by Maia Star
“I don’t mean to be cliché, but a love this strong is never wrong, Scar.” I peck another kiss on her lips. Her whole body tenses. She bites her lips. “We’re meant for each other. Despite me making the stupidest decision I’ve ever made in leaving you, the universe threw me back at you. Do you really think we shouldn’t take this second chance? What’s stopping us? What’s stopping you?”
Scarlet casts her gaze down. She won’t look at me. It’s like she’s hunkering down from my endless assault. Sighing, I realize it’s going to take a lot more prying to get her to open up about the real reason she’s unwilling to date me again. I suspect it is that she’s afraid I’ll dump her again and just wander off like some asshole in a Hollywood film. But I’m not about to make that same mistake. If only she could see inside my head, she’d understand.
“Talk to me,” I say. Thankfully, my inner dragon is silent right now. I’m as calm and collected as I’ll ever be. Bringing one of my hands up, I pull back some of her brown locks, tucking them in behind her ear. She looks up at me as I brush her cheek with the backs of my fingers. “Communication is a two-way street. We can’t ever jump over these hurdles if we don’t even try.”
Scarlet’s lips twitch into a half-smile. “I’m sorry, Arthur. But I do have another reason to keep pushing you away. I’m not going to tell you right now what that is. But please believe me. This just isn’t the best time.”
“When will be a good time?”
“I...don’t know…”
“So, actually, now’s as good a time as any to start seeing you again. Since, you know, it’s all the same to you.”
She lightly pounds her fist against my chest, laughing quietly. “God, you’re so frustrating.”
“That’s me, Arthur Frustrating Bell.”
She laughs again, a bit louder this time, and when a couple of women in the hallway stop their chit-chatting and listen in, she clamps a hand over her mouth. We wait silently while the two women leave, and I think we’re the only ones in here. It’s almost too quiet.
“If we stay in here for much longer, we could get in trouble,” Scarlet says. She places her hands on my chest and pushes me back. “Come on, let’s end this already.”
“Go on a date to the beach with me sometime. It’s all I’m asking,” I say. Shuffling to the side, I allow her to push open the stall door and step out. I follow after her, and we stand in the hallway.
She looks up at me with a torn look. She can’t seem to decide. “Arthur…”
“It’s just one date. If, after that, you decide you really don’t want anything more to do with me, that’s fine. I’ll stop pursuing you. You won’t ever see this handsome face around your neck of the woods again.” I lean against the wall. “But, if you have fun, then we keep going out. And you’re going to have to be honest with me. Because I’m being honest with you.” When she runs a hand through her hair and glances away in thought, I give one final push. “On our date, I’m going to tell you something I’ve yet to tell you. It’s something I was too afraid to tell you the first time we met. But now, this’ll be my chance to tell you all my deepest, darkest secrets.” I smile. “Deal?”
Scarlet is silent for a long time. I give her all the room she needs to decide. The seconds drag on regardless, and I find myself scratching my arms and fidgeting nonstop until she finally glances back at me. “All right. Deal. What day should we meet up then?”
“Night. We’ll meet at night. When’s your next day off?”
“Saturday. So two nights from now. Sunday could work too.”
Nodding, I whip out my phone and put it in my calendar. “Let’s meet around eight. How does that sound?”
“Sure, but what beach is it?”
“I’ll send you the details later. For now, just relax, Scar. Don’t think too hard about it.” I pat her on the shoulder. “So, you wouldn’t mind if I joined you for shopping, would you? I’ve been meaning to discover a new look.”
She frowns at me and crosses her arms, so I hold up my hands. “Just kidding! I’ll leave you alone now. Just...seriously, don’t forget about our date. There’s something I need to tell you.”
I lean in and kiss her one last time. “All right. Well, it’s time for me to head off. Have fun shopping.”
I waltz past her and out into the general store. Keeping my cool, I saunter over to the entrance and walk out the sliding doors into the sun. I walk another mile until I casually stroll into an alley, whistling a happy tune. Once I’m out of sight of the public, I let the façade down and my smile fades. I know I should be happy that we’re going out again, but I can’t shake this feeling that it could go horribly wrong.
