“He didn’t care.”
“He obviously came to his senses, since you said you were almost fired.”
“No. Reina threatened to pull Corrigan money, so he was suspended, and I still have my job.”
“Oh. That’s good.”
“Really? You think it’s good that Reina used her money and power to keep my job for me?”
“Yes. You were being unfairly treated.”
“It’s not right, Matisse. Using power like that—both of them were wrong.”
“So you’d rather be fired because some little girl didn’t have her crush returned?”
“No, but I’d like to have been kept based on my performance, not because of a power play.”
“I don’t know what you want me to say here.”
“There’s nothing to say. I stay out of relationships for a reason. I broke my rules, and look where it got me.”
“You said you changed your rules,” I remind him, fighting hard not to cry—or break something. He’s breaking up with me right now. I feel it coming.
“That was a mistake.”
“So, what you’re saying is that I’m a mistake.” Not the first time I’ve been told that, but I vowed to never let a man have that power over me again, and yet, here I am.
“Yes. I’m afraid you are. I can’t risk my job whenever you feel possessive.”
“Wow. I didn’t realize being with me was such a burden on you.”
“If you can just tone down a little, just try and act more…I don’t know.”
“Normal? Is that what you meant? I should take out my Monroe piercing and cover my tattoos for you?”
“I’m trying to give us a chance. It’s the only way, Matisse. I need you to just blend in. That’s part of your training, isn’t it? Blending in?”
“Go fuck yourself, Kendrick. Or better yet, find some ‘perfect’ woman who won’t embarrass you, and fuck her.”
I open the door, and walk out before he can insult me some more. I turn down a deserted hallway and crouch down, trying to catch my breath and stop myself from crying. I’m not normally a crier, but that man seems to bring it out in me. Why do I do this? Why do I pick the absolute worst men to fall for?
“Matisse, are you okay?”
I look up to see Waverly in front of me. “No.”
“What happened?”
“Your best friend is the biggest asshole on the planet. Oh, and he just broke up with me.”
“What? He wouldn’t do that! He’s totally into you.”
“Yeah well, apparently my piercing, tattoos, and behavior are too abnormal for him.”
“He said that? He didn’t say that,” she says, looking horrified. Join the club.
“Oh yes, he most definitely did. He wanted me to use my training to, and I quote ‘blend in.’”
“I’ll talk to him.”
“You think I want him after that?”
“I think something has to be terribly wrong for him to say those things. It’s not him. Not at all. I’m going to find out what’s going on.”
“Good luck with that. I’m done. I didn’t deserve what just happened in there, and I can’t imagine being with him again after that.”
“No you didn’t, and I understand you feeling that way. We’re still friends?” she asks, looking nervous now.
“Of course we are. I need to get back to studying, but we’ll talk later, okay?”
“I’m sorry, Matisse.”
“You have nothing to apologize for.”
I put on some sunglasses and hug her. My head is held high as I pass Liz, but since there’s no reason for me to have these glasses on, I’m sure she knows something’s up. I just need to make it out if this building and get my damn cry out before my friends get home. Once I’m cried out, I’ll study, because I won’t let Kendrick and his ugliness take that from me. I’ll pass anatomy without his help, and show us both that I don’t need him for anything.
Chapter 10
Matisse
“Hey, Teesy,” Scott Griffin says, pointing to his shoulder, where Zane is adding yet another tat to his body.
“Clavicle,” I yell out with a laugh, moving closer to look at the pens with an old school game controller wrapped around them that’s going right across that bone.
Zane and the other tattoo artists have been helping me with my anatomy studying, and I guess he told Scott about it, too. I’m doing pretty good, and I feel ready for my test in a couple of hours, but there’s no harm in keeping it all fresh in my frontal lobe.
“I’d point at some other body parts, but my friend here doesn’t like it when I move around.”
“You move around all you like, but don’t bitch about your tat being a mess afterward,” Zane tells him.
“Thanks for the offer, Scott. I’ve got a client coming in, so I’ll catch you later.”
My appointment is a simple quote, and I’m done wrapping her talus bone in the flowing script in less than an hour. I wander around, yelling out things like “humerus.” “ulna,” “manubrium,” “pelvis,” “femur,” “patella,” C7,” “scapula,” and “metacarpals” when prompted. These guys and girls are the best, and I’m lucky to be here with them.
I say a quick goodbye to all of them, and then I’m on my way. Knowing I can pass this test without Kendrick’s help gives me a big boost of confidence. Sadness, because I’ve missed him these past few days, but confidence, too. I don’t need a man—even if he is smart, sexy, and sweet when he’s not being an ass.
The test is grueling, and just as hard as I expected, with Stella using a pointer and a skeleton as we silently enter our answers onto our tablets. We still use pen and paper for long answers or essays in some classes, but with tests like these, we’ll see our score once we click to save the last answer.
I close my eyes as I tap that button, only opening them as I hear my friends shouting around me. I look down and realize I did it. I got the 100% I needed to pass. My yell joins everyone else’s as I look around and see that we all passed. Thank God.
