What the hell?! What am I in the middle of? No wonder Levi loathes him.

"So you both are Seraphim? How?" I ask not known how to react.

Vartan is the reason his family was murdered.

"I don't know," Levi says unemotionally and walks toward me.

I look up and notice he is way too close to me and on top of that he has no shirt on. I instantly  feel uncomfortable and move toward the couch. Levi must feel my uneasiness and looks hurt.

"Is it true? What Vartan said? About being able to blast me and the house away."

He doesn't answer.

I sit on the couch and look at it his bare chest. I blush as I look away. "So how did you know he was here?" I really am happy to see him but he literally fell from the sky.

It's not like I was expecting him or anything.

He scoffs as he stands directly in front of me. I look up at him.

Levi's face changes from sadness to coldness in an instant. "I actually felt that he was nearby and then I felt your lust. I put two and two together."

My lust?! Vartan is extremely handsome, but it's not like I want to sleep with him.

"Tell me, Emery. Do you tend to desire any man that shows any type of interest in you?"

I feel like I've just been slapped in the face. "Excuse me?!" I ask appalled. Did he really just ask that? "Is this the beginning of another one of your jealousy tantrums?"

I stand and walk by Levi but he grabs me by my arm. He closes his eyes and opens them, trying to calm himself. "I'm sorry." He whispers, letting me go. "It's just-"

I furrow my brows. "You're sorry for what?! Categorizing me as a slut? You know everything about me, right? You've also know I'm still a virgin! So why would I throw myself at Vartan?" I ask.

I'm not even dating Levi and I feel like we've been in a two-thousand year old relationship. His jealousy is nauseating!

My words must resonate with him because his face falls. I pull my arm away from him. "I'm tired. I've been up all night and I want to sleep, Levi."

I walk out of the living room and turn to him. "Your keys are in the car and you can see yourself out."

I turn and walk up the stairs, not bothering to look back.

______________________________

It's dark outside when I wake up from my nap. Daddy and Alice are watching the eleven o'clock news, in the family room, when I walk into the kitchen.

"There's meatloaf and garlic mashed potatoes in the fridge, Em!" Alice yells.

I am starving. I feel like I haven't been eating right all week.

Well eating isn't the actual problem. It's finishing the meal that is hard. Losing my appetite is always caused by Levi.

Going into the fridge, I get my plate out. I remove the aluminum foil from the plate before putting it into the microwave.

Once it's done, I grab the plate and head for the table. I inhale the intoxicating aroma that is my food.

"Emery! I scheduled the truck to arrive a little early tomorrow," Daddy says as he stands and limps toward me.

I put a spoonful of potatoes in my mouth and look at him in confusion. "Why?"

"Tomorrow is the annual midsummer night festival. Did you forget?" He goes into the fridge and grabs a beer.

"I actually did! I'm sorry," I say trying to swallow my food. I actually did hate the festival! The rides are never safe looking and the food is always gross. Well, Alice's dessert table is the only reason I attend.

"It's fine. I've had the men working extra hard this week so you wouldn't be swamped like you usually are." Daddy takes a seat next to me. "Anyways, your aunt will be manning the dessert table as always and I'll be helping Mayor Anthony with something. You'll be there, right?"

"Yeah. I will. I'm sure Katey will be there." I smile as I cut into the meatloaf.

"Alright, sweetheart! I'll be on the porch for a minute or so and then I'm off to bed. Oh, the Castor boy came looking for you earlier."

I nearly choke.

Levi came back or was he already here when Daddy got back? I put my hand over my mouth and cough. Daddy goes back into the fridge and grabs me a bottle of water. He laughs as he hands it to me and I chug it down.

"You alright?" Daddy asks with a smiles.

"Yeah! Just the wrong pipe." I laugh trying to play it off. I don't know if Levi talking to Daddy makes me happy or angry. "What did he want?"

"To say hi to me and Alice. He also wanted to make sure you had no problems with your gift. Your car."

I shake my head as I look out of the window. That is so embarrassing! Why would he tell my father that? "I told him I just needed to borrow a car just to get into town. He's being ridiculous."

Daddy eyes me suspiciously. "Yeah. Right. Whatever you guys are calling it, I don't care. Just say thank you and don't lead him on if you don't plan on returning the affection. You've made so many boys cry because you don't love them back."

My mouth drops as Alice howls with laughter.

"Daddy! Oh my god!" I yell in shock. "That's not fair! I do return the affection."

"No, you don't!" Alice yells, popping up from the couch and looking at me. She laughs so hard she has tears running down her cheeks.

"Your daughter isn't a Summer at all. We wear our hearts on our sleeves. Em does not. She's rather cold," Alice says as she stands and walks toward me. She stands behind me and hugs me.

Traitor!

"I really don't like you both right now," I say looking at Daddy. He shakes his head and limps toward the front door.

________________________________

The following day feels like it's dragging on. The guys working on the farm are finished by noon but my head is somewhere else the entire morning.

Not to mention the fact that I tossed and turned last night.

I sigh as I lean against the barn. I really don't feel like doing anymore chores today. Maybe I should just get away for an hour or so and sit somewhere to relax. There is so much on my mind and I just want to sort it all out.

