“No. It reminds me a little of CJ’s aura.”
I caught Naomi’s gaze. “Michael’s grace,” we both said at the same time. That was the only logical explanation I could conceive. The grace of an archangel must be glaring.
CJ turned and stood. “I’m CJ,” he said, finishing the introductions.
Naomi’s eyes widened, flashing between my doppelganger and me. She let out a nervous laugh. “You two could be twins,” she said.
A moment passed where their eyes locked, and then he offered her his seat. The blatant interest painted on his face sent a burning irritation through my core, landing in my stomach and churning like a time bomb. He glanced at me and raised an eyebrow and for the first time in over a millennium, I tasted the bitter pill of jealousy.
He returned his gaze to Naomi. “Can I get you some pizza?” he asked and Naomi nodded, still staring at him in a way that burned my insides.
Silence blanketed the room and Steve’s brow creased as he glanced at me. A smirk appeared on his face and he slid his glance to his wife, sharing a silent communication that I was not privy to. By the sudden appearance and suppression of a smile, I guessed he was broadcasting my discomfort with their son’s chivalrous behavior.
Naomi’s gaze followed him and I set my drink on the table and stood.
“I need some air,” I said and turned without explaining. The chill slapped at me as I stepped out of the sliding glass doors into the back yard. The cold Atlantic beckoned in the distance and I crossed the expanse of yard to a quaint rock wall that separated the yard from a fifteen-foot drop into the ocean.
I shoved my hands into my pockets and scanned the vastness before me.
A few minutes passed and despite the frigid breeze, I remained in my spot, trying to isolate why I was suddenly feeling so insecure about Naomi. She was bound to me by marriage and blood, and yet, I was afraid that she’d run to the nearest man with an honest and pure heart.
“You really have nothing to worry about,” CJ said, stepping next to me. “Your wife loves you.”
I glanced at him and then back at the water. “I know she does, but I’ve never had any competition before,” I admitted, knowing he was privy to my train of thought.
He chuckled in a way that pulled my attention to him.
“I didn’t think it was a competition,” he said.
“So you’re not interested in Naomi,” I stated, hoping to put my mind at ease. I glanced back at the sunset painting the clouds, turning everything the purple-pink of twilight.
Silence drifted between us and I turned toward him, meeting his gaze.
“No comment?” I asked and he gave me the kind of smile that I always equated with Lucifer; cocky and certain that he held the winning hand. I clenched my teeth, sending a glare at him.
“Look, if this was a competition, you would lose. But it isn’t, so just fucking relax, will ya?”
“I wouldn’t lose.” I crossed my arms and scanned the sea once more before trudging back into the warm house. Naomi looked up from the kitchen table where Jennifer sat with her. She tilted her head, questioning me without words and I shrugged. She didn’t need to know just how unhinged I was right now.
“Where’d everyone go?” I asked, sliding into the seat next to her.
“Steve went to change and Tom and Raven decided to catch a movie in Portsmouth,” Jennifer said and we all glanced as CJ stepped inside and took a seat on the couch. “Are you really as old as Steve says?”
“I’m twenty-five,” I said. “Of course, I’ve been twenty-five for over two thousand years, but, who’s counting”
She glanced at Naomi for confirmation and got a nod in return. When her gaze landed back on me, she asked, “Did you have a chance to meet Jesus?”
I laughed. “I’ve met a lot of people, ma’am, and yes; the messiah was one of them.”
“What was he like?”
“Interesting. He had a lot of good ideas, and an honest heart. Of course, I had already been introduced to Michael and angel bloodlines, so the idea of God’s child wasn’t as farfetched as some people thought.” I glanced at Naomi. “I can tell you this much though, he has got to be livid that so many acts of violence have been perpetrated in his name. He was a peaceful man, but had no tolerance for those who skewed the word of the Lord for their own gain.”
Jennifer looked down at her hands. “And heaven?”
When her gaze returned to mine, I knew where she was going with the questions. Even with the existence of a guardian angel looking over her husband, she still had doubts and worries about where her children’s souls were. I sent her a soft smile and a nod. “Yes. There’s a heaven,” I said, and the relief swept over her face. “And I’m sure your daughters are there.”