As The Sun Sets by Erinny Rose (novels for beginners .TXT) 📕

urgent call and had to leave, I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Then in the top right corner I saw three, fifty two am.
“I wonder what it was about” I muttered to myself, I didn’t mind too much because I wanted to check out a local church that is held in a community centre just round the corner from here, I don’t usually go to church, but since I didn’t really have anything to do I figured that there’s no harm in checking it out anyway.
So at quarter to ten I left the house in my best clothes and clutching my Bible which I had found in the book case down stairs, made my way towards the building with Dylan in his pram. I started to feel nervous as I approached the entrance and was just thinking about going back home when some one said “Hi”
I turned around to see who was talking to me, “Hi” I answered shyly when I saw a tall handsome black haired boy.
“Are you going in?” he asked me as he looked at my Bible
“Yeah” I answered starting to blush
He smiled at me and said “come on, if it’s just you two you can sit with me” he held the door open for me then said “I’m James by the way, James Hollowell”
“Nice to meet you” I said as I felt my confidence increase “I’m Alana South, but people call me Lana and this is Dylan” I said gesturing at the pram “oh don’t worry” I said when I saw the look on James’ face “he’s my brother” and walked through the open door. “This is different” I said to him
“What? This?” he said gesturing at the room
“Yeah”
“What were you expecting?” he asked
“Well” I said blushing “Pews and an organ” I admitted but instead seeing chairs around tables and children playing with toys on the floor.
He grinned “That’s boring, this is so much better, we don’t sing slow hymns either, I usually sit here” he said pointing to a small rectangular table with six chairs around it.
“Am I early?” I asked looking around
“Yeah we don’t start until quarter to eleven, I have to get here early to help set up” he said frowning
“So you don’t like getting here early?” I asked
“Not really because setting up is ok but when everything is done it’s the waiting around that’s really boring”
“Why don’t you bring a book or something?” I suggested
He shrugged and said “I’m not really into reading, but anyway I deal with it, take a seat” he said pointing to the table
“Thanks” I muttered as I sat down and took Dill out of his pram and sat him on my knee
“Want a drink?” he asked
“No thanks”
“Or a biscuit?”
“No, but thanks for the offer” I said smiling at him; I actually did feel welcome already. It was easy to hold a conversation with him even though I just met him, he seems really nice and he seems interested in me. I found out that he is eighteen and his dad is the leader of the church and that his mum died whilst giving birth to his younger sister called Grace who is the same age as Dylan.
“I’m really sorry about your mum” I said
He shrugged “It still hurts but at least I know she is in a better place now, what about your parents? Are you still living with them?”
“Yeah I still live at home, urm my dad is away on a business trip and my mum isn’t around anymore”
“Where is she?” I could tell he was just interested rather than being nosey so I didn’t mind telling him
“She committed suicide in December last year” I said trying hard not to remember the night that the cops called round to tell me and what was worse was that dad was on a another business trip, I still remember it so well.
“Do you want to tell me about it?” he asked
“No thanks, I don’t really like talking about it” I admitted
“So then” he said changing the subject “where is your dad?”
“He is on a business trip in Japan” I said scowling
“Who does he work for? Any one I would know?”
“Yeah, to be honest I would be surprised if you hadn’t heard of them, he works for Saandig.”
“Oh really, that is a very successful company, he must get paid a lot. How long is he there for?”
“Well he told me a month but he phoned me the other day and told me he is going to be out there for another month, to be honest I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t come back at all”
“Oh, no offence but he doesn’t really sound like a good dad”
I shrugged “He’s ok when he is around”
He thought for a minute and said “do you have any other brothers or sisters?”
“No, just Dill, but I wouldn’t have it any other way” then we had to be quiet as the service started.
“That was good” I said to James as we walked out “I never knew church was like that”
“Well that’s why it’s good to try stuff out before judging” grinned James
“Thanks for making me feel welcome” I said giving him a hug
“No problem” he grinned “You going to come again?”
“I will try, but I can’t say for definite”
“I’ll wait for you” he grinned
“Thanks” I paused then said “So what are you doing now?”
“I’m free today actually, makes a change” James Laughed “What are you doing today?”
“I have nothing planned, want to come over?” I asked suddenly surprising myself
“Sure” he said “I was wondering what I was going to do today, let me just go check with my dad”
I waited whilst he went back inside wondering why I invited James over, when I hardly know him.
“You ready?” he said taking me by surprise
“Oh, right, your dad was cool with it then?”
“Yeah, actually I think he was glad that I asked dunno why though” he said thoughtfully
I laughed “Oh well, come on I live this way”
“Thanks for inviting me over” he said as we started to walk “you saved me from a boring afternoon”
“Yeah, you saved me too”
On the way home I found that he was into a lot of the same things as I was, and oddly I was attracted to him. I’m really in to Gabriel, but this feels different, I can’t seem to fight it. It doesn’t feel like an ordinary crush, I have only just met the boy! How can I be feeling like this already?
“Here we are” I said as I opened the front door
“Cheers” James said as he walked in “Nice place”
“Thanks, I love it here” I said looking around “I grew up here, it holds so many memories” I sighed as I put Dylan in his play pen then said “anyway do you want some food? I haven’t done the shopping yet so we don’t have much in.”
“Sure, yeah im kind of hungry”
“What do you want?”
“Anything you’re willing to cook” he said grinning
So I went in to the kitchen and pulled out what ever I could find, I decided on Chicken thighs, roast potatoes and peas and carrots. So we had at least an hour to talk before dinner would be ready. James watched me as I prepared the potatoes and the vegetables then put the potatoes in the oven for me.
“Drink?” I asked holding up a bottle of blackcurrant squash
“Please”
“Here you go” I said handing the glass to him and started to walk towards the stairs
“Where are we going?” he asked
“My room” then turning round to see the look on his face I said “don’t worry I always go to my room.”
“Oh ok, want me to get Dill?”
“Please” I answered
“Wow, nice room” James gasped as I opened my door “Its like bigger than my whole house!”
“I doubt it” I said “but I do spend most of my time here, I just need a kitchen and it will be my own apartment” I laughed “So are you a Christian?” I asked as I watched James put Dylan on the floor and then sat down next to him
“Yeah I suppose what about you?”
“Not really” I shrugged “but I have read the Bible, well sort off” I have read Genesis but that was ages ago
I sat there on the floor with him just laughing and talking and time flew by, before I knew it was four pm and he had to leave.
“This was fun” he said
“Yeah I would happily do it again” I agreed as I held the door open
“Thanks for lunch, it was really nice”
“No problem, see you soon I hope”
“Yeah bye” I watched him walk down the road then closed the door. Then grinned as I saw Gabriel come around the corner
He walked up to me then Laughing he said “I think you just met your future husband.”