By this point, I’ve decided that I’m going to tell Scarlet I’m a dragon shifter. If I want to have her as my mate, she’ll need to know.
But now the question is, how do I tell her?
If she shows up at our date, no matter what her mood is, if I just straight up tell her I’m a dragon shifter, will she even believe me? I can see her thinking it was all a joke.
So that means the best way to prove to her my true nature would be to show her…
Just thinking about shifting in front of her gets my blood pumping. My heart races. What if that’s the final straw that pushes her over the edge in either direction? I have a feeling my revelation will be the ultimate deciding factor for her. So then how do I show her my dragon form without freaking her out?
Scratching my head as I walk further down the alley, I glance to my left. Just ten feet away, a man with a black face mask over his mouth is shoving a smaller man up against the wall. The man wearing the mask places the edge of a knife against the other man’s throat. “All your cash, cards, and anything else. Get them out and put them in my pockets. Now,” the face mask thief says.
I frown, turning fully towards them as the victim shakily begins to pull his wallet out. The victim catches my eye, and stares open-mouthed at me. The thief quickly looks up at me too. He’s brave because he doesn’t instantly back off.
“What are you looking at?” the thief growls. “Move along, idiot, and you won’t get hurt.”
I chuckle as I walk forward. “Are you kidding me? You don’t know what I am, do you?”
The thief tenses, all his attention on me. “What, are you some kind of cop? Are you a shifter? A shifter cop?”
“Just a dragon shifter.”
The victim uses the opportunity to shove his assailant away and makes a break for the street, disappearing around the corner.
The thief swears and tries to run off, but I burst forward, grabbing the man by the collar. He freaks out, turns, and swipes his knife lazily at me. I easily dodge every swipe.
My hand shoots out, and I grab his wrist, forcing him to drop the knife. It clatters to the ground. The thief cries out at my strength and falls to his knees. “Screw off!” he shouts.
Clicking my tongue, I punch him in the head, knocking him unconscious and letting his body fall to the ground. Rolling my shoulders, I sigh. It’s not often I get to stop a crime happening in front of my eyes, but hey, at least I can tell Scarlet about this on our date. Maybe she’ll think I’m heroic.
After giving the cops a call about this guy’s location, I turn around and leave the scene, feeling the sudden itch to soar in the sky.
Once I get back to my apartment, I hurry up to the roof, where I strip down and put my clothes in a bag I’ve left up here.
Stepping up onto the edge, I don’t hesitate to leap off, instantly shifting into my dragon form. Letting out all my anxieties, I spread my wings and soar up, as high as I can go, and begin to head towards the Golden Gate Strait. I might as well use this chance to look for a secluded beach for us.
The wind glides over my body easily, my wings stretching as far as they can. I don’t shift as much as most of my brethren, so when I get the chance, I like to feel everything that comes my way.
Nearing the strait, I fly parallel to the water, looking down at the cheering crowds below. A lo
t of people are staring up at me, waving and hollering, but there’s an equal amount trying to ignore me as if I am some pest blocking their sun. Snorting, I breathe some fire to the cheers of a select few of my fans below and fly farther on. Eventually, I come to a stretch of sand that’s completely empty. Landing, I skid on the sand and look around. Shifting, I smile and stare out at the waves.
I think I just found the right spot for our date.
Chapter Nine
Scarlet
It’s the day of our date.
Normally, I’d still be in bed right now, trying to get some extra sleep after a long week, but I’ve been tossing and turning at night, and I haven’t been able to sleep for that long.
I find myself fidgeting in bed, touching and rubbing my knees and elbows, rolling this way and that. It’s gotten to the point where I’m just getting up early now. I’m certain my insomnia is due to Arthur. Every time I go try to go to sleep, I picture him sleeping next to me, his arms wrapped tight around my midriff. It’s comforting...until I remember he isn’t here.
