Cheydan gave her the address, and Lissy promised to meet him there in 20 minutes. She would’ve preferred a little more time to primp, but he was already hungry, and she didn’t want to make him wait since he was offering to help her.
Italian music trickled from inside, and black awnings covered the walkway up to the tiny, brick trattoria. A sophisticated-looking maître d' welcomed Lissy, and she wondered if her jeans and sweater were appropriate. Cheydan approaching with a big smile distracted her from her worries. He reached for her hands and she let him take them, but he resisted the urge to kiss her, even though they were in an Italian restaurant and a kiss on each cheek would be completely appropriate.
He couldn’t resist a compliment, though. “You look really pretty, Lissy.” Her ivory sweater made her skin look less pale, and her long, mahogany hair was striking against it. Dark jeans and high-heeled boots made her legs seem to go on forever.
“Thank you.” She blushed, and the color only improved her appearance.
The maître d' led them to a small table where a tiny candle flickered next to a vase with a single white flower. White napkins fanned from wine glasses, and the silverware sparkled against the black tablecloth. Water trickled from a fountain in the center of the dining room, the soothing sound masking the noise of the other diners. It seemed awfully romantic for a first date, if that’s even what this was. Lissy wasn’t really sure. Not that she minded if Cheydan wanted it to be.
They browsed the menu, avoiding conversation for a few minutes. “The chicken marsala is really good if you like mushrooms,” Cheydan suggested. “So is the pork florentine, and the lasagna… It’s pretty much all delicious.” He chuckled.
“You must come here a lot.” Was this where he brought all his dates?
“Most nights, actually.” Cheydan shrugged nonchalantly but his face cracked in a wry smile. “My parents own it.”
Lissy couldn’t stop the loud laugh that bubbled up out of her, but she quickly covered her wide-open mouth with her hand. “And here I thought you were turning up the romance just for me!”
Cheydan dipped his head to hide his embarrassment. “Well, that was just a bonus.”
When he raised his head, his face was more anxious. “They might stop by to say hello, but they won’t hover, I promise.”
“It’s okay, Cheydan. It’s nice that you’re close to your family.” Lissy laid a hand on his briefly but then pulled it away.
Taking a deep breath, she asked, “Speaking of which, you found out something about mine?”
He nodded, and his face lit up with excitement. “I found your birth mother’s name — Nicolette Peters.”
He gave her a minute to process, watching as she mouthed the name under her breath with a small smile.
“I found out something even more interesting, though.” He paused for dramatic effect, pointing at her with a breadstick. Lissy couldn’t resist taking a bite off the end of it, cutting the tension. Cheydan smiled and shook his head, waving the breadstick at her as she chewed happily.
“You have a twin sister.”
Lissy stopped chewing and let her jaw hang open. Cheydan reached over and lifted it with a finger, causing her eyes to pop out instead. She quickly swallowed and took a sip of water.
“Your birth mother named you Melissa and her Amanda. Your adoptive parents actually kept your given name. Cool, huh?”
Lissy was still too in shock to speak, so Cheydan continued. “I don’t think she planned to give you up, but she was just a teenager when she had you both, and you were sick from the beginning. She kept you for three months before she decided it was too much for her.”
Lissy stared at him for another minute, processing, before she finally whispered, “Did she keep the other baby?”
Cheydan’s face softened as he answered her. “It looks like it.”
Lissy grabbed her water glass and nursed it, staring off into the distance. She didn’t know how to feel about that. Logically, it made sense for a teenage mother under too much stress to give up the sick baby, but it still hurt to think she was the only one rejected. She wondered what kind of life her sister had lived, growing up with their birth mother. Did she know about Lissy? Did she ever want to find her?
Lissy was still staring pensively out the window when the food arrived, but the steaming plate of pasta distracted her. She murmured a thank-you to the waiter and swirled her fork around in the angel hair.