Chapter Eight

Before I knew it October had turned in to December, I had no idea where November had gone and that surprised me because I usually have a very good memory. I’m glad that October was behind me because I didn’t want to worry about Tobias, I didn’t know if he was still after me or not but I hadn’t seem him since the day of the ‘attack’ and that unnerved me a little bit, but Gabriel seemed to be at ease he was always telling me to relax, that nothing was going to happen to me and if it was he would definitely tell me though it didn’t know how he would know, strange really. But this month I had a lot of things to do, as it was December there was the obvious factor that Christmas was on its way but in between then it was Dylan’s first birthday and the anniversary of my mum’s death. I wasn’t sure how I was going to cope, I hadn’t heard from dad since the beginning of October and that was two months ago, it didn’t look like he would be back for Christmas, but then again he could surprise me. I wasn’t going to throw a party for Dylan, what was the point? He wouldn’t remember it, but then Bree glared at me when I told her and insisted that he did have a party and that she would organize everything. The party is tonight, I didn’t know who was invited but I did invite James and his sister along just so I did at least know two people even if one was a baby. James and me are now joined at the hip, apart from school we are always together, building a very good relationship, I know him really well already and I really enjoy his company.
It was six in the evening when the doorbell rang; I opened the door and saw James standing there in a white shirt and blue jeans looking unashamedly handsome “James” I said grinning pulling him in to a hug “You look so good”
“Thanks” he smiled, “so do you”
“Don’t be silly” I said as I looked down at my night dress “I’m not ready yet”
“Where’s the birthday boy?”
“Upstairs waiting in his cot” I looked around then asked “where’s Grace?” I watched as James slowly turned around and saw Grace in a baby carrier on his back fast asleep, “aw bless her, she’s asleep”
“I know, she should wake up soon”
“Well come on in, I am no where near ready” then I thought for a second then asked “James? Do you mind