Suddenly, I feel so very alone.
Thank god it’s the weekend, or else I might have gone insane at work. I’m certain I would have thought about Arthur so often it would have lost me my job. Maybe I would have accidentally printed ten copies of the same invoice for my boss. Or maybe I would have spilled coffee all over his new suit. Or broken my computer.
Sighing, I rummage through the pile of LEGOs at my hip, picking up a yellow piece and tossing it to Kai, who sits directly in front of me, constructing some sort of colorful building...or maybe it’s a statue?
Maybe it was luck I woke up when I did, because Kai crept into my room at the same time, whispering something that somewhat sounded like English in my ears. I didn’t see how I could have refused him.
“Mommy! The red piece!” Kai says, motioning at me.
Blinking, I pick up a red brick, but Kai shakes his head. “The red piece!”
“Kai, this is a red piece.”
“No, that one.” He points at the pile. I blink again and take a guess as I pick up a red torso, meant to be a part of a character. He nods his head ecstatically and hurries to grab it from my hand, his tiny fingers worming between mine and poking my palm. I smile as he goes to place it on the corner of the mass of LEGOs in his building. There’s no rhyme or reason to the mess he’s building. Maybe my son will be the next Picasso.
Arthur pops up into my mind again as I watch Kai work. I picture the day he pulled me into a changing room and kissed me. His kiss was so delicious, so warm and inviting. His hands on my shoulders were comforting too. That’s one of the images I find myself running through again and again. I just can’t stop. My heart beats rapidly every time I think about him, and it’s only getting worse by the day. I’m beginning to see him like the man I once knew, and it’s killing me.
He’s just so confident in how he acts around me. He’s sure there’s no possible way he can screw this up. Should I believe him? I want to.
Shaking my head, I scoop up a handful of LEGOs and let them tumble out of my hand.
Arthur said he had something important to tell me tonight. I can’t figure out what secret he’s possibly hinting at...but if we continue to date, our secrets will need to come out sooner than later. Including mine.
If I agree to keep giving him chances, sooner or later, he’ll have to find out about Kai. Sooner or later, he’ll have to reckon with the idea that he’s had a son all these years and never knew. I know he said he wants to have kids...but how will he react if he finds out he’s already a father? I’ve been purposefully hiding Kai from him so far. Won’t that get him mad? Won’t he realize that I’m not as perfect as he wants me to be? Will that be the final straw for him?
Too many questions! Groaning, I stretch out my legs on the floor, nearly kicking Kai’s project in the process. Kai shoots me a glare...or what he thinks is a glare. “Mommy!”
“Sorry, sorry! Look, I didn’t hit your masterpiece. Mommy didn’t damage it.”
He scowls, his face scrunching up. It’s quite adorable, but when I expect him to forget that he’s pouting and continue to play with his LEGOs in peace, he doesn’t. The scowl remains, alarming me.
Is he really that mad at me?
“Kai. Why are you still pouting?” When Kai doesn’t answer, but instead just smashes one LEGO piece into another, I continue, “It’s not good to stay mad at mommy. I apologized, so you’ve got to accept that.”
When he turns his face away, I know that something else is wrong. He won’t speak when he’s seriously upset, and he won’t bring it up until I figure it out.
Clearing my throat, I draw my legs back and scoot over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Kai. What’s this about? Do you not like the lunches I’ve made you?” Silence from him. “What about Cindy? Do you not like Cindy?” More silence. Gulping, I try one more time. “Does this have anything to do with me going out?”
Kai hangs his head, though he still won’t look at me. “Yes.”
“What...do you think I’m doing when I leave you with Cindy?”
Kai tosses one of the LEGO bricks. “Shopping for my daddy.”
At first, I’m confused. I’ve never had a partner in the past four years. There wouldn’t have been anybody for Kai to think of as his daddy, and yet he thinks I was shopping for one? “Kai, remember that you…uh, well, your daddy is still on the way. He isn’t here yet.”
