Paradise Found: Cain (Paradise #2)(31)

“Does this place have a name? Genesis Gym is already taken, unless this is a second location?” Genesis Gym was the name of the place Cain had trained in Vegas. It was owned and operated by his father. The playful expression on his face could not be contained.

“Actually I was thinking of calling it Eden2.” His tone grew sheepish. The name was not lost on me. Eden was the nickname I gave the private space on my grandparents’ property where I took Cain last summer. An oasis garden in the middle of the vineyard, it was important to me. Calling this place a second Eden tugged at my heart.

“I suppose there really is only one,” I giggled, attempting to lighten the strange tension growing between us. His eyes darkened with a knowing gleam.

“Only one,” he said, growing serious and watching me.

I observed the space a second time, trying to envision all he saw.

“What about Abel's gym, Highlands?”

“What about it?” His tone bristled. I didn't mean any offense.

“Can the area support two gyms?”

“It will,” he stated, determination resounding in his voice.

“It's very exciting,” I said, unable to contain my pleasure for him.

“Yeah?” he said, questioning me with those dark eyes and a growing smile.

“Yeah.”




After the inspection, Cain asked me to lunch. We drove further out of the city to a small diner.

“Best chili you’ll ever have.” He grinned. Literally, his face lit up like I’d never seen before. It was the afterglow of his excitement about the gym and the positive inspection the space received. Chili didn’t sound like the type of food he’d eat, nor was it what I’d order on a hot summer day, but I was willing to humor him. His good mood was contagious and a welcome distraction from my impending issue of where I would live and how I would recover my loss. My mind drifted at one point, despite his enthusiasm.

“Don’t worry about it, Sofie,” he said, interrupting my thoughts.

I blinked at him and apologized for drifting off.

“You can just stay with me,” he said nonchalantly.

“I can’t stay with you,” I laughed slightly.

“Why not?”

“Because we’re divorced,” I blurted without thinking. I hadn’t received an official copy of the decree, but I knew these things took time, and it had only been a little over a week. He ignored my distress as our food arrived. Suddenly not hungry, I was a bundle of nerves instead, so most of my food remained untouched as Cain asked me what I thought of his new venture.

“What about the fights?” I questioned. He looked out the dirty, dusty window at the greenery that surrounded us.

“I love the fight, but I can’t keep this up forever. I have to start thinking about the future.” He remained staring out the window; a line of worry creased his forehead. He seemed older, rather wise beyond his twenty-four years. Concern was etched into his face.

“I have responsibilities, but I don’t think my body in the fight is the best solution anymore.” His voice had grown quiet, as if he had admitted to a dark secret he’d been harboring for a while. He looked up at me self-consciously, then quickly looked away and began to eat the remainder of his lunch.

We spoke casually while we finished eating our meal. I mentioned how the summer session was taking a toll on me, and I’d need to figure out what the science department would cover from my damaged books. He told me again not to worry about my things. When we finished, or rather, when he did, he asked me if I’d take a walk with him. Exiting the diner, and circling around to the back, a trail led up the steep mountain before us, through the thick greenery. We walked side by side at times. Other times, he led the way, either guiding me by holding my hand or supporting me with a hand on my back. We eventually reached a secluded area. A small cement structure formed a turret-like banister, and we stopped to look out at the variety of pine trees intermingled with white boulders below. The view was breathtaking. The world was quiet here, except for an occasional cry of a hawk or an eagle.

The place made me think of ancient kings and queens, and a story came to me. One I’d read long ago of a bird princess and a snake prince. They were betrothed, in hopes of uniting two kingdoms: the Sparrows and the Snakes. It was an odd combination, and even stranger that the two characters could shift into such small creatures. The snake was determined to make the marriage work. He even went so far as to trust two birds to carry him the height of a tall tree, where the castle-nest was made and the princess’ chamber awaited him. She distrusted him at first, but eventually gave into his charms. She would have to deny who she was to enter his kingdom and live as his wife, I recalled. I would never change who I was to fit into Cain’s world. My hands braced on the cement barrier, and I straightened my arms to take in the view, inhaling deeply the clean scent.

My back arched and hit a different barrier, directly behind me. Cain stood close, his own hands coming around me to rest next to mine on the cool stone. That snake tattoo on his arm reminded me once again of the story. I was definitely the innocent bird, although the image of a sparrow didn’t seem very glamorous. I considered myself more of a dove: white, pure, and peaceful, except when I was near him. Then I was something other than myself.

“It’s beautiful,” I said softly, not turning to face him, but feeling his presence surrounding me. I willed myself to concentrate on the scenery and not my wild thoughts of the morning.