Hearts Entwined

by Gray, Khardine

  "Evie," Lucy pulled in a breath. "When you were fourteen your teachers wanted you to stop playing the violin and focus on your other studies. Do you remember what I told you?"

  She nodded, remembering with perfect clarity. It was something Evie would never forget.

  "I told you to never give up on your dreams. I told you that one day you'd accomplish all that you wanted and people would come from all over the world to listen to you. And now they do." Her eyes widened at Evie. Pride filled them, against the pain.

  Evie dabbed at her own eyes as a tear ran down her cheek. She thought of all the concerts she'd played at, and how her spirits lifted so high, she had to look down to see heaven when she looked at her audience. There were no words to adequately describe that feeling.

  Lucy looked to Gage and focused on him. "Gage when you were twelve you told me you wanted to play football for a living. I believed in you wholeheartedly, even though you couldn't catch a ball to save your life. Now look at you. You may both think of me as some crazy old lady, but my heart tells me my Angelo is still alive. Just like it told me you'd both grow up to be great people. I didn't have any evidence then. Just my heart." Lucy held the letter to her chest and offered a weak smile against the tears that streamed down her cheeks. "Please, all I'm asking is for your help to book a flight. Nothing more."

  "Lucy I," Evie began but stopped. Gage looked over at her, waiting to hear what she was going to say. Waiting for her to tell Lucy she couldn't help.

  She looked away and gazed ahead to the plasma screens on the wall displaying the arrival and departure times of various flights. Below the wall were lines of people with their luggage.

  She thought about what Lucy said, and she didn't have the heart to tell her no. Evie just couldn't bring herself to say the word. She also didn't have the heart to just book her on a plane to Italy where Lucy would certainly get lost. Lucy didn't even have any luggage aside from her purse, and the fact that she couldn't use her credit cards was alarming enough.

  Evie pulled in a steady breath. "Lucy, you can't go to Italy."

  "Evie, please," Lucy winced.

  "No. You can't go without me." Evie smiled. Gage shot her a curious look.

  Lucy pulled in a surprised breath and gazed at her.

  Evie smiled wider and regained her usual lighthearted jovial mannerisms. "In fact, I should be offended you didn't ask me, and you knew I was in Chicago. You also knew how much I'd love to go to Italy. Just imagine all the fashionable boots they must have. All the best designers come from there." She was babbling now, like she always did when she was unsure about something.

  "You'd come with me?" Lucy asked in disbelief.

  "Of course." Evie nodded. "There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you. But, we have to go home first and arrange this properly. Book our flight, pack some clothes and for heaven's sake Lucy we have to do your hair. You can't travel looking like that. You have witch hair."

  Lucy laughed. "Witch hair?"

  "Yes like Hocus Pocus, haven't seen a comb in centuries kind of hair. Not like Garlinda in Wicked." Evie joked enunciating Garlinda’s name just like they had in Wicked. That was their favorite musical. "You can't see Angelo looking like that. So, does that sound like a plan?"

  To her great relief, Lucy nodded.

  Chapter 2

  She never failed to amaze him. Gage had known Evie his whole life, and she still managed to surprise the hell out of him.

  She was probably the only woman to do that, and he was very interested to see just how they were going to pull off this ... whatever it was they were supposed to be doing.

  Evie couldn't be serious about Italy. She just couldn't. The idea was bad, everything about it was bad, and his grandmother was setting herself up for heartbreak. Heartbreak was the last thing she needed now. Not now when her health was at stake.

  It was up to him to take a stand and be firm despite her desire to go, but he just couldn't. Her words got to him.

  It was true. She believed in him when no one else had, and she invested her life into trying to give him everything he wanted. She'd do anything for him without question, anything at all.

  Her words got to Evie too. He watched that firm exterior Evie liked to show the world melt away and turn into the woman that fascinated him. The woman she released when she played her violin. It was as if she had to break down the walls she'd placed around her emotions, and what would come out was this thing of beauty that had to be felt to be described.

  He was glad she'd come with him, and helped get his grandmother home. He knew he wouldn't have been able to get her back home by himself and right now he wasn't exactly sure what his next move was going to be.

  He'd been sitting in the living room contemplating since they got back. He thought he'd give Evie some time with her because she seemed to offer a comfort he couldn't.

  "I made her some chamomile tea." Evie's voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked away from the oriental patterned vase he'd been staring at and turned to face her as she walked in. "She may want another cup later." She added, folding her arms under her breasts, drawing his attention to the slight hint of cleavage her peach colored camisole top revealed. The color enhanced the golden sun-kissed undertones of her skin. Gage had always thought Evie had a wild, interesting sort of beauty that had continuously fascinated him.

  "Thanks."

  "Well, I'd better go pack." She sighed widening her large green eyes.

  "You're serious about going?" he had to ask because it all seemed unreal, and still like a very bad idea.

  "Of course I'm going." Her face wrinkled with annoyance.

  He rose from the sofa and walked up to her. "This is a really terrible idea. You know that right?"

  "It doesn't matter how good an idea it is." Her brows knitted and a firm line etched between them.

  "And, what will we do if it goes to hell?"

