Total Eclipse of The Heart- Mated Hearts Series Book 1 (Complete)

Chapter 1

"Total Eclipse of the Heart"

Re-Write of "Learning to Love Again"

2011 Copyright All Rights Reserved

Book 1 of the Mated Hearts Series

Chapter 1 


"Hey," Zach whispered, leaning over and squeezing Ravens thigh, "What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?"  He asked.  He kept his eyes peeled on the road but when Raven glanced over in his direction she caught his devilishly handsome smile.  She loved that smile, it never failed to brighten her day.

After a long minute of studying his profile she turned back to look out the front windshield and sighed.  "Us," she started, "The past.....the future, just a little bit of everything," she added, covering his hand with her own and intertwining their fingers together.

Zack lifted their joined hands and pressed a tender kiss to the back of Ravens hand.  Still driving with his focus on the road he said, "Well, the past is all but behind us and there's not too much that we can do about it now.  The future is yet to come and as long as we are together that's all that really matters.  Now, the present-  that's a whole different matter entirely.  But from what I can see of it so  far, I'm loving every minute of it. You want to know why?" He asked stealing a quick glance in Raven's direction and winking at her.

A smile curled up at the corner of her lips and she slightly shook her head.  Zach was forever the philosophical thinker and when he got in his zone there was no stopping him. That was just one of the millions of reasons that she loved him.  "Why?" She drawled out with a hint of amusement filling her voice. 

"Why, you ask?" Christopher interrupted by sitting up so that his big head was centered between both, Zach and Raven.  He crossed his arms over the back of the front seat and rested his chin on them.  "Because he luuuuvvvvssss youuuu," he sang while making a goofy face for extra effect.

Both Zach and Raven laughed out loud.  Layla, laughed too before Raven swatted at him and while dodging her, he fell back, landing on top of Layla.

"Ow, that hurt you jerk," Layla exclaimed, pushing Christopher off of her.  "You can be such an ass sometimes," she stated turning away from him and glaring back out the window.  Layla and Christopher have been dating for the last three years and to see them together you would have thought that they were an old married couple.  One minute they were fighting like cats and dogs, the next minute... they can't keep their hands off of each other. 

"Come on baby, don't be like that," Christopher whined.  He sounded so pitiful that Raven and Zach both and to fight to stifle their giggles.  This was a scene that they were both familiar with, Layla's cold shoulder, Christopher's groveling.  Raven had no doubt that within the hour the two would be playing kissy face  for the rest of the trip to the beach.

"He's right you know," Zach spoke up, bringing Raven's attention back to him.  "I do love you," and he gave her hand a little squeeze of affection.  His heart felt so full right now with Raven by his side and his best friends in the back seat.  Life couldn't be more perfect that it was at this moment.

"I can't believe that we are actually going to spend the whole summer together at the beach and then come fall, we are all going to be attending UNC.  It's still blows my mind that we all managed to get into the same college," he continued, barely able to contain his own excitement.