“I resent that you’re implying that I’m uptight because you have a terrible sense of humor.”

“My humor isn’t that bad.”

“It’s not that good, either.”

His lips curl into a small smile, barely showcasing the unevenness of his lips before I realize I’m breaking my vow and looking at him. I don’t return the friendly expression. I look forward again, slightly surprised that the fog has become thicker.

“That guy the other night that hit Summer’s car, his screaming like that, the anger, why weren’t you bothered by it? You should have been afraid or angry, but you were neither.”

“If I had, he would have dictated my emotions. I didn’t give him that satisfaction.”

The skin between his eyebrows draws together. “You’ve dealt with anger before.” His words repeat in my head, working to verify if it’s a question or statement. There was a slight inflection with the last word, but his eyes aren’t asking, they’re verifying.

“Don’t we all feel angry sometimes?”

“I didn’t say your own.” My jaw sets. “You hang out with Mercedes all afternoon, and while you have definitely connected with her, she isn’t the easiest personality to be around, especially when she’s not getting her way. It never gets very far under your skin though. You know how to calm her down. I didn’t really realize it until I saw you face off with that guy.”

“Realize what?”

“You’ve dealt with some pretty difficult tempers, haven’t you?” The concern in his tone turns knowing.

“I didn’t have angry and abusive parents if that’s what you’re thinking.” It is. “My dad is sort of a gruff guy, but he would never hit me. Make me muck stalls for a month straight, no doubt, but hit me, never.”

“What about your mom?”

“What about her?”

“You said your dad wouldn’t hit you, but you didn’t say anything about her.”

“She wasn’t around long enough to know if I’d annoy her that much. Neither one of them were, really.”

“What do you mean? Like they worked a lot?”

The gravel crunches under our feet as I look over at King and find what I was expecting: attentiveness. I could feel it. King’s emotions are like drops of rain, and whether I want to or not, I feel all of them. First they tickle my skin, then coat me, refusing to be ignored. Finally, it seems they soak into me, reaching parts of me I don’t think anyone has ever touched. I’m not certain how he’s capable of doing so—I’m not sure he even realizes it. Sometimes it terrifies me that it’s apparent with my reactions; other times, I really hope it is.

“My mom left when I was a baby.” King’s eyes tighten, as he listens to me divulge a fact about myself that I have rarely discussed. Growing up everyone just seemed to know I only had my dad and brother. No one ever asked me where she had gone, and it wasn’t something I ever enjoyed discussing. “I see her from time to time.” The times when I have told others about my mom, their faces relaxed when I explained this fact, but King’s does the opposite.

“And your dad works a lot?”

I nod, turning my attention to the path briefly before looking back to him. For some reason, I want to see his reactions. “Yeah. I mean I know he loves me. He’s just busy, and he doesn’t like the whole art scene. If it was up to him, I wouldn’t have gone to college. I would have stayed and worked with him.”

“Doesn’t he want more for you?”

My eyebrows furrow slightly. “What he has isn’t less than what I want—it’s just different.”

“That came out wrong. I didn’t mean that what he does isn’t something to be proud of. I just meant that if art is what you love, doesn’t he want that for you? Isn’t that something we want for everyone we care about?”

“Sometimes people get distracted by thinking they know what’s right for someone.”

He nods once and then looks forward, a smile raising his lips. “How old are you again? Sixty?”

“Well, I grew up working with a lot of people older than my dad. That likely aged me an additional twenty years, so that makes me forty-two.”

King laughs in response as we walk through a well-lit pocket. The light from the garage dances across his chestnut hair, highlighting and shading different strands.

“How old are you?” It’s a question I’ve pondered several times but for some reason seems so trivial. So often people obsess about age differences, yet I could hear that King is thirty-five and I don’t think it would change my feelings for him even if others think it should.

His eyes meet mine, and the humor is gone. “Twenty-seven.” I keep his stare, not even blinking for several seconds while he waits for a reaction that I don’t give.

“That means you’re only fifteen years younger than me.” Slowly, his lips climb into my favorite smile.

“YOU’RE HOME early.” Allie’s words interrupt my mental checklist, startling me.

“Yeah, I didn’t work today because my mom’s coming for dinner.”

“I didn’t know she was coming. How long will she be in town?”

“I’m not really sure. Hopefully through the weekend. I’d like to show her around.”

Allie smiles thoughtfully, building my anticipation. “Think she wants to attend a modeling practice Friday morning?”

“I thought you were going to ask Kenzie?”

“No, you suggested I ask Kenzie, but I told you no. You’re my muse, babe!”

“Muse?” My tone is doubtful, filled with humor while I secretly pray that she’s joking. I can’t say no to her if she really wants me there. As an artist I know how difficult it can be to connect and harness your creativity.

Her blue eyes widen, silently pleading with me. It’s like a direct shot to my gut. I feel awful for making a joke when I had even the slightest doubt about her sincerity. “My mom would love model practice. Hell, she’ll probably have some good tips. She modeled when she was our age. I’d tell you about it, but she’ll likely repeat the stories five times over, so I’ll save you the pain.”

There’s a lingering hint of embarrassment in her smile, but it fades after I reach forward and hug her. “Friday,” I confirm. She nods, her confidence returning before I head up to my apartment so that I can start preparing dinner.

KING’S NAME leaves my mouth as a curse while I pull open the window. My eyes burn so badly from the onion I’ve just chopped, I can’t even see straight. “Who in the hell thought eating these was a good idea after their eyes felt like this?” I cry, fumbling to reach for the sink so I can turn on the water. I blindly wash my hands and then splash cool water on my face, desperate for a reprieve.

My eyes are still tight, tears blurring my vision when I smell smoke. I turn around and find the pan that the onions are supposed to be sautéing in releasing billows of smoke into the small kitchen.

“No no no! What is going on?” I remove the pan from the burner, fanning the air with my free hand before grabbing my spatula and turning the onions. “I forgot the oil,” I groan. The onions are dark but don’t appear burnt, so I pour some oil into the hot pan and listen to the sizzles and pops fade before returning it to the heat. I release the handle as I scroll over the recipe again, making sure I’m not forgetting another step, and nearly drop it when a pain sears through my middle finger. I pull it back from the stove where it brushed against the burner and thrust my entire hand into the sink that’s filled with lukewarm water and packed with several days’ worth of dirty dishes.

A new pain hits my palm. It’s a sharp, instant pain that fades quickly. I pull my hand from the water, confused and slightly fearful. A long white line leads from my ring finger to the pad of my thumb. I stare at it, dumbfounded, grateful that I must have pulled back fast enough or not hit the blade hard enough to inflict damage. Then the white disappears, replaced with maroon blood that makes my stomach curl. I grab the roll of paper towels and rip several off before clutching them in my fist.