  She tilted her head to the side and regarded him with keen eyes. "We?"

  Gage smiled at her. "Yes, we. I'm not having you running around Italy with my grandmother. Anything could happen." He didn't mean for that to come out the way it did, but it was too late. The words were said, and he'd dealt his cards. Anger lit up her beautiful green eyes, and she straightened up with her hands on her hips.

  "I'm certain anything could happen with, or without you there. Besides, who do you think you are, our bodyguard or something? Do I look like I need a bodyguard?"

  He wished she wouldn't say things like that. It was an invitation to look. Looking may never get most people in trouble, but it certainly would put him right in trouble's path if he continued, and she wasn't making it any easier by pouting at him with those full, glossy pink lips.

  Gage couldn't help himself around a beautiful woman. He never could, even if the said beauty hated him to no end, and got annoyed just from the sheer fact that he lived and breathed.

  Women tended to gravitate towards him and flirt shamelessly. It was a privilege that came with being the quarterback of a famous team, and just being popular.

  Evie however was the exception. There would be no gravitating and definitely no shameless flirting from her.

  "I just meant I'm coming too, safety in groups and all that."

  "Gage, you'd better not piss me off." She stepped closer, into his personal space. Not even his teammates would dare do that. But yet, Miss Evelyn Matthews, looked at him as if she could take him down with no effort at all. When a stern expression filled her face, he couldn't help but laugh.

  Her brows snapped together, and she pouted even more. "It's not funny. I'm in no mood for you and your foolishness."

  "Five years." He shook his head at her and held up his hands.

  She smirked at him. "What of it?"

  "We haven't spoken in five years, and you've already slammed the door in my face, and now you're looking at me like you want my head for a garden ornament. Geez, woman."

  At that, she seemed to back down.

  A little.

 
"It's called preservation, and showing who, who's not going to stand for nonsense."

  He liked that confidence she exuberated. That by itself was fascinating. He was sure she wasn't like this around other guys. Just him and yes, he deserved it. More than deserved it. He didn't have to be told that he'd made her life hell. But that was such a long time ago, and Gage wasn't that guy anymore.

  As close as she was to his grandmother, he'd never been friends with her. Not even close to it. Aside from him being three years older, they were just different plain and simple, complete opposites. He'd always been popular and into football, and she was just odd with her music.

  He didn't think she was odd anymore, but he did back then. Any other girl would have used loving his grandmother's musical talent as an excuse to see him. But she literally hung out with his grandmother.

  He'd thought she was odd with her obsession for music - classical music at that - and he'd never known her to do anything else.

  He guessed though that those were the people in life that had it all figured out. They were the ones that took the safe roads and didn't walk around like they owned the world, like he did. Safe people like her were responsible and mature. They didn't go out partying until all hours of the night, every night, with friends who were drinking far too much. They knew when to stop and would never persist when it was time to stop. Had he been even a little like that he might not have been in that terrible car accident two years ago that paralyzed Clyde Shepherd and took Donny Borman's life.

  If Gage had even a shred of the caution Evie had, he could have told Donny he shouldn't be driving after drinking so much beer, and he could have stopped Clyde from egging Donny to play chicken with a bunch of speed racers.

  Gage was in the back seat so he got out lucky. But the accident changed him.

  He'd had a lot of loss in his life starting with his parents when he was ten years old. That was a car accident too where he'd also been in the back seat. He was determined that there wasn't going to be a third time. That meant he had to change.

  "Okay, Miss Evie. I appreciate the pointer and assure you there will be no nonsense." He smiled at her.

  She narrowed her eyes at him, looked him up and down and then sauntered away. He watched her, unable to take his eyes off her slim tapered hips that looked particularly enticing in her tight fitted jeans. Her long mane of thick brown hair swished across the edge of her waist as she walked away, drawing his full attention to her perfectly shaped behind. Evie would probably pick his eyes out if she knew he was totally checking her out right now.

  Gage returned to the sofa when he heard the front door close. He needed to think about all of this, and how it was going to work. His grandmother came in a few minutes later with her cup of tea and a plate of chocolate chip cookies. Evie had done her hair for her. It was still down but looked a lot neater than it had earlier.

  She set the plate on the coffee table and sat next to him.

  "I know you don't want me to go." She stated. "But Evie and I will be just fine."

  "Grams I'm going with you," he replied.

  At that, she looked surprised but deeply grateful. "What about your game?"

  The game was in three weeks and the team were in the height of rigorous training.

  "They'll have to use one of the second strings because I'm going with you." Sure this would cause him hell. Coach Simpson would most likely punch him when he next saw him, but this was important. She was important.

  It wasn't that he didn't trust her to Evie's good care, he just wanted to be there to make extra certain she was safe. He also wanted to be sure she was doing important things like taking her medication.

  Aside from everything else his grandmother's illness was perhaps one of the main reasons why she shouldn't be exerting herself and running off to Europe looking for a man that could have died decades ago.

  "I appreciate that Gage, but I don't want you to have to go out of your way. You've been training so hard for this upcoming season."

