Divine Purpose

Chapter 23

I hope all of you are doing well today and are enjoying the quick updates. Write me you thoughts, as always, and tell friend to read my book.. LOL

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Cal and I spent the night talking under the stars on a rooftop of one of the highest buildings in town. We sat close to the edge on a small wooden platform that so happened to conveniently have a bench screwed into it. I guess people often came up there for the spectacular view. I had lived in the city most of my life and I had never stopped to admire the scenery from any building. 

We weren't too high to feel the treacherous vibration of wind but still falling down was definitely not something even the indestructible batman would do. 

The sky was pitch black and bright stars illuminated the night with unimaginable beauty. As a child I used to believe that stars were angels watching over us. Stars were the lights that guided our path. I know it was cliché, this whole scene but extremely romantic considering the circumstances. Cal didn't seem like the sentimental type so I appreciated the gesture. 

"So what do you do for fun? Besides torture innocent girls." Was it too soon for that kind of dry humor?

Cal took his suit jacket off and placed it about my shoulders. I didn't even realize I was cold. I guess that stupid warm crush feeling was still keeping me company in the pit of my stomach. Was this healthy? 

"I don't know. Read I guess. I never give it much thought. I never have time for fun." 

That was a dumb answer. "You've lived for decades. What do you mean you don't have time?" 

He stared into the sky like he was looking for something. "I suppose I put so much of my energy on revenge that I had lost track of who I am and what makes me happy." 

I could believe that answer. "Did you really hate your brother that much?"

"It wasn't just about the hate." His gaze fell back down and locked onto my eyes. "I wanted to prove to my brother that God's rules of life and death were unjust." 

I wondered if he still felt the same about that. I was honestly too afraid to find out. Did I really want to know? Was I ready to know? "Tell me a secret about yourself." It was just safer to change the subject. 

"I have nightmares." He shyly confessed. 

Was he pulling my leg? "You're telling me that the big bad Callias, bringing of my own personal hell, has nightmares?" Would laughing be rude?

I could tell he didn't want to talk about it...to me. Maybe he wasn't ready to peel back all those thick layers of his. Vulnerability did not seem like his strong suit. 

"The end, what this world will come to. I often wonder what will become of humanity."

"And it scares you?" He was still passionate even though he lost his faith. 

Finally he stopped looking through me and brought his attention back to the present. "I pity the people of this earth. They have no idea what the consequence of their actions will bring them." 

I was speechless. Perhaps Callias was open to redemption. My hopes fueled my desire to never give up on him. 

"Laken!" Hannah woke me up from my little flashback of last night. "How did it go with your cousin?"

I shook my head a bit to thrown off my daydream. "Good. We got a free meal and then I hung out with Cal." My voice was a bit groggy but expected. 

"Oh really?" She put her paperwork down. "Tell me about it."

"He took me on top of a rooftop and we basically stared at the stars. We talked and it was really, really nice."