We hug each other, Stella hugs us all, and everyone else takes off for lunch. I’m heading to the airport after this, so I hang out for a minute to talk to my mentor.
“I’m so proud of you, Teesy.”
“Thanks. I was worried for a little bit, but we all helped each other, and everyone at Zane’s shop has been quizzing me, too.”
“What about Kendrick?”
“What about him?” I ask, knowing exactly what she means, but hoping she’ll let it go.
“I haven’t seen you two together these last few days.”
“We’re not together anymore.” If we ever really were.
“I would ask if we needed to talk about it, but since you just aced your test, I won’t. If you want to talk, I’m here for you.”
“I know, and it definitely won’t affect my performance. I learned my lesson.”
“Okay. I’ll stay out of it for now. Have a great trip,” she says, hugging me again.
“I will. Thanks again. For everything.”
I grab my rolling bag from the back of the room, and head for the elevator. When I get downstairs, I see Zane’s wife, Quinn, waiting outside in her car for me. I wave and walk faster, so she won’t have to wait longer.
I’m rushing so fast that I don’t even notice the person who’s crossing paths with me until I crash into him. Strong hands reach out to steady me, and I cringe as I recognize them. I just ran into Kendrick.
“Are you okay?” he asks, concern in his eyes.
“Yes. I’m sorry about that,” I tell him, pulling away.
“Can we talk?”
“No. I have a plane to catch.”
“Plane? Where are you going?”
I turn back long enough to glare at him. “That’s really none of your business anymore, is it?”
“No. I suppose it isn’t. Can I ask you how you did on your test?”
“I passed, and I did it without your help. I guess I should thank you for making me reali
ze I don’t need you. So, thanks for knocking me down. I picked myself back up just fine.”
I walk away as he calls after me, flipping him off with both hands when I reach the door. I walk straight to Quinn, not looking back even once. I would love to know what his reaction is, but I need to love myself more.
“That was interesting,” Quinn tells me as we drive off.
“Glad we could entertain you,” I say bitterly, and then regret it. “Sorry, I shouldn’t take out my anger on you. He just makes me so mad.”
“Love isn’t easy. You know what Zane and I went through.”
“Zane always loved you, and you knew it. Kendrick just liked fucking me.”
“I don’t know Kendrick well, but he doesn’t seem like that kind of guy.”
“They never do.”
* * *
Kendrick
I’m not entirely surprised when the elevator takes me to a different floor than my hospital wing. There are a few offices here, but I know exactly who summoned me, so I don’t waste any time going to her.
“Hello, Kendrick,” Kevin says as I walk in. “Stella’s expecting you.”
“Obviously,” I tell him as he chuckles. I walk past him into her office.
“Have a seat, Kenny.”
“I have work to do Stella, so why don’t I just stand while you say what you feel you need to say.”
“Fix it. Whatever you’ve done to Matisse, fix it. Whether you do that by telling her it’s over forever, or by fighting to overcome whatever happened, I don’t care. It just needs to be taken care of.”
“You don’t get to dictate my love life to me, just because I work for the Society.”
“You’ve hurt her, Kendrick,” she says, getting to her feet. “She’s hiding it well, but she’s broken, and I’ll be damned if I sit back and let you mess with her.”
“I’m not.”
“Really? You let her chase you for months, then supposedly wanted to be with her, only to do whatever you did. Then you just tried to talk to her in the lobby. Like I said, walk away or fight, but don’t keep up the back and forth. She deserves better than that.”
“I can’t fight if I don’t know where she is.”
“Are you serious about fighting?”
“Yes. I told her I wanted to talk when we were downstairs.”
“Words are sometimes just that, Kendrick—words.”
“And sometimes they’re not.”
“She went to D.C. to visit her brother.”
“Thanks, Stell.”
“I wouldn’t thank me yet—if this goes South, I will hurt you.”
“I have no doubt.”
I run down the list of things I need to do as I head for the elevator; I need to get permission from Reina to be gone, make sure Liz knows what she needs to do while I’m away, tell Waverly I’ve come to my senses—and not just from her punching me when I told her about what happened—find a flight, and pack. Easy.
Or not.
“No?” I ask, stunned as I stand in front of Reina’s desk after asking her for the time off.
“What are you planning to do with your time off?”
“That’s my business.”
“Not if it involves one of my recruits.”
“I screwed up, Rei. I need to tell her that.”
“I know you screwed up. You didn’t turn off the cameras or sound, and I’ve seen the video.”
Shit. I was too caught up in things to shut them off, but I should’ve remembered they were there. “Then you also saw Waverly come in to tell me off, and punch me.”
“Oh yeah, that was the only good part of it. I should recruit her.”
“You should,” I say, meaning it.
“Glad to know I have your approval.”
“I didn’t mean it that way. I just want you to know I think you should consider her for the open spot.”
“I’ll keep it in mind, but I’m still not going to let you run after Matisse.”
“I could quit.”
“You wouldn’t do that, but if you did, I’d make sure you were on every watch list everywhere. Kind of hard to fly then, isn’t it?”
