by Maia Star
“It’s the app. After a day of being matched, we can call each other. Though I would prefer it if you gave me your new number.”
“Arthur, please, just let this go. Last night was a mistake.”
“You don’t believe that. I know you don’t.” There’s a beat of silence, a hint that she knows I’m right. “Look, Scar, I’m not about to give up on you a second time. The first time was the biggest mistake of my life.”
“Oh, you have no idea…” she says.
“But there’s a reason why we were matched on that dating app. There’s a reason we were paired together.” I struggle to keep myself from saying the word mate since that would give away my shifter nature. “I want children. I want a wife. I want you.”
“That’s not...I don’t...I…” Scarlet stumbles through her words. “This is not a good time in my life to start thinking about you again,” she says quietly. “I just can’t risk it. Why couldn’t you have just stayed with me four years ago?” I can hear some sniffles on the other end. “There’s no point to this conversation. Let’s...just be friends. Or, better yet, let’s just completely move from each other now.”
“You can’t be serious!”
“It would be better for both of us, Arthur. We both need to let go eventually.”
“I just don’t understand! Give me the chance to prove how I’ve changed. Please! I can’t just stop thinking about you.” Shaking my head, I begin to pace again, watching the sun rise higher and higher on the horizon. “Come on, Scar. Give me a second date. I’ll sweep you off your feet. I’ll blow your damn socks off.”
“No. Now, please stop calling me.”
And then she hangs up.
Bringing my phone back around, I stare at the end call screen. She really hung up on me.
I quickly call her again, but of course, she leaves it ringing. It seems like she meant what she said.
Breathing hot and heavy, I go to chuck my phone off the roof, but stop myself at the last second, gripping my phone so hard I get close to cracking it. Now I pace violently back and forth, my anger coming off in droves. I slip my phone into my pocket so that I won’t crush it between my fingers. Fire spews from my lips, and for a moment, I even begin to shift when I’m not focused. I catch myself and stop before I tear my clothes to shreds, and sigh.
Sitting on the edge of the roof, I stare out at the horizon. The sun is halfway up now.
It’s clear she’s very afraid of getting together with me again. It’s much too dangerous for her heart. I can understand, from her angle, why I’d be such a gamble. If I left her once, I could easily leave her again.
I grin wryly. If only she could just see things from my perspective. If only she knew what I truly was...a dragon who’s already claimed her for his own. She’s my mate; she’ll be the mother of my children.
But she still believes I’m just a human being. Why didn’t I tell her I was a dragon shifter when I first met her? Was I afraid she’d fear me? Hate me? Not all humans look at dragon shifters and see people. Many look at us and see monsters. Which isn't too far from the truth sometimes, but us monsters need some love too. We need our mates.
There’s got to be a way to show Scarlet that I’m dead serious. That I’ve matured over the past four years. Things have changed for both us, clearly, so I’ve got to show her we can both overcome walls between us.
Rising to my feet, I trudge back to the roof door and begin my descent back to my apartment. If she won’t pick up my calls anymore, then I’ve got no choice but to go to her in person. I’ll bring gifts to soften her up.
Barging into my apartment, I hurry to take a shower so that I don’t smell when I see her again. Afterward, I put on cologne, dress up in some nice clothes, gather my wallet and keys and phone, and then I’m out the door. I never asked Scarlet where she worked, but maybe I can just figure it out by following her scent. I’ll start at her apartment and see if she’s there. After that, I’ll try to find her downtown. It’s possible this is her day off too.
There are just so many possibilities as to where she might have gone today. But I’m not about to let that stop me.
I remember the way back to Scarlet’s apartment easily, though walking there will take longer since the last time I came home in an Uber. I could shift to make things go faster, but I’d rather not freak out some morning joggers.
On the way, I stop by a flower shop, which sits above what looks like a ruined apartment. Standing outside, looking down at the apartment, is a big, bulky guy with pale hair and a beard. His arms are crossed, and he’s staring with such an intensity that I wonder if he used to live here.
“Hey, buddy!” I say. The guy looks up, his expression softening. “You know if this flower shop is open?”
The guy smiles. He looks like he’s in his thirties. “Yeah. It’s open all right. It’s expensive though. And the owner’s out...so I’m the only worker here.”
I laugh. “Money’s no problem for me. What would you recommend be the best flowers for a budding love?”
The guy stares at me and then he bellows out a laugh. “A budding love! Oh, that’s funny. Well, come inside and I’ll show you.”
“Thanks, man.”
The guy turns around and grins at me. “Anything for a fellow dragon shifter.”
I stop on the steps leading up to the front door, which the guy is holding up for me now. “You’re a shifter too? Damn, how could I not have noticed?”
“Because your mind’s on a woman, right?” The guy laughs again. “I’ve been there before. It’s how my apartment blew up.”
I glance at the apartment below and smile. I’ll keep a mental note not to let either my place or Scarlet’s blow up. “I bet there’s a good story there.”
The guy doesn’t say a thing but leads me inside. I’ve got to admit, it’s funny watching a hulk of a shifter walk gently around groups of flowers. He stops in front of a section of raised blue flowers. “Blue hydrangeas are probably what you’ll want. They represent an apology.” He points to a group of white hydrangeas down the line. “White ones represent the desire to deeply understand someone. I’m pretty sure.”
