Chapter 2

“Your move, Angie.”

Angel glanced up at him, frowning as she did so. That smug grin was still on his face, and his hands danced lightly across the tabletop. “You haven’t changed a bit since we were kids, Davey,” she said, looking back at the chessboard. “If anything, you’re more annoying than ever.”

David Grey leaned back in his chair and smiled. “And you love it, don’t you, Angie?”

Angel refused to dignify that with a response. She hated that nickname he had given her, almost as much as she hated him. Yet day after day, she felt herself drawn to him for some reason. It was just as her sister had described it to her the day before.

“It’s like...this hold that he has on me,” Rose had said when Angel asked her about David’s brother, Nate. “All he has to do is look at me with those sad, blue eyes and he’s all I can think about.” Angel hadn’t really believed her, but now, she was beginning to wonder if both the Grey boys had that effect on women.

She glanced into his brown eyes, and he winked at her, which only annoyed her more. But a smile crossed her face as she moved her queen into position. “Checkmate,” she said, enjoying the perplexed look that appeared on his face.

He stared at the chessboard, unable to accept his defeat. “But how did you--”

“It was easy...once your mouth started working faster than your brain,” Angel said with a smirk. “Seeya around, Davey.” Then she walked out of the room, leaving David muttering under his breath.

Rose stared at the photo, as she had so many times in the past few weeks. It was a picture of her, Nate, David, and Angel, just after they had rescued David from the Master’s clutches. She smiled as she remembered their childhood together. Though it was true that each sibling never got along with the other very well, when they were together, all their differences seemed to make things that much easier.

Rose placed the photo back on her bedside table and sighed. “Where are you, Nate? Why won’t you come back so I can stop worrying about you?”

Instantly, Rose heard another voice in her head. “I’m really sorry, Rose, but this is something I have to do. Please understand.”

“I understand, Nathan, but please...hurry home.”

Rose could almost see his smiling face as he replied, “I’ll be home as soon as I can, hon. I love you.”

Rose smiled and thought, “I love you, too, Nathan.”

She sat there for a few moments, wondering if being in love was really worth all the trouble Nate put her through. But, as she turned out the lamp, she decided he was worth that and much more.

As she pulled the blankets up to her neck and closed her eyes, Rose could hear his voice again. “Goodnight, my angel...sweet dreams.” Then Rose fell into a deep sleep, a slight smile upon her face.