I stand and pad over to him. “Look at me,” I say.

He meets my eyes. Purple to sapphire blue. I don’t blink as layer by layer, the darkness retreats and my calmness takes over. When the blue is bright again, I turn my head to the side and strike the pose from my painting.

He smiles and shakes his head. “What am I going to do with you?”

Be with me, make love to me until we both drop, lock us away because with you, that would be paradise. “Spend some time with me.” I pick the thing that will hopefully freak him out the least.

He shakes his head, ready to strike again. “Absolutely not. Time leads to opportunity, opportunity leads to you getting injured or worse, dead.” He shouts the last word.

“I still want to try.” Apparently, I’ve gone mental but I’d rather take a chance than be just a portrait.

He runs his hand through his hair, teeth clenched, like he is trying to contain a roar. “That’s because—you don’t—understand—what it would be like.” He speaks slowly, like he cannot trust himself to release his jaw.

I take his face in my hands. “Then show me.”

“What?”

“Show me what it would be like, and then we’ll both know if we can do this.”

He pulls my hands away from his face. “An experiment with your fucking life? Have you lost your fucking mind? Did something happen to you these last two days that I don’t know about or did I fuck your common sense out of your brain?” He is yelling now. Straight to dragon. So loud is his voice that Calico hops on the kitchen window and presses his whiskers against the glass, peering in.

At the same time, the door bursts open.

“Isa!” Reagan roars.

Oh, bloody hell! Oh no, she’s home early! She will lose it. He will lose it. Maybe I should hide him? Maybe I should hide her? Where is my calming effect? Too late. She turns the corner.

She takes in the scene, her green eyes wild. They zoom straight on Aiden and narrow to slits. Her hair achieves a level of sentience, red curls whipping out in static. She drops her purse on the floor. Her lips twist in a sneer and a low, hissing sound rises from her. Calico paws at the window.

I turn in terror to look at Aiden. He’s not here. But the dragon is. Tall, straight, every exposed muscle flexed ominously. His teeth are locked, eyes glowing. I open my mouth to speak but Reagan explodes.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

Instinctively, I plant myself between her and Aiden. “Reagan, sweetheart, listen to me—”

“Get behind me, Isa,” she roars and starts prowling toward us.

Oh, bollocks! “Reagan, please, he is here for me. Just—”

“What the fuck is your serious defect, Aiden Hale, huh?” she screeches. “Did you come here to gloat? Are you sick of your dick and need free castration services? Or do you have a painful death wish?”

“Reagan, stop!” I call but I might as well be talking to ICE. She takes another step forward, blowing her hair out of her face. I’m too afraid to look at Aiden so I run to her and take her hand. “Reagan, we worked things out. Let’s just—”

She tears her eyes from her prey and focuses on me. She leans in so close to my face that we are almost nose to nose, both cross-eyed. Then she finally sees my robe. Her eyes widen as she sniffs out the real traitor.

“Isa!” she shrieks, looking at me like I just escaped a mental institution. “This is the dragon!” She points at Aiden, lest there is any doubt she might be talking about Calico. “This is the asshole who took your virginity and kicked you out!” Before I can even breathe, she turns on him again.

“Is that your ‘schtick’ huh?” She makes quotes in the air. “I’m Aiden Hale, I can fuck whoever I want.” She tries to imitate his voice. “She’s seen enough pain, you…you…you slut.”

Oh my God! “Reagan, enough!” I yell, yanking her hand. I sneak a peek at the dragon, terrified he will roast her alive or fly out of the window. But the dragon has left. Aiden is back, still tall and hypervigilant, but the rage has dimmed in his eyes. The moment he catches my eye, he smiles. A small, tight, reassuring smile.

“Why don’t you get dressed and we can go to my place?” he says, his voice even.

“Go? Go! GO?” Reagan screeches as though going anywhere with Aiden should be a crime punishable by severe and painful scratching. He does not answer her.

I smile at him. “Just give me a minute.”

I turn to deal with the feral felid hissing next to me, but then look at him again. “Don’t go anywhere!”

He nods. Then—apparently unable to stop himself—raises a perfect eyebrow at Reagan, the corner of his lip lifting in a taunting “I win” smile.

She almost lunges at him, but I grab her arm and drag her behind me in a mess of limbs and hair straight to her bedroom. I shut her door in case she loses it.

She does. “Isa, are you fucking crazy?” I’m sure her shriek is reaching not only Aiden, but Calico’s dad, Mr. Willis, next door.

“Yes, I am. I’m crazy about him. He explained, Reagan, and even you can’t fault him for what he did. So just give me two minutes before you tear into him like hydrofluoric acid.”

She looks like she very much doubts a universe exists where she will not fault Aiden. Still, she plops on her bed and waits with wide angry eyes.

But now it’s my turn and I am loath if I disclose Aiden’s struggles to anyone, including Reagan. His PTSD is nothing to be ashamed of, but I have no doubt he wants to keep it private. I sit next to her, trying to think of a way to mollify her.

“He was just looking out for me. He has some very negative views about himself and thought I’d be better off without him. That’s why he came—to convince me to stay away.” My voice trails off as the sharp stabbing returns.

“Well, he convinced you of something.” She points at my robe with her chin.

I tighten the belt, blushing. “I couldn’t help it.”

“Oh, Isa. Did you think about tampons like I said?”

“Umm, no.”

“Ugh! Now, explain to me. What do you mean he’s trying to convince you to stay away? Why?” Her eyebrows quiver in worry.

I swallow. “Well, because he leads a bit of a…an isolated life, and he doesn’t want me to be isolated too.”

“Isolated life? Well, duh, with his money, that’s a no-brainer but that’s not enough to justify his behavior. Isa, don’t let him give you some song and dance just so he can sleep with you again.”

I love Reagan, but somewhere between Aiden’s knock on my door and the lunch we never started, my mission in life has become to protect him.

“He’s not lying to me, Reg, and I’m not stupid. Please, be my sister with this and give him a chance. Especially since I may only have twenty-six days left with all of you.”

She is undeterred. “Isa, what if you get hurt? Remember how it was when—” She stops abruptly but I know what she was going to say. Do I remember how I was when she first met me? Oh yes. Regarding that phase of my life, my memory might as well be eidetic.

I put my arm around her shoulders. “I remember but I’m stronger now. Because of you. Besides, you may still get your wish because no one wants to push me away more than Aiden.” My voice drops to a whisper. I try to breathe as the future he may have saved spans colorless in the horizon without him.

Reagan gives me a hug that squeezes out whatever oxygen I was managing to draw in. “Of course he won’t push you away. And if he does, he’ll be sorry he was born. Now, stop this rubbish before I take the mickey out of you.”

And with that misplaced Britishism, I know she is back on my side. I hold her tightly, kissing her hair and looking at our pictures on her wall. The thought of ever losing her competes with Aiden’s void so I pull away.

“I started some soup. Should be ready in about fifteen minutes. Now I better go find him before he convinces himself that you’re right and scarpers off.”