“Then I’ll take them!”
“Excellent. Now that old woman can’t say I do nothing for her.”
He brings me over to the cash register. “By the way, what’s your name?” I ask. “I’ve been in this city for four years now, but I barely know any shifters here.”
The guy grins at me. “I’m Sven. If you want a friend, you can hit me up.”
Once I pay for the flowers, I wave a quick goodbye to my new dragon shifter friend. “I’m Arthur. Thank you, Sven! Seriously. See you around.”
Sven waves a silent goodbye as I burst out the door.
Chapter Seven
Scarlet
After what happened last night, and earlier this morning, I decided it’s about time I take a day for myself. So, dropping Kai off at Cindy’s place, I go out to a mall where I can just take my time looking through clothes. I called in sick for work.
I’m genuinely surprised I have such an open day now. I woke up early because Kai had a nightmare about me leaving him. It was while I was trying to comfort him that Arthur called. At that point, I could barely think, and I was still groggy from sleep.
Sometimes I wonder if Arthur understands how intense he can be. It’s like he’s not even human. Like he acts purely on instinct rather than emotional or logical thought. It’s not like that’s always been a bad thing. It’s what attracted me in the first place. He just had this way of going about life in the moment that was just lovely.
But then again, that instinct of his led him to crush my heart. I’ve only just begun to heal my and now he’s come back.
Then endless calls this morning were anything but endearing.
It felt good to say no to him...but it hurt to say it, too.
Stopping in front of a rack of blue and green blouses, I force myself to think in the moment, letting my hand brush through the soft
fabric of the shirts. My mind is clear, and I manage to smile. But sure enough, images of Arthur’s smile come rushing back to fill the pleasant void. I begin to hear his voice again, pleading with me to give him a second chance. My heart wants to say yes, but my mind knows I’ll only get burned again.
My phone rings in my pocket, so I quickly pull it out to see who’s calling. I frown when I see it’s Arthur again. I quickly end the call and open Fiery Hearts. I remember seeing a help guide in the settings...but when I open that guide, I find the only way I can prevent him from calling is to unmatch us. And to unmatch us, I need to call Fiery Hearts Inc.
My eye twitches as I stare at the help number.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I whisper under my breath. I only now notice an older woman to my right raise her brow at me. My eyes go wide, and I giggle at her. “Sorry! Just mumbling to myself!”
Quickly lurching away, I weave my way through the endless racks of clothes, finding a cushioned seat tucked into a corner of the store. Barely anyone walks this far in, so I think it’s a good spot to call. I end another of Arthur’s calls to my phone and then dial Fiery Hearts. “So inconvenient,” I mutter again.
While I sit there, I stare at the floor, listening to the ring. It goes on and on, and it gets to the point where I think no one will pick up.
Finally, a woman’s voice picks up. “Hello! Thank you for calling into Fiery Hearts Inc! My name is Audrey. How can I help you?”
“Uh, hi,” I begin. “Look, I’m calling because I want to get unmatched from a guy on my profile. You know, on that dating app you guys created.”
“Right, right. What’s your name?”
“Scarlet Martinez.”
“And the name of the man you want to permanently unmatch from?”
“Arthur Bell.”
“Ah, just so you know, once you unmatch from someone on our dating app, you can’t ever be matched with them again. It helps to get rid of stalkers and the like. So, can you give me a reason why you’re unmatching? We’re trying to collect data on the reason people unmatch.”
I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. Sighing, I rub my forehead, look up and around. There still isn’t anyone near me. Why do I feel wrong speaking about this? Is it because I’m in public?
“Hello? Scarlet?”
“Ah, sorry, um...do I have to give a reason?”
“Well, it’s not mandatory. But I find it helps people move on.”
I bite my lips, and before I can stop myself, I’m speaking again. “Well, I know this guy. Like, I’ve dated him before.”
“Oh, really? And then you happened to match on our dating app?”
I lick my lips. “Yeah. It was the first match for both of us.”
“Wow! Seriously? That’s a new one. And you decided to date him again?”
“No. We just...uh, you know what. I think that’s all I want to say about that.”
“Are you sure you want to delete the match then? Do you have any other way of contacting him if you decide to continue to go out with him?”
“I-I don’t have another way…but this is probably for the best.”
Audrey seemed to click her tongue on the other end. “It doesn’t sound like you’re very sure about this. Do you like this guy?”
“Well, I’m not sure…”
“Now that’s a lie if I’ve ever heard one.”
Shaking my head, I stand up and cross my free arm over my chest, fidgeting. “Where do you get off telling me I'm lying? Are you saying I'm in love with Arthur? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”
“I’m just saying it’s a possibility. Am I really off base here?”
I begin to laugh, drawing attention from a woman who’s wandered near me. She immediately backs off in a hurry. Maybe my laugh came off wrong.
Sitting back down, I cross my legs, and my expression sours. “Fine, maybe I still really like Arthur, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s too late now. It’s best that we both just move on. I don’t want to stay in a relationship where I fear he’ll just walk out on me again.”
