A Promised Fate Read Free

Love will do that--make an obvious lie seem like
God's truth. I knew better than to believe her story. Julia and I
have a deeply rooted past together and I know her better than most.
She has a near crippling fear of darkness and the beach at night
isn’t a place she would dare venture off to alone.
    “I already told you, it was just a walk.”
    “Whatever. Don’t let that shit happen again, Jules.”
I warned. “Rory was worried sick.”
    “It was just a walk, Ari.” She said louder and rolled
her eyes.
    “Lie to him, not to me.” My teeth clenched down tight
and she looked away from me, out of the window.
    We arrived at the edge of campus. “Just drop me off
here. I can walk the rest of the way.”
    I glanced down at her tall, strappy sandals.
    “You sure?”
    “Yes, here is good.” She pulled at the door handle
before I could come to a complete stop and release the child
locks.
    “Will you need a ride later?”
    “Nah, Rory promised he would pick me up.”
    “Ok, then, have a good day.”
    She blew me a kiss from the curb. “Thanks for the
ride, Ari. Love ya.”
    “Sure. Bye, Jules.”

Chapter 3
Evil Eye
     
    It was half past six by the time I walked into our
home from the garage. Earlier than I showed up most days – but very
late for this day. I pulled the knot out of my tie as I walked into
the kitchen. The refrigerator was open and the only thing visible
from the person behind the stainless steel door was a pair of flip
flop clad feet.
    “Ava,” I began my apology, “I am so …”
    The door closed to reveal my mother holding a
watermelon.
    “You aren’t my wife.”
    “What gave it away, Ari? The fact that my arms are
not covered in tattoos or that I’m not six months pregnant?”
    My eyebrow lifted upwards and I opened my mouth, a
dozen or so witty replies played at my lips.
    “Never mind, don’t answer that!” she laughed.
    “Where’s Ava?”
    “She’s out by the pool alongside everyone else. You
promised that girl you would be home early. We've all been waiting
on you. Max has been begging for you!”
    “I couldn’t get away in time. I tried. My assistant
gave me her resignation notice today, she’s gone in two weeks and
her notice threw everything off and then I was held up in this
meeting for marketing. I couldn’t skip out on that meeting. They
are trying to approve this image of Ava for the show, I really
think they are using her to…”
    “Fauna quit? My goodness, why?”
    “Oh, um, this sounds bad but, I don’t know why she
quit. She never really said.”
    “Ava will be happy to hear it at any rate. She never
cared for much for that girl…”
    “Fauna's okay. I’m actually going to miss her, she
does a lot for me. More than she probably should… Anyway, how mad is Ava that I am late?”
    Her twisted grimace said it all. I was in
trouble.
    Turning away from her, I walked back to our bedroom
and removed my watch, suit jacket and tie then pulled a velvety Harry Winston box from my pants pocket. I flipped the lid to
inspect the simple and delicate diamond evil eye necklace I had had
designed for Ava. Ava’s wedding ring rested on her dressing table.
Her fingers had swollen up just enough within the past few weeks
that her ring no longer fit her comfortably. Picking up the ring, I
twirled it around my pinkie finger, thinking of the day she said
yes, the happiest moment of my life. I strung her ring onto the
chain of the new necklace, where it rested nicely against the
circling rows of sparkly diamonds. After changing into a pair of
shorts, I slipped the necklace and my cell phone into my pocket and
headed to the deck.
    Music streamed through the speakers and the evening
summer sun was still warm in the sky. My dad and uncle manned the
grill alongside Nick and Roar. My mother and my Aunt Gianna talked
with one another at the long harvest table that was just large
enough to seat all of us. Beside the pool, in a row of lounge
chairs, sat Collin, August, Julia, Lauren and