  He smoothed both his hands over hers and smiled. "I'm going with you. You come first. Yes, I have my reservations, but we can go and see. Check things out and see what happens. Find this Angelo guy who was so in love with you."

  "Thank you." She gave him a heartwarming smile. "Gage, none of this means I loved your grandfather any less. I loved him too. Please don't think that I didn't. I was blessed to have love twice. They were both taken from me."

  His grandfather simply died of old age. He was nearly ten years older than her, and he'd lived a great life.

  "I understand." He nodded.

  "If I could have one of them back... I'd be so grateful. Italy was..." that look she always got when she attempted to talk about Italy filled her eyes. It was a look of pain. Heartbreaking pain. "Italy was a big part of my life. I learned to play the violin there. Everything good came from there. Including Angelo."

  He gave her hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "Well, we get to go back there tomorrow." She smiled on hearing that, and her light blue eyes twinkled with expectation.

  Gage just prayed this trip wouldn't turn into a massive disaster.

  * * *

  They started out early the next day to what was going to be one of the longest days he'd had in a while. He'd been lucky to get them a flight from Chicago to Berlin with a five-hour layover there and then on to Fiumicino, Rome. His grandmother had lived right in the city when she was last here.

  She'd seemed in better spirits today and having Evie there made her all the happier.

  Evie just about managed to say thanks for booking her flight and their first argument was over her insisting she give him the money back.

  Twenty hours later they arrived in Rome. But while his grandmother and Evie were like the giggly twins talking about some reality show they'd seen, he had an impending migraine from the constant arguments with Evie. As they stood at the pick-up point loading their luggage into their taxi, he couldn't even fully appreciate the natural beauty that surrounded them, the welcoming warm weather, and the exciting change of scenery that normally came with arriving in a new country.

  And now she was giving him daggers again as he attempted to load one of her suitcases.

  "What now?" he asked with a frustrated sigh. "Are you going to have my head for helping?"

  "No, but I can pack my own things." Evie snapped, tapping her foot on the pavement.

  God, he swore he'd never met anyone like her. She gave stubborn a whole new meaning. What woman didn't want help with her luggage?

  His grandmother laughed at them. "Evie dear, it's not good to be so vicious all the time. Sometimes it's good to let a gentleman treat you like a lady."

  Evie didn't like that comment one bit, but she listened to her because it was her. His grandmother was the only person who could tame the wild but beautiful beast. Gage chuckled and took hold of Evie's violin case, which he knew was her most prized possession. Apparently, wherever she went, it went too. He handled it with care and brought it around to her while the taxi driver continued to load the rest of the luggage.

  "See, I didn't drop it. I was careful like a hen with a baby chick." He told her. Evie took it doing her best not to smile at his joke but failing.

  "Thank you." She shook her head at him in dismay.

  "You're welcome, and please... don't chop my hands off for what I'm about to do next." With caution, he reached for the handle on the car door and made a show of opening the door ever so slowly. To his surprise, she actually laughed. It was a sound he'd never heard in conjunction with anything to do with him. He almost wanted to do it again.

  "Thank you, and you may keep your hands." She slid into the seat, and he closed the door. When he looked up, he saw the curious look his grandmother was giving him and he shrugged.

  "I'll sit in the front." She said purposely with a small smile. Before he could protest, she got into the front leaving him to sit in the back with Evie. To his relief, Evie didn't seem to mind.

  Their journey bega
n from there.

  * * *

  This was it. They were here, and they were on their way.

  Evie was nervous for Lucy. Very nervous for her in fact. The next hour or so would tell them everything. It would tell them whether Angelo was alive or not.

  It was a sensitive thing to wager on.

  At the same time, Evie was so ecstatic to be here in Rome and couldn't hide her excitement. She just couldn't believe she was here. Of all the places she'd ever wanted to visit this was one of the first on her list. She'd loved the architecture, the history and the passion she'd heard so much about. She'd heard that it was the type of place where you went to create memories that would last a lifetime.

  Her busy lifestyle had never allowed her a holiday of more than a week or so with her family. When she was younger, her dad made it his duty to take the family away for a week in the summer. Most times they went to Miami and places like Disney World, or camping in Yosemite, but never anywhere exotic or extravagant like Europe. They couldn't afford to. Now she could afford to take the whole family there several times over, but the problem was time.

  But look, here she was. Evie was in Rome. The circumstances in being here might have been unusual, but she was here. She was sure that while they were literally on a mission, she would be able to squeeze in some sightseeing here and there. How could she not?

  She smiled to herself as they drove by and her eyes scanned over stunning historic churches and buildings. There were also lots of areas where she could see ruins from the ancient city and lots of stone pine trees. The air was fresh, invigorating and had that enticing pull that made you want to enjoy everything.

  Fingers crossed, everything worked out well for Lucy, and she'd find Angelo.

  If that happened, Evie planned to do a full on tour and go exploring. She'd go all over Rome and visit all the attractions like the Colosseum and the Vatican. Oh goodness, she could go to the Trivedi fountain and throw a whole purse of coins in. She'd also eat as much pizza as she could fit into her body and top it all off with ice cream. This country had her name written on it when it came to food. She planned to eat until she passed out.