He hangs his head further, and finally, it hits me what he means. “Oh! You think I’m looking for your daddy right now?”
Kai nods and looks at me. “Cindy has a daddy. Other people have daddies. Why don’t I? Where’s my daddy?”
My heart is shattering. What the hell am I supposed to say to that?
I grab his shoulder, trying to comfort him, and he looks up at me, his eyes big and questioning. “Where’s Daddy, Mommy?”
I force myself to smile, though my lips quiver. “He’s...he’s just late. Very late. In fact, when he finally arrives, we’ll throw him a big party. How about it?”
My son doesn’t move for a few seconds, but soon enough, a small smile is poking at the corners of his little mouth. “Okay!”
And then he’s going back to his LEGOs.
Shaking, I rise to my feet. “Mommy will be right back. I’m just running to the bathroom.”
“Okay!”
I practically dash out. I stop for a moment to take a deep breath and then head to the bathroom. Inside, I lock the door and look in the mirror. My eyes are red from crying, and my cheeks glisten in the overhead light. I smile weakly as I bend over the counter, gripping the edges, and let the tears come out. I stifle my voice so as not to worry Kai, but after a while, I manage to get the worst of it out.
I wipe my face with an endless supply of tissues and smile at myself in the mirror.
I’m such an idiot. Why didn’t I think about broaching his subject with Kai? He was bound to ask eventually, so it makes sense that he’d begin to wonder about it now. Every year he only gets smarter and smarter. And lonelier and lonelier, the more he realizes about his missing dad.
Anger at Arthur flares from deep inside of me, and I want to smash my mirror. Kai will begin to feel a whole lot of pain because that idiot left in such a hurry. If he had just stayed a bit longer, I could have told him about the pregnancy, about Kai. My son wouldn’t need to question where his father is.
I turn on the faucet and splash water on my face, trying to wipe away any signs of my crying.
I can’t even imagine what Kai will say if he meets Arthur, finds out he’s his dad, and then finds out Arthur left again. What will Kai say then? How hurt will he be?
How did I get to this point in my life?
Shaking my head, I shiver. I know exactly how I got here. I loved a man that ran out on me. And now I’m threatening to make the same mistake. I’m just waiting to see when he runs out on me again.
Sighing, I turn off the faucet and scrub my face with a t
owel. I guess tonight I’ll find out what exactly it is that Arthur has been keeping from me. I can’t imagine it’s anything too wild. Yet, if it’s something genuinely shocking, will it be the reverse this time? Maybe I’ll be the one to walk out on him.
All I want is a peaceful romance, a genuine dad for Kai. Is that so much to ask for?
Exiting the bathroom, I walk back to Kai’s room. I find him still working away at his odd LEGO tower. He looks up at me and smiles when I sit down next to him. “You almost finished with this?”
“It’s just the beginning,” he says.
“Right, well, Kai, I want you to listen to me for a minute. Is that okay?”
Kai stops his work and looks up at me.
I brush back some of his golden locks and smile down at him the best I can. “Listen, Kai. Your dad will be here sooner or later, but in the meantime, you need to stay strong for me. You think you can do that?”
Kai cocks his head as he looks up at me. “Stay strong?”
“You know, making sure that nothing gets you down! No matter how late your daddy is, you need to greet him with a smile when he comes, all right?”
“Okay.”
Sighing, I scoop up a handful of LEGOs. “Don’t worry; I’m sure your daddy will love to help you build this...what are you building again?”
“It’s a chair!”
“Right, a chair.”
I don’t think I will ever be able to stop seeing Arthur in Kai. So, needing some space, I head back out into the living room and call up Cindy. She picks up instantly.
“Hiya, Miss Martinez!”
“Hey, Cindy, are you still up to watch Kai tonight?”
“Of course! I’ll be over at seven-thirty sharp.”
“Great, thanks for being so flexible. Seriously, I’ll up your pay soon.”
“You don’t have to do that. Kai is a fun kid. He’s easy to watch.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Anyway, thanks. I’ll see you later.”
“Bye-bye!”