33
AREZOO
Arezoo checked her reflection in the hallway mirror one more time, smoothing down the soft blue blouse she'd chosen after trying on almost every outfit in her wardrobe. She'd even let Laleh help with her makeup.
Now, waiting by the front door, she could hear her mother moving around in the kitchen, working on the feast she and her aunts were preparing for the celebration tomorrow. Kyra and Jasmine, along with Fenella, had found Esag and two other ancient immortals who had survived the destruction of their kind over five thousand years ago.
The entire village was going to welcome them, and Arezoo was planning to cheer loudly and give them the same warm welcome she and her family had received.
Speaking of welcomes, perhaps it would be better if Ruvon didn't come inside. Arezoo loved her mother dearly, but she wasn't an easy woman to get along with, and Ruvon was far too timid to withstand Soraya's intense scrutiny.
A small voice in the back of Arezoo's head whispered that he wasn't as timid as he appeared.
Ruvon only looked young and insecure, but he was much older than her mother and used to be a warrior in a brutal army. The problem was that Arezoo tried very hard to forget both facts. She much preferred the illusion of a shy, sensitive young man who hung on her every word and looked at her as if she were the morning and the evening star.
She was very good at compartmentalizing and allowing only safe topics in her conscious mind. Everything else, and there was a lot of it, had been shoved into inaccessible compartments that only existed in her subconscious and regrettably surfaced when she slept. It was rare that she managed a night without nightmares, without waking up gasping, her heart pounding, and covered in sweat.
Shaking her head, she dispelled the dark thoughts and decided to wait for Ruvon outside.
"I'm going out," she called to her mother.
"Enjoy your evening," her mother called back. "And don't stay out too late."
"I won't." Arezoo opened the front door and stepped out.
Her mother knew she was meeting Ruvon, and they were having a picnic at the lookout point, and surprisingly, she hadn't objected.
It was certainly unexpected progress. First the bar, and now this.
Maybe her mother was finally starting to see her as an adult.
A few moments later, Ruvon appeared from behind the bend, carrying a large woven basket in one hand and what looked like a folded blanket tucked under his other arm. He wore dark jeans and a soft gray Henley that fit him perfectly, both new. Arezoo had seen him enough times by now to recognize every item in his wardrobe, and it was clear that he'd gone shopping recently and gotten himself a few stylish outfits.
Was he trying to look nice for her?
The setting sun highlighted his newly styled hair, and when he looked up and saw her watching him, his whole face lit up with that smile that transformed him from plain to handsome.
"Hi," she said, suddenly feeling shy despite all the time they had spent together over the past weeks.
"Hi." His smile widened. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you." Her hand rose instinctively to her freshly styled hair. Laleh had curled it, and it was cascading in soft waves around her shoulders instead of being gathered in a braid as usual. "You look nice too."
"Thank you." He glanced down at his new clothing.
"Did you prepare all this?" She gestured at the basket.
"I wish I could say yes, but that would be a lie." He transferred the blanket to drape over the basket and offered her his arm.
After a moment's hesitation, Arezoo threaded hers through it and was surprised to find the contact feeling natural, comfortable.
"Atzil prepared the food," Ruvon said. "My contribution was selecting the wine and the chocolate-covered strawberries for dessert."
"That sounds perfect," she said. "I love chocolate-covered anything."
He chuckled. "That's what Ingrid said."
"The designer?"