I am going to ask my dad for his truck but then I remember Levi didn't take his damn car yesterday. I turn and stare at the 'too girly' white Range Rover sitting out in front of the house. I don't want to touch it but I have no choice if I want some freedom.

I grab my phone from my back pocket and callNathan. "Hey, Nathan! I'm stepping out. The trucks should be here soon. If I'm not back by then you know what to do."

"No problem, Emery," Nathan replies happily. He loves when I leave him in charge.

I run inside the house and decide on a quick shower. I don't want to drive around smelling like sweat and farm life. I start to feel a little better just thinking about the car. Yes, this is definitely what I need!

_________________________________

Clouds begin to cover the sun when I step out of the house. It's still sunny but I can see gray clouds in the distance. I hope this isn't going to ruin the festival tonight.

I decide to wear a black and white, tight, sundress with a sleeveless jean jacket. I pair it with red wedges and a red, cross body bag.

This bag had actually been Mom's favorite.

Dad bought it for her for Christmas one year. She used it everyday for two years. The night of the accident, she had actually retired the bag and used something else.

I cherish it!

Jumping into the car I think I see a streak of light fly by in the distance and disappear. It's so fast you can missed it. I jump back out and check the skies again.

Nothing.

Maybe it's an airplane? I look around the property. Nothing out of place. A couple of my guys are on break and are sitting around laughing and talking. They look at me and wave. I wave back.

I shoot my dad and aunt a quick text letting them know I'm going to the lake. Daddy is getting a part for one of the tractors and Alice is busy at the bakery. The correct floor tiles have finally come in and she has to oversee the installation.

Alice told me Sandy and Rick are beyond excited for tonight. They don't want miss their first ever Midsummer Festival. The entire town will be there.

It's only logical that they'd be there. Considering the fact that Alice told me they are now sponsoring it. It actually makes me happy. Now I can get on rides and not fear for my life.

Both Alice and Daddy respond quickly and I drive off the property. I decide to drive to Pine Lake State Park. It's a beautiful area and only twenty minutes away. A park where I can just sit on a bench and relax.

The drive down is relaxing itself. Nothing but farm land for miles. I actually make it in less time than I have anticipated. It's obviously thanks to this car and its speed.

I pull into the parking lot and sit in the car for a while. Solitaire is a very soothing game for me so I decide I'll play a couple rounds before I get out of the car.

Of course I have lost every round. It begins to infuriate me! No doubt my mind is somewhere else. I put the phone away and exit the car.

It's a little cooler here since this place is near water. I enjoy the coolness. It is  welcoming since we've been having this horrible heat wave.

A slight breeze flies around me as I make my way to the nearest bench. There are surprisingly a lot of people here today. They must've come from the three greyhound buses parked in the lot. This area is a tourist attraction.

I sit on the bench facing the water and sigh. I close my eyes and breath in everything around me. The birds chirping in the trees. Squirrels a couple feet from me fighting over one nut on the gravel path. I can even hear the grass underneath their little paws as the scurry.

I open one eye when I can't hear them anymore. I just want to make sure they don't come anywhere near me. As cute as they were, I don't want them to get bite or scratch me. I open both eyes and smile as I see them running up a tree.

"May I join you?" A stranger asks from behind me. I instantly still. I hear the rocks being kicked as the person walks around and stands in front of me.

"Fancy seeing you here, of all places," Vartan says grinning. I smile at him uncomfortably as he sits next to me.

"Yeah? Is this coincidental or did you sniff me out?"
I cross my arms and look towards the lake. Vartan laughs as he sits next to me and stares at me.

"Do you know why I'm here? Sitting alone?" I ask, looking at him.

"Getting away? From folks and mythical creatures?" he asks with a shrugs, a serious look on his face.

I nod and cross my legs, looking back toward the lake. "Precisely. One seraph is enough. Two?" I look back at him coldly.

"Now that's just cruel, " he says looking wounded. He then smiles.

Vartan takes a toothpick from his pocket and places it in his mouth. "You're not judging me because of my past sins? Right, Em?"

"What do you want, Vartan?" I ask uninterested.

"To be friends." He laughs putting his hands up. "No ulterior motives. I promise!"

Or maybe to piss off Levi.

I chuckle wryly. "I'm supposed to believe that? You angels aren't nice at all. It's disgusting actually." I stand and walk away.

"I won't argue with that," Vartan says walking next to me.

I put my hands in my jacket pocket and continue to walk down the path that leads to a dock.

"In all fairness, Em, you aren't supposed to see us when we are in our other form. Leviathan is supposed to be a spoiled, rich kid and I'm an asshole from the wrong side of the tracks. Supposedly." He raises his hands and does air quotes.

"Yeah? Please explain to me why you are proud of that? Seriously? And I'm guessing you can be whoever you want. Why are you slumming it?" I ask pointing to his clothes.

As gorgeous as Vartan is, he dresses like a bum. Like, he rolled out of bed and came here to bother me. Blue jeans with holes in them, a dingy white beater and a long sleeve black jacket tied around his waste.