“Oh my. Well, if that’s the decision you want to make, then I’m ready to pull the plug for you. So, once again, are you sure?”
I take a deep breath, a single tear rolling down my cheek. “Yes. I’m sure.”
“Great. I’m unmatching you two now. Hope you have a great day, Scarlet!”
And with that, the phone call ends. My arm drops, still clutching my phone. I wait for Arthur to call me again...but he doesn’t. He can’t. I’m not sure how to feel about that.
I mean, he might know the way to my apartment, but unless he continually shows up in person, I won’t be seeing him anymore.
I suppose that’s it.
Rising to my feet, I wipe the tear off my cheek and brush off my clothes. Grabbing my purse, I head deeper into the store to drown myself in shopping for clothes.
For a while, I’m calm, silently searching through jeans, shirts, and underwear as if there was nothing that could get me down. I wear my smile easily, showing strangers that I’m as chipper as they are. It helps to imagine I am fine, that my day is exactly like everyone else’s. Imagining can help keep me from recognizing my own pain.
Suddenly, all the shoppers around me are turning their heads to look towards the front counter where a line of people are waiting to purchase the items in their carts. There’s some grumbling as a man in a blue blazer and khaki pants climbs up on the counter. The cashier lady smacks the man’s legs, but he doesn’t seem fazed. It takes me a second to realize the man we’re all staring at is Arthur Bell.
As he stands on the counter, a thin brown box tucked under his left arm, and a bouquet of blue and white flowers in his right hand, his eyes scan the crowd. It looks like he’s about to sing a song for us.
He’s looking for me.
I’m sweating and ducking behind a shelf of heels. The couple next to me raises their brows at me.
Arthur clears his throat. “Scarlet Martinez! I know you’re here! Talk to me! I’d rather not look through his maze of clothes to find you!”
My eyes go wide, and I look at the couple next to me. The guy is grinning at me: he knows! He points at me. “Hey, dude! Your girl is over here!”
I blanche as Arthur spins in my direction and leaps off the counter. The woman slaps her boyfriend. “Don’t be a dick, Eddie!”
“What? He doesn’t look like a bad guy,” Eddie says, glancing at me. “He’s not, right? He brought you flowers and chocolates. Besides, the rest of the store will watch him if he tries anything.”
Rolling my eyes, I try to sneak away around the corner, but of course, I run directly into Arthur. He blinks as I stand straight. Most of the store is staring at us now. The pressure of so many eyes on me is excruciating, but I somehow deal with it as he smiles at me. “Didn’t mean to create this mess.”
“Yes, you did.”
“I needed to get your attention.”
My brows crease the longer I glare at him. “There are other ways to go about getting my attention, Arthur.”
“You wouldn’t pick up your phone!”
I huff. “Do you think confronting me in public will help you get your way? Is this what you call being mature?”
“I call this being serious.” He hands me the flowers. I reluctantly take them. It’s not like I can resist his smile.
Behind us, the couple is bickering. “See, I told you they were in love!” Eddie says just before his girlfriend smacks him on the head and pulls him away.
Arthur laughs. “All right, fine, maybe telling the whole store was a bad idea. But none of these people will remember this moment hours from now. Nobody even knows who we are.” His eyes glance over my shoulder, and his smile grows. “In fact, people probably won’t realize we’re gone when I lead you into that dressing room.”
My heart pounds. “What are you talking about?”
He grabs my hand and winks at me. “Just follow me, Scar. Let’s have s
ome fun again.”
Dragging me towards the dressing room hallway, we push past a woman coming out, who gives us a dirty look. Arthur ignores her and turns left, ushering me into the stall at the far end. Barely anyone is using the dressing rooms right now, but there’s still one or two women about. The clinks of hangers on metal poles and the ruffling of clothes are telltale signs.
When Arthur comes into the room with me and closes the door, we’re only inches apart. “What are you doing?” I quietly ask. “You want to watch me undress or something?”
“Oh, I want to take it a step further than that.”
His lips press to mine, and I forget where we are.
Chapter Eight
Arthur
The kiss is wonderful as always. There’s just something about the way Scarlet kisses me that always makes me go wild. I just can’t help it when it comes to my impulses sometimes.
I hold her close, my hands firmly on her shoulders. Her hands are on my waist, clutching my sides tightly. It’s quiet in here, the only sounds being that of women’s footsteps coming in and out, and the soft pit-pat of clothes hitting the floor.
When we break from the kiss, I press my hot forehead to hers. She wears a curious look, probably wondering why my skin is always so hot. If she knew the truth, she wouldn’t need to question it. It’s gotta be the next step. Telling her that I’m a dragon shifter could backfire, though. That’s why I gotta be careful about how I break it to her. Not that I expect her to freak out that much, no matter what she’s told me about shifters in the past. Scarlet just isn’t that type of person.
“Don’t you miss this?” I say, smiling. “I know we were only together a month, but it felt like longer than that. Like we’d made so many memories to last us a lifetime.
She leans her head away and shakes her head. “Yeah, kissing you is fun, Arthur. That’s not debatable, but it’s still wrong.”