alice laugh, or see her move. I didn't like her being out there with Finn and obsessing over it was causing culinary mistakes back in the kitchen. I knew that Paige was with them, and they weren't even sitting near each other. However, being reminded that she had been in love with him, and possibly still could be, I could help but feel insecure whenever he was near her.

When everything is ready, Cole sets the table while I carry in all the food and call out to the others. 

"I don't think I've used this table for eating before," Alice says as she makes her way to the dining room. "My dad and I usually just eat in the living room or at the counter."

"Well, I wanted tonight to be a little special," I say while passing her a glass of wine.

"Why is that?"

"It's our last night all here together. Tomorrow your dad comes back and Cole and I will need to stay somewhere else," I say, sadly.

"Then I think this was a great idea," she tries to smile, but can't quite manage it.

I wave for Paige and Finn to come join us at the table and I think Finn is going to grab the empty seat next to Alice. Which of course was meant for me. Then surprises me by passing it over and moving to the other side of the table.

"How were you able to score the wine?" Cole asks picking up the bottle to inspect the year. Even though neither of us would know what to look for.

"Honestly I didn't even think about it until I was at the checkout since I'm Canadian."

"Actually I'm pretty sure you're Greek," Alice teases.

"Anyways," I says smiling at her. "I got lucky because they didn't even card me."

"Well duh!" Paige says, "You don't exactly look underage."

"I don't?"

"No, and in this town, everybody knows everybody. So, when a tall, dark, mysterious looking stranger rolls in, who looks the way you do; I can see why the cashier was a little too distracted to check for proof of age," she laughs.

"Thanks for the ego boost," I joke and pass her a glass of wine. Then as soon our fingers touch, I am transported to another place and time, watching a memory unfold.

Ω Ω Ω Ω Ω Ω Ω

Paige is laughing at something Cole is saying while, and just like now, I am passing her a glass of wine. Except this glass is more of a goblet, and instead of a modern dining room, we are in an 16th century Italian villa.