Vartan shrugs. "It gets me laid. Women want bad boys. No matter that they say. Listen, I've lived for more than two thousand years. I've played every part there is and mastered it. None is more appealing to a woman than a bad boy." He put his hand in front of me so I can stop walking. I give him an annoyed look.

"Nice guys always finish last. The nicer you are to women, the more they walk over you. Play the bad boy? And they are all over you like bees to honey."

I laugh. "And that idiotic logic is why I don't like you." I continue to walk.

Vartan doesn't move. "So, if Levi was a friendly neighbor, you're telling me you would have still been his friend?"

I stop and turn to him, shaking my head. "For real?! Are we really playing that right now?" As if he knows me!

"No. It's a question." Vartan approaches me. "See I know you hated my brother the first time you met him. It's very easy to hate him and me. We are no angels." Vartan puts his hand together as if he is praying.

I sigh. "Get on with it."

Vartan places his hands on his hips. "However, ever since your first meeting, you can't get enough of him, whether you hate him or not."

I look at him appalled and point a finger to his chest. "Don't act like-"

"Like what? Like I know you? You can deny it all you want, but the fact is you like my bad boy brother. Extra points for me because he's very dangerous."

Very dangerous? I can't pretend that doesn't peak my interest but I'd rather hear this from Levi. Not his brother. The brother that had everyone in his family murdered.

I look towards the lake and back at Vartan. "Why are you telling me all this? You're exasperating."

"Ouch!" Vartan laughs, putting both hands to his heart. "I am telling you this because we're friends. Well, eventually we will be. And you obviously mean a great deal to my brother. Contrary to what he believes, I actually love him."

I examine his face. Is he telling the truth? "I don't know about the friendship thing. Also, shouldn't you tell him that you love him? Even though you're the reason your entire family died." I cross my arms.

Vartan's smiles a little less as he looks down, kicking a small rock near his foot. "Well, I wasn't the only contributing factor to our deaths but I have no problem with taking all the blame. I've had the guilty title for over two thousand years." He winks at me.

Vartan then looks around. "I'm surprised Levi hasn't crashed landed here. He must be busy."

I look towards the sky. "Good! I'm actually not talking to him so it's best that he stays away from me."

I scoff as I see how perfect Vartan teeth are again. He really loves misery. "Oh! Care to share?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but he's prone to jealousy and we aren't even a couple." I grow agitated thinking about Levi.

Vartan looks at me confused. "You're not?" He chuckles.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Whose car are you driving?" Vartan turns around looking toward the parking lot.

"So?! I'm borrowing it! There's nothing wrong with that and I did tell him I didn't feel right," I say giving him a disgusted look.

"You could've just said no and meant it." Vartan says with a shrug.

I push him and decide to head toward the car. He is no one to tell me what to do. Angel, demon, whatever he is! He isn't fit to give me advice!

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" Vartan laughs and yells, running up behind me.

"Why are you always laughing? Is life that funny to you?" I say pulling out my phone and checking to see if I had any messages. There were two text messages from Levi. I don't bother to open them.

I didn't even know I had his number or he had mine.

And why is his name already inputted into my phone?

"I'm always sticking my foot in my mouth. Why not laugh?"

I scoff at him.

"So are you going to the midsummer festival?" He asks with a serious face.

I stop and face him, surprised. "What? What do you know about our town's festival?"

"Flyers." He smiles pulling out his phone and begins to text.

Of course. I roll my eyes.

"So do you mind if we accompany one another. As friends." He puts his hands up in surrender.

"I don't need a companion," I say as I sigh.

Vartan is a nuisance but he is friendly. What harm can be caused if we go together? I don't want anyone thinking we are together though. "Fine! We can meet each other there and grab a corn dog or something. And don't touch me either!"

"You're feisty! I can see why Levi took a shining to you," Vartan says as the blonde is in hair beings to expand, his red hair disappearing. His clothes slowly disappear and is left with tight, black, leather pants which meshed into his black boots.

Vartan rolls his head and something huge and white grows from behind him.

It's his wings!
They looked exactly like Levi's, with the gold lining the edges. He flaps a couple of times making the grass, trees, and my hair whip around.

I try to stifle a giggle. Vartan chuckles.

Wow, these men are beyond beautiful!

A man and a woman are about to walk by me when I stop them. I don't even know them. They must've been riding with the Greyhound bus in the parking lot.

"Excuse me," I say nicely. "I'm so sorry to bother you! I may come off crazy, but can you please tell me if you see anything weird in front of me?" I put my hand on Vartan's chest. I tried not to move my hand on his huge pectoral.

I was surprised at how huge and hard it was. One of Vartan's eyebrows shoot up as  he contracts his chest muscles. I try not to blush.

The couple look at me in confusion, then at each other. The man looks around. "Um, no." He shakes his head.

The woman looks at me up and down, her brows furrow. I am so embarrassed! To them, Vartan isn't there and I have my hand up like a lunatic. I remove my hand. "I'm sorry. Thank you!"

They both walk away and continue to give me odd stares.

"I could die right now!" I say looking back at them. I hear the couple whispering and laughing.

Vartan clears his throat. "So now that you've been officially labeled crazy, what time am I meeting you at the festival?"