Gravity (Artistic Pricks Ink Book 1) (23 page)

She turns and meets my eyes, the wear and tear of all this showing on her face as clear as a neon sign. “The circumstances blow, that’s for sure.” Brushing her hair over her shoulder, I press a kiss to her lips. “This involves us both. Nothing more we can do except handle it all as it comes. As for thanking me, that’s not necessary. I’m not standing here with you out of obligation. I want to be here.”

“If you say so,” she breathes.

Though I don’t want to, I release her. Watching as she disappears into the bedroom before I turn to put away the groceries that Leah dropped off on her way to work. Grabbing her cell phone off of the table, I thumb through the text messages. Needing to see what she has, I scroll through the messages. All pretty much the same thing, promises of things being as they were before and angry ramblings. Reading the last one, I have to stop myself from smashing the phone into the wall.

You’re afraid of me. I’d never hurt you, just those who get in my way.

Powering the phone off, I toss it to the counter and head downstairs. Shelby is sitting at her desk filing paperwork and filling out the list of supplies we need to order. “Hey, what’s up?” She asks, looking up from her note pad.

“We’re heading over to Ki’s. She’s allowed in now, gotta get shit lined out for insurance,” I say, checking my board. “I’ll be back in plenty of time for my appointment. You need me, call me.”

“Luke we can handle it,” Shelby says, waving me off. “Seriously, if I had another set of hands, I wouldn’t even need you sometimes.” She giggles. “Though, if I had another set of hands, I wouldn’t need any man, period.”

Ignoring her comment, I check out the large dry erase board we use to keep up with each other. “Mitch is off today. Charlie went for food. Where the hell is Skinner?” I ask, looking around the room to his empty cube.

“Calm down, he’s napping in your office on the sofa,” Shelby says, holding up her hands. “I’ll get him if someone comes in before Charlie gets back.”

“You ready, Luke?” Ki asks from behind me, causing me to turn toward her immediately. “Hi, Shelby.”

“Hey, Ki,” Shelby greets her. “Beers when I get off? Leah’s bringing goodies.”

“I’ll need a beer and chocolate after handling all this shit,” Ki says with a nod. “Tell Leah I’m in.”

“I’ll text her now,” Shelby replies, grabbing her phone from the counter beside the desk. “See ya later,” she calls as we head down the hall to the back door.

“When do you go back to work?” I ask, climbing into my car and starting the engine.

“Tomorrow,” Ki answers immediately. “I don’t have a choice. Things have to keep moving forward. The world didn’t stop, so neither can I.”

“Point taken,” I reply. Pulling out of the back, I merge into the traffic toward the freeway. “You safe at work?” I ask, realizing I know next to nothing about her job other than assuming she still dances in the same company, just a different show than what I saw pictures of.

“Yes, I have a guy on me nearly at all times. He’s waiting off stage for me, stands outside my dressing room, and walks me to my car every night. I won’t be alone, if that’s what you mean,” Ki explains.

“I’ll drive you and be back there to pick you up. Maybe even stick around to watch you in action,” I shrug. “We will make it work.”

Ki shakes her head, her entire body going rigid. “No, Luke.
We
won’t. There’s no ‘we’ when it comes to this shit,” she argues. “You have a life of your own, a career. I’ll either drive myself and he can come get me from the lot, or I’ll arrange something else. I’m not having you change your entire fucking life and rearrange your entire schedule for me and my problems. You’re not getting hurt because of me. End of story.”

Gripping the steering wheel tighter, I glance at her. “Well that’s where I’ve been confused, I guess. I was damned sure that a relationship applies to every aspect of our lives, not just where you’re comfortable,” I deadpan. “Kionna, I’m not making room in my life for your problems. You’re becoming a part of my life,” I explain. “If that means my life adjusts to accommodate giving you a ride to work so that it insures your coming back, I’ll fucking do it, no question. Do you still not get that you mean something to me? It’s crystal clear to everyone else.”

“There are parts of my life that I keep separate Luke, and with damn good reason.” She says softly, “I don’t want to combine the two. When I’m with you, I’m just me. I can’t take that with me there. When I’m on a stage, I’m not the same person that is sitting here with you now.”

“Must be exhausting and lonely living that way, Ki. I do gotta say, it’s funny how you skip right over the part about you meaning something to me,” I laugh, turning onto our exit. “I’m an opened book for the most part and you’re a goddamn island state. You have to let me in. Or is that another part of your life you plan to keep separate from me too? Huh, Dollface?”

“No, Prick,” Ki snaps. “That’s why I don’t combine the two. Why I never wanted to. I didn’t want to be seen. There was a part of me that was fine with hiding, still am. But I want you to see me, the real me. Not the person I pretend to be in the makeup and costumes for a paying audience!” She shouts, slapping her chest. “You’re the first person to see through all the other shit to what’s really here since my mother died. That scares the shit out of me and at the same time it’s so fucking comforting that I don’t want to lose it.”

Coming to a stop sign, I meet her eyes. “Who says you would?”

“He did!” She shouts, a tear slipping down her face.

“Kionna, you’re letting him get to you. Don’t let that sick fuck get in your head,” I toss out hitting the gas.