“The address we have on file for her is local, but I didn’t get a chance to Google it yet, so I don’t know if she still lives there. If you want, I can go with you to check it out.”
Lissy put down her fork and smiled gently at him, reaching out her hand again. He took it, entwining their fingers. “Thank you, Cheydan. You don’t know how much this means to me. I promise I won’t ever tell anyone you helped me. I know how much it could cost you.”
Cheydan’s mother came by just then, a tall, curvy woman with a mass of dark, curly hair and the hint of a mustache that Lissy figured she probably had to bleach or wax at least once a week. Her face glowed like a luminary, rays of light beaming from her brilliant, white smile and sparkling eyes.
“Cheydan! I was just wondering why you weren’t eating with us tonight — now I know why! You had a much better offer, eh?” She winked at him and squeezed his shoulder before turning her attention towards Lissy.
“Who is this beautiful young lady you’re dining with, darling?” she asked but didn’t give him a chance to answer before she grabbed Lissy’s hand and squeezed it, pumping it as she beamed her flashlight smile.
“This is Lissy McAllister, Mom. Lissy, this is my mom, Luciana Engel.”
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Engel.” Lissy gave a genuine smile.
“Oh, the pleasure is all mine, darling! Never do I see my firstborn with a young lady. It is always his brother sitting here, wining and dining them. In fact, I had to look twice to make sure my eyes did not deceive me. But no, for once the ladies’ man is Cheydan, not Maddock!” Luciana’s vocal expressions were as exaggerated as her hand gestures.
Cheydan buried his face in his hands as a blush bloomed from ear to ear, and Lissy giggled. “Mom! Stop, please,” he groaned.
“I will leave you two alone now, but you do not let this one slip away, Cheydan! I don’t think you could do any better than her. She is lovely.” Luciana nodded emphatically then smiled before whirling around and strutting away.
“Please don’t hold that against me,” Cheydan croaked from beneath the hands still shielding his face.
Lissy laughed with her head thrown back, carefree and happy, all her worries forgotten in that one moment.
“Is your mother as embarrassing as mine is?”
Lissy wrinkled her nose and pursed her lips to stop her smile. “Not quite.”
“How do your parents feel about you searching for your birth parents, anyway?” Cheydan’s voice grew serious.
She stuck a fingernail between her teeth. “I haven’t told them yet.”
Cheydan raised an eyebrow.
“We have a really great relationship, so it’s not like I want to replace them or anything. I mean, I don’t think they’d be upset. I just found out I was adopted a few weeks ago, and I figured it wouldn’t hurt to see if I could get some help from my birth family. I don’t know, it’s… complicated.”
“Well, not that it’s any of my business, but I think you should tell them. I think they’d be more upset if they found out you went behind their backs. Or are you worried they’ll try to stop you?”
Lissy slumped back in her chair and poked at her food with her knife. “Maybe?… I kind of want to wait and see what I find out first, you know? But it would be nice to have someone along for moral support. Did you really mean it when you offered to go with me?”
“In for a penny, in for a pound, right? Besides…” Cheydan drew a deep breath and stared at his lap. Was he brave enough to admit it?
The words flowed out with the breath he’d been h
olding. “I’d like to spend more time with you.”
When he looked up, his eyes met Lissy’s smile, and his look of vulnerability melted into happiness. “That sounds nice,” she replied.
Overcome with newfound bravery, Cheydan decided to risk another proposition. “Hey Lissy, if you don’t have any other plans tonight, would you like to come over? I could help you start the search for your parents.”
Lissy gave a coy smile. “Sure, why not?”
Chapter 13
The Italian style continued at the Engel property, an average-sized home with thick stone walls and tall arched windows that made it appear grand. Lissy parked behind Cheydan and followed him inside, ignoring the large, double front doors in favor of a back door that led into a huge kitchen.
