Rise From The Ashes (EDITING IN PROGRESS)

Chapter 48

              Zevander's POV

  "How is she?" My sister Zara says as I walk into Lenaya's room. I see that my mom, Rachelle and Aria are waiting for my answer as well.

"I was going to ask you the same thing." I nod towards a sleeping Lenaya. "Braxlyn's fine. She took a shower and is now sound asleep."

I quickly get in her bed and pick her up so she sleeps in my arms. Just like Braxlyn she had a bad day too and on her birthday. She saw Braxlyn crying and I know it hurt her.

"I see you both took a shower." Zara says smirking. "And it took you forty-five minutes. Not to mention that bite mark and hickey on your shoulder wasn't there earlier."

I groan. "You're beginning to sound like Zane. I'm not telling you about my sex life. So drop it." I say rolling my eyes as everyone in the room laughs.

"Okay, okay." Zara says throwing her hands in the air. "Lenaya's okay. She kept asking what was wrong with her mommy. I think when she heard and seen Braxlyn that way it destroyed her. She kept saying she needed to be with her mommy so she can help her feel better." Zara says smiling sadly.

"You know if it wasn't for Lenaya I wouldn't even be with Braxlyn." I say as I watch Lenaya sleep in my arms. "Lenaya made me promise to take her back every Saturday to where Braxlyn worked." I say smiling.

"Is that where you met her?" Rachelle questions and I nod my head.

"Yeah at first it was suppose to be just me and Lenaya spending more time together, but she invited Braxlyn to sit with us the second time we went." I look at Lenaya before I continue. "There was something about her the moment I met her. It's like, when she was around I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, feel her before I see her and when she talked it sent shivers down my spine. It still does." I say looking at my daughter sleep.

"She's your soulmate." Zara whispers and I nod.

For six months we would go every Saturday at eight o'clock. I knew she had been through a lot. She could never look above my lips. Never look in my eyes. She was calm and good to Lenaya. She doesn't know I know, but she fell in love with Lenaya the minute their eyes locked. Her eyes sparkled ever time Lenaya came around." I look at Zara to see her looking at Lenaya with a smile.

"For three months I fought the connection we had, I pushed it away. I didn't want Lenaya to lose someone else in her life. I was scared to start something only to lose her. That and the promise I made to Aliana." I say looking at everyone in the room.

"But I couldn't fight it anymore so I asked her for a month straight if she would like to hang out with me and Lenaya outside of work. She turned me down of course." I chuckle thinking of the memory. "She was so innocent and pure for her own good. But every time I asked and she turned me down it crushed me a little." I say as I continue to look down at my sleeping daughter.

"I finally reworded my question and asked if she would like to go on a date with me on the fourth month of knowing her. If she was going to turn me down again, I had decided I would back off, but Lenaya begged her to go out with me and she agreed. I was feeling so much mixed emotions." I tell them.

"She was nervous too." Aria says laughing. "I remember when she told me she was going on a date with you. She was scared as she had never been on one before. I made her promise to try to be happy and to give you a chance. I knew she liked you since she talked about you and Lenaya often."

I smile as I look at Aria. "We had such a good time that following day. I couldn't stop the feelings from growing more that night, but I dreamed of Aliana that night and in my dream she was angry at me. I went to the cemetery that next morning and Braxlyn heard me talking to Aliana." I say shaking my head. "She didn't get mad even when I ignored her for a month. She said she understood and all she wanted was friendship, but I knew then that I was in love with her. I think I always was. She was all I thought about when I woke up, even when I went to sleep. Hell even in my dreams." I say as Aria makes a face.