I don’t say anything as we drive through the neighborhood. Neither does Ki. Pulling into my mother’s driveway, I shut off the engine and wait. Ki’s hands twist in her lap, the wheels in her head are spinning so fast with everything she wants to say, but can’t. “He threatened you,” Ki whispers finally. “He threatened you, Luke, and I know you read it as soon as I left the room. Whoever he is, he’s never threatened to hurt me before. This is my problem. I pulled you into it, along with your mother and everyone at the shop. If something—” She stops, choking on her words. Her hands coming up to cover her mouth.

“Hey, I get it. I get it, okay?” I say, attempting to soothe her. “Nothing is going to happen to you, me, or anyone else. You’re going back to work? Okay. It will get worked out. Let’s go check on Audrey, then I’ll go over with you to your place. As for everything else,
we
will figure it out.”

Climbing from the car, I walk around and wait for Ki to get out. “I thought I heard your car pull up,” Mom says from the opened front door.

“Hi, Mom.” I wave as the car door opens and Ki steps out.

“Come on in you two. I’ve got some pie left that’s still warm,” Mom replies, disappearing back into the house leaving Ki and I staring at each other.

Walking into the kitchen, we find my mother removing the dirty plates, mugs, and silverware from the kitchen table. “Officer Stewart,” Ki begins, while mom rinses the dishes. “He called and said he was leaving a set of keys with you.”

“Of course, they’re on the table. You two actually just missed Jason.” Mom nods, placing the dishes into the dishwasher before turning to face us. Drying her hands with a dishtowel, she smiles. “Such a nice man.”

“Oh hell,” I groan scrubbing a hand over my face. I swear the women in my life, and Mitch, will be the death of me.

By the time I’ve eaten apple pie and listened to my mother go on and on about Officer Jason Stewart, I’m about to pull my hair out. “When he said that the local library is hiring, I got so excited. He says I’ve got the perfect personality for the job, so he made a call. I have an interview in the morning.”

“That’s so exciting, Audrey,” Ki says, placing her fork on her now empty plate.

“Wow, Mom. I’m impressed,” I reply, shocked by her announcement. “That’s pretty big news.”

“He asked me out too.” Mom blurts, making me spit my milk.

“Don’t you think that it’s a bit soon for that?” I ask, wiping my face and shirt with a napkin.

“You didn’t let me finish, Lucas,” Mom scolds, before shrugging her shoulders. “I told him that I was flattered, but I’m just not ready for that. I’m just now getting my life back, figuring out who I really am and what I want.” Turning to Ki, she smiles brightly while I stare in disbelief. “You were right,” she says, covering Ki’s hands with hers. “When you told me I’d get stronger with each day that passes. How I would never know what I was capable of until I did it. You were right, Ki. Thank you for helping me see that. With everything you have been through lately, I just wanted you to know. You will make it through all of this and be stronger for it, you’ll see.”

Looking across the table at Ki with my mother, I lose a piece of my heart to the woman who gave my mother the one thing she never had. Hope. All while gaining a newfound respect for my mother who, somehow, gives that very same thing right back to Kionna just when she needed it.

I don’t think Audrey knew the weight of her words, or the depth of their reach. What she said broke through the fog of worry and indecision that kept me from seeing anything since that text message popped up on my phone.

I had all but come to the realization that this person’s main goal was not to hurt me. Not physically anyway. I’m not afraid of something happening to me. There is a peace and an understanding in knowing we all are destined for that fate at some point. Losing someone you care about, that is what terrifies me. That aching you feel when you’ve lost someone who is a vital part of your life, sometimes it is so painful you start to wonder if death is less brutal.

That has been my reason for not forming any real attachments since my mother died. Not even the people I work with get any real piece of me. You have no chance at losing what you never had. Luke was right. It does get lonely and difficult at some point, I just hadn’t realized how much I missed having a real connection with another person like that.

And, of course, no matter how hard I fought it, Luke Hanlon has gotten to me.

Without intending to, I have grown attached to Luke. Now, Audrey and everyone at Artistic Pricks Ink are becoming important to me. Which is why the fucker got to me with his latest message.

Threatening me is one thing. Threatening to go after someone that I care about all because of me and some misplaced obsession is another thing entirely. My dilemma in a nutshell. No matter what I do, I stand a chance of losing. I could pack up and leave all of this behind in hopes that it would all go away, or stay and wait for his next move. Either way I would potentially lose Luke. And that is the only thing that scares me even more than what I am starting to feel for him.

Honestly, Audrey only solidified what Luke has been saying all along. I’m giving this sicko all the power. Seeing Audrey strong enough in herself to say something along the lines of what I said to her not so long ago jolts me. So I make a decision.

With Audrey and Luke by my side, I go through my home and begin sorting through the destruction of my bedroom first. My furniture is ruined. Luckily, the photos can be reframed and my mother’s jewelry wasn’t stolen. As a matter of fact, nothing seems to be missing at all. Not even my rainy day fund that I keep hidden in my nightstand.

Loading up what we can into boxes, Luke and Audrey help me pack it out into the shed so that it’s out of the way during clean up and construction. Grabbing up clothes, I fill a bag so I can wash them later and pack up a few of the personal items we have found strewn throughout the house. Luke boards up the broken windows and adjusts the padlocks so that no one can get inside without the key.

At Audrey’s, Luke goes through each room like a drill sergeant. He checks every window and door before making her promise to turn on the alarm system the moment we leave. After arguing for twenty minutes she finally agrees to that and to call him if she needs anything at all before Luke and I climb into his car and head back into the city.