It took up half the square footage of the ground level, as far as Lissy could tell. More stone and rich wood highlighted by warm spotlights made the large space feel cozy. Fresh herbs in the windowsill perfumed the air and made Lissy want to try her hand at cooking, even though she’d never made anything besides Kraft macaroni.
“Your house is beautiful!” She hadn’t known what to expect when Cheydan invited her over. Did he have his own place, or did he still live with his parents? She wasn’t even sure how old he was.
“Thanks. It’s all my mom. She’s into decorating. My dad just lets her have her own way.”
“She did a great job.” Since her own parents were builders, Lissy could appreciate a well-designed space.
“We can hang out in the living room if you want. Nobody will be home for a while.”
Lissy was curious to see the rest of the house, but she didn’t want to seem nosey. Instead, she followed Cheydan into another inviting space filled with large, comfy leather furniture. Dark wood beams lined the vaulted ceiling, and wrought iron scrollwork sconces decorated the walls. A giant tapestry rug softened the Venetian tile floors.
A family portrait hung above the mantle, and Lissy startled when she saw the identical faces on either side of Cheydan’s parents. “You’re a twin?”
Cheydan grinned. “We have that in common.”
“What’s it like?”
“It’s good, most of the time. It was nice to always have a playmate when we were little, but frustrating to constantly be compared to each other. I love my brother, but we’re nothing alike. Besides the DNA, of course. He’s my best friend, though.”
“I’d like to meet him.”
Cheydan grimaced. How could he explain that he didn’t want to introduce them because he was afraid she’d fall for Maddock instead? Maddock was the one the girls always wanted. He was fun and exciting, the life of the party. And his generosity always left the girls swooning. Cheydan was the boring one. At least he had the patience to wait for the right girl to come along.
“He’s usually out kind of late.” He was going to explain that Maddock spent most evenings volunteering at the homeless shelter, but that just made him seem like even more of a saint. Maddock could meet her at their wedding.
Cheydan jolted in surprise at his own thoughts. Wedding? Did he really think he was going to marry this girl that he’d just met? He’d never even had a real date with a girl; what did he know about long-term relationships?
He wondered if tonight counted as a date. He had asked a girl to have dinner with him and she’d agreed. Of course, he’d lured her in with the promise of information about her birth family. Would she have said yes if he’d told her he couldn’t help her? She acted like she liked him; or was that just a ruse to get what she wanted?
Cheydan sighed. No wonder he’d never had a relationship with a girl before. He was clueless.
“So, you’re more the stay-at-home type?”
“Yeah, I guess so. I’m pretty focused on school and work. I mean, not that I don’t like to go out sometimes, too.” Cheydan winced. He sounded like a loser.
“Don’t feel bad. I don’t even get to do that. I’ve been so sick, I’ve been homeschooled most of this year. The only excitement I get is when a new show comes out on Netflix.”
Cheydan chuckled and sat down on the sofa, patting the seat next to him. Lissy took the hint and joined him, tucking her feet up under her legs, her body turned toward him. “So, what shows do you like?” he asked.
Lissy rattled off a few of her favorites, and Cheydan was surprised they were also some of his. “I read more than I watch TV, though,” she said.
“Me too! I love mysteries and thrillers. Do you?”
Lissy blushed. “Sure… as long as there’s some romance in them. I’m a sucker for a good love story.” She kept her face hidden as she admitted, “That’s about as close as I’ve ever gotten to a real romance.”
“I can’t believe that!” Cheydan blurted. “You’re so sweet and beautiful and —“
Lissy’s heart quivered a little bit at the compliments. “And sick all the time.”
“You won’t be sick forever, Lissy. You just have to be patient. And any decent guy would understand that.” Her illness hadn’t stopped him from being attracted to her.
“I guess most guys aren’t decent, then.” Lissy frowned a little then nudged his shoulder. “You might be one of the last.”
Cheydan glowed.
“What made you want to work at an adoption agency, Cheydan?”
“It’s just an internship, but it’s really interesting. I’m studying psychology at IU. When I saw it, I thought it would be a good opportunity to study a unique portion of the population.”