“You said you heard what I said, so why don’t you understand that I need to make this right?”
“What’s your plan?”
“I don’t know. I just need to find her and grovel.”
“Groveling is good. I don’t mind when it happens to me.”
And then it hits me. If she heard what I said, she knows I wasn’t too kind where she was concerned. “I wasn’t insulting you with what I said, Rei. I won’t apologize for hating power plays. I know you use your power for good, but it still freaks me out when I see it in action sometimes.”
“I won’t deny that I’m powerful, but I have nine peers, five founders, a husband, and other friends who would put me in my place if I went too far.”
“Matt would put you in your place?”
“Okay, maybe not Matt, but the women would do it. You should know that by now. Hell, I even backed off when you told me to while Matt was in your hospital.”
“You did,” I concede.
Maybe I shouldn’t have freaked out so much about her. She’s right—I have never seen her go farther than she should and the Society wouldn’t allow it if she tried. It’s just that when you have a front row view to abuse of power for most of your life, any show of it is going to make you nervous. That’s the story I’m sticking to. Mentally, at least. I can’t tell Reina that.
“I’m going to let you go after all. I think you and Matisse need to clear this up. She didn’t let what happen affect her test today, which tells me she’s strong enough to have it out with you. Just go as the kind man I know, and not the bastard who said horrible things to her.”
“I will. Thank you.”
I impulsively hug her, and then run through the other items on my list. Liz is thrilled that I’m actually taking time off and giving her the reins. She’s more than capable of patching up any minor injuries, so I feel good about that part of things.
“Go and get your girl back,” Waverly tells me.
“I’m going to try my hardest to make that happen.”
“You also need to remember that Reina isn’t like them. She doesn’t hurt the innocent.”
“I know. I got scared.”
“You know I understand better than anyone, but these are good people. We can trust them.”
“You think it’s time to tell them?”
“Don’t you?”
“Yes. When I get back, we’ll do it. We’ll tell them everything.”
Chapter 11
Matisse
“Cezanne!” my brother, Haring, yells out to me when I enter his roller rink. Regular skating goes on here, too, but most nights are filled with roller derby bouts.
“Warhol!” I yell back. When your parents name you after famous artists, you have to have some fun with it.
He picks me up in a hug, and spins me around. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“Me too.”
“Three days, right?”
“Yep.” That was all I could manage, because I have studying for the Society and work at the tattoo shop. Reina and Zane both said I could take longer, but I don’t want to fall behind or shirk my duties.
“We’re going to do the town up after the bouts tonight, and then we’ll do whatever else you want.”
“The zoo?”
“Are you five?”
“No. I’m twenty-five, and I love the zoo.”
“You’re on your own there.”
“I came here to spend time with you.”
“Do you not remember the reptile house, Van Gogh?”
“Yes, Banksy, I do. You were eight.”
“I still have nightmares.”
“From seeing snakes behind glass?”
“That one tried to get me. Everyone saw it banging the glass!”
“Fine. I’ll go to the zoo alone, but you’ve got to go to the Nationals game with
me.”
“Since when do you like baseball?”
“Since my friend’s dating Joel Cruz. His team’s playing.”
“You want me to sit with you while you root against the home team? That’s un-American.”
“Fine. I’ll sit behind home plate by myself.”
“Whoa there, don’t get crazy. I’ll sit with you, but I’m wearing my Nationals gear.”
“Whatever.”
“Go take your seat, baller.”
I lean up and kiss his cheek before grabbing some snacks and sitting in the seat I always occupy. Some of the regulars come over to say hello, and catch up between jams, and I’m feeling even more glad I came. This trip home is just what I need.
Or at least I think it is, until we’re sitting in our local bar later and a blast from my past hits me. “Shit.”
“What’s wrong?” Haring asks me.
“Bill’s here…with his wife.”
“Fuck! I forgot they hang out here now. It’s been so long.”
“Two years isn’t that long.”
“Should we go?”
“No. I can handle it. I have absolutely no interest in him, and there’s no reason for them to come over here.”
Which, of course, means that’s exactly what they do. “Well, look what the cat dragged in,” the Mrs. says.
“I’m here to hang out with my brother. I don’t want any trouble.”
“You shouldn’t have slept with my husband, then.”
I turn to look at both of them. “This is the last time I’m going to say it, so listen close. I had no idea Bill was married. None. He lied to me, and whether you believe that or not, it’s true.”
“It’s obvious you’re here for me. Stop looking so desperate,” he says.
I get up out of my chair and stand my ground. I ran two years ago, but I know now that while I made bad choices, I’m not a bad person. Just one who wants these assholes to leave me alone. “I have a boyfriend.”
“What is he, a tattoo artist?”
“Actually, I’m a doctor,” Kendrick says from behind me.
His arm slips easily around my waist as he uses his other hand to tip my chin up for a sweet and sexy kiss. I kiss him back, because I need him right now. There’s no other reason, because I’m definitely not thinking about how much I miss his lips. Nope. Not at all.
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