Gabriel’s POV
“Aria!” I yelled.
Where the hell is, she? We are going to be late.
I heard footsteps coming into the kitchen. Aria walked in wearing a dress and white sneakers. Her hair was up in a ponytail, and she had a little makeup on.
“Why are you in such a hurry?” she asked. “Nick is not even here yet.”
“I promised Zack we would come a little earlier so I could help him hang the sign,” I explained.
“We will be there on time,” she smiled. “Don’t worry.”
There was a knock on the door, and Nick walked inside. His eyes immediately went to Aria, and he gave her a small smile. That guy was totally whipped.
“Are you ready?” he asked us, reaching his hand to Aria.
“Yes,” she smiled and took his hand in hers.
We walked outside, and I locked the front door. We got into my car and started driving to Jake and Cassie’s house.
We didn’t really need to drive there, considering it was only a five-minute walk, but the sign was too big to carry, so I had to put it in my car.
“Does Cassie know anything?” Nick asked.
“I hope not,” Aria chuckled. “Zack really went out of his way to surprise her. It would be a shame if she had figured it out.”
Cassie had a couple of hard months. Blake and she broke up, and Blake moved back to their village. Their breakup wasn’t ugly or anything, but it was hard. Cassie was having a hard time with her feelings toward Zack. Blake figured it out and decided to end their relationship. They loved each other a lot, so it was really hard on both of them.
Zack took the opportunity to show Cassie how much he loved her. He admitted that he was a coward in the past, and he said he wouldn’t be making the same mistake again. Cassie says that she was still not ready for a relationship. Zack understands her and he was willing to wait. While he waited, he was doing everything he could to show her how much she means to him. He often used us for help.
Like today, for example.
Tomorrow was Cassie’s birthday, and Zack was throwing her a surprise party. Annie dragged Cassie to go shopping and she will keep her busy, while we decorated the house.
I parked in front of Jake’s house, and Zack came out grinning from ear to ear.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite doctor!” he said as he picked up Aria into his arms.
“Hello, Zacky,” Aria said, with a huge smile on her face.
“How are you, Minnie?” Zack asked her as he placed her back down on her feet.
“Great,” she smiled. “Are you ready to win my friend back?”
“It is about time,” Zack rolled his eyes playfully. “She is making me work hard.”
“She better,” Jake scoffed, coming toward us.
Nick chuckled and opened the trunk so Jake could take the sign out. I helped them bring it into the house, and we started decorating.
Aria’s POV
The party was in full swing. The surprise for Cassie went great. She really didn’t know anything.
Zack was grinning from ear to ear because Cassie kissed him. The man was so madly in love with her, and I was so glad he finally admitted it to himself and to her.
“So, my best friend is a future doctor,” Annie said as she placed her arm around my shoulders.
“Yes,” I said and took a sip of my drink. “And my best friend is a future artist.”
“A famous one,” she said seriously.
“Of course,” I grinned.
Annie was going to study art. She was so excited when she got in. I was struggling between architecture and medicine, but I eventually decided to become a doctor. I think that saving Zack’s life was a turning point for me. I wanted to help people. I wanted to save lives. Zack was overjoyed when I got in and told me I would have to be his mentor when he decided to attend university. He decided to dedicate his time to perfecting potions and healing spells. He would like to be a doctor as well, but he decided to postpone it for now. He was enjoying magic and I was really happy for him.
Cassie decided to become a lawyer. Nick was thrilled because he finally had someone to talk to about laws, courts, and cases. Cassie loved to talk about these things with him, but they put me to sleep once they started. I literally fell asleep once. But I was glad Nick has someone with whom he can share that passion.
My brother and Jake were going to be engineers. I was so proud of both of them. Gabriel was so happy when he got in. He couldn’t wait for the classes to start. I couldn’t wait to see how excited he will be about homework and studying.
Blake was back home, focusing on his magic. He wanted to move back into the City once things with Cassie cooled off. They’d talked a couple of times, but it was still pretty tense between them. I hoped that Blake would come back soon. I missed him.
Mike and Jack decided to pursue a career in politics. After helping Patricia deal with the aftermath of Victor’s death, they told us that they wanted to learn more about politics and leadership. I was so happy for them, and I think they will do great.
The inquisition quieted down. Patricia managed to convince Victor’s followers to back down. The poles have been taken down. The hunting of supernaturals stopped. There was no longer a smell of burnt flesh in the air. The fear was still here, though. A lot of supernaturals were still in hiding. It will take some more time for things to go back to the way they were, or at least close to the way they were. I don’t think that any of us will be able to forget what happened.
Gabriel and I were getting more powerful as each day passed. We were learning to control it, but we couldn’t be sure what awaits us once we turn 22. We had six more months to prepare. I didn’t forget about Victor’s warning. How could I? But Gabriel convinced me I had nothing to worry about.
I really hoped that he was right.
My brother came to stand next to me. He placed his arm around my shoulders and kissed the top of my head.
“Are you okay, love?” he asked, smiling down at me.
I placed my head on his chest and took a deep breath. “I have never been better.”