“So I’m a case study? Is that why you want to help me?” Lissy’s tone was joking, but inside she felt the sting of being objectified into a research subject.
“No! Of course not! I mean, your situation is interesting, but…” Cheydan blushed, too embarrassed to admit how much he was attracted to her.
“It’s okay, Cheydan, I don’t mean to sound ungrateful.” What did she expect? She’d told him her sob story and begged him to help her. He was a nice guy. What did it matter what his motivations were?
Cheydan’s face grew serious, and he swiped a finger across her hand. “I helped you because I wanted to, Lissy. I care about you.”
Lissy’s heart swelled a little at the gentleness in his voice. Cheydan had to be the sweetest guy she’d ever met. For a moment, she let herself imagine a future with him.
“Do you want to be a psychologist then, if that’s what you’re studying?”
“Yes, I plan to get my bachelor’s degree in psychology then go on to grad school. Eventually, I’d like to have my own practice here in Indy. It will be a lot of work, but it’s what I’ve wanted since I was a kid. I love helping people, and I think I have a knack for it.” Cheydan’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm when he spoke about his goals, but Lissy noticed there was one thing he didn’t mention.
“What about a family? Is that in your plans?” Lissy ducked her head and peeked up through her lashes, embarrassed by her boldness.
Cheydan chuckled and rubbed his forehead nervously. Was she asking out of interest or just curiosity? He wished, not for the first time, that he knew more about the norms of dating. He decided there was no real reason to tell her anything but the truth.
“Well, yeah, I’d like that, of course. But that’s a little harder to plan. To be honest, I haven’t put much effort into dating because I knew it would be a long time before I could focus on much besides school.” Okay, so maybe he didn’t tell the whole truth, that this was technically his first date, but hopefully she got the idea that he was new to all this.
Lissy felt a pang of jealousy over Cheydan’s well-thought out plan. He had the next ten years of his life mapped out, and she couldn’t see past the next week. They were a terrible match, so why did she feel so drawn to him? Probably for just that reason — he had a future she could only dream about.
“So, have you thought about what you want to do when you get out of school?” Cheydan asked.
Lissy sighed. “Staying alive has pretty much been my only goal for the futu
re.”
The sad look on Cheydan’s face made Lissy instantly regret her comment. She hated talking about her illness; it always put a damper on everything. But what else was there to talk about? Her disease had become her whole life.
“Well, let’s see if we can solve that problem, eh?” Cheydan pulled out a laptop from underneath the coffee table. A few clicks later, he had Nicolette Peters’ name and address typed into Google and was browsing through the results.
The most promising one was a property valuation website that listed Nicolette and Frederica Peters as the owners of the house located at that address.
“Are they sisters, maybe? Mother and daughter?” Cheydan gave a shrug in reply.
There was no phone number associated with the address, which Lissy found disappointing but not surprising. There were too many social media results to narrow down, even though Lissy stared at every profile picture, looking for a resemblance.
Lissy was absorbed in the search results, but Cheydan was distracted by the way her long hair tickled the tops of his fingers every time she leaned over the keyboard, sending little shivers throughout his whole body. Her head was right under his nose, and he couldn’t resist inhaling a deep breath of her jasmine perfume.
“I think I’m going to have to just knock on their door, Cheydan. I don’t see any other way.” She stared up at him with imploring eyes, and Cheydan offered her an encouraging smile.
“Whenever you want to go, I’ll go with you.”
“Thank you, Cheydan.” Lissy reached out a warm hand and squeezed his fingers, and Cheydan wondered if she could feel his heartbeat, pounding in the digits.
“I better get home or my parents will be worried. They don’t like to let me out of their sight for long.” Cheydan immediately felt the loss as Lissy reached for her purse and extricated herself from the couch.
Date with Destiny Collection: Angel Romance Series: Books 1 - 4 Page 34