Inked by an Angel

by Allen, Shauna

  She put the sketch down on her bedside table and turned off the lamp. Ah, well. Some dreams were just not meant to come true. She rolled over with a heavy sigh. But, man oh man, how she wished she would’ve at least gotten to see all those tattoos!

  Chapter 25

  Jed sat straight up in bed with sweat pouring down his face. He glanced down.

  “Fuck!”

  He hadn’t had a wet dream since high school. And now he was captive to his hormones again like a horny teenager. He jumped up and went straight to the shower. It still felt awkward to walk even though the cast had been off his leg for two weeks now. He’d spent as much time as he could trying to build his strength back up in the weakened limb, but it still felt like dead weight sometimes and ached like a bitch when the weather changed.

  He turned on the shower and stepped under the lukewarm spray trying to forget the images that haunted his dreams.

  Her fingers on his skin.

  Her lips on his neck.

  Her nipple in his mouth.

  How she tasted. How she smelled. How she felt.

  Her hot, inviting body welcoming his inside of her.

  He opened his eyes, frustrated he was growing hard again.

  He turned off the shower, snatched up a towel to dry off, and stormed out to get dressed. Why couldn’t he forget about her? Kyle was back with Charles where she belonged. He had to get a grip. She wasn’t his. She never had been. Her declaration of love had been a lie.

  He shoved his legs into some jeans then padded to the kitchen and forced down some food before finding himself in his art room. His sanctuary. He turned on the stereo and popped in one of his blues CDs and sat down to sketch. He tried for calming, quiet things, but all he could draw were angry scenes. Fire and hellish mayhem. Demons, bloody skulls, . . . a busty Miss Muffet kissing a spider.

  His phone rang. He glanced at the ID screen. His mother. Guilt ate at him, but he ignored the call. She’d been on him a little too much for comfort lately about Kyle and he wasn’t up for another round this morning. Maybe later. Hell, she was the reason he’d gone to Kyle in the first place. And look what that got him! A big ol’ face full of loverboy’s half-naked ass, that’s what.

  He’d picked up the phone at least a hundred times to call Kyle and demand she explain what in the hell she was doing back with that bozo, but he’d given up each time. What did it matter? Muffet was back on her tuffet, eating her curds and whey, banging the fucking spider.

  He slammed down his pencil and leaned backward with his head rolled back until he was staring at the ceiling. Not even his art and B.B. King could pull him from this funk. It was terminal.

  “Might as well go get some real work done.”

  He stood, cursing his still slightly weaker leg, and limped out of the room.

  An hour later he was alone in the studio and enjoying the silence. He checked the messages and tinkered around with some designs. He was even able to upload some new photos to the studio’s website under his profile of his most recent and most impressive tattoos. He went a little crazy and rifled through Noble’s stuff and did the same for him. He figured he wouldn’t mind. He made a mental note to harass Michael into getting his own profile with photos started. He’d been so busy he hadn’t gotten around to doing it yet. Something about that made Jed slightly uneasy.

  He glanced up when the bell over the front door rang a couple hours later. It was still too early for customers. His stomach clenched in an automatic reaction as Kierstan came in. It was as if she’d become a whole new creature these last few weeks since she’d been dating Blaine from Toxic D’s. And Jed still couldn’t wrap his brain around that one. She’d been in to work on time every night; she didn’t flirt and toss her tits in every male client’s face anymore; she was pleasant.

  It was all very strange. But he couldn’t undo his body and mind’s learned reaction to her after all these years.

  She tucked her purse behind the counter and walked toward his office. She poked her head in with a shy smile. “Hi, Jed. I was hoping I’d catch you here. You got a few minutes?”

  He loosened his grip on the pen in his hand. “I guess.” He was still wary of her, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

  She stepped inside his office and sat across from him.

  He waited, but she didn’t say anything. He raised a brow. “Well?”

  She took a deep breath and let it out. “This is harder than I thought,” she said, apparently to herself. Then she looked him in the eye. “I’m leaving.”

  He was afraid to hope. “Leaving?”

  “Yes. Blaine and I are, well, we’re getting pretty serious now.” She glanced down at her lap then back up at his face. “We want to get married and we decided that I should get a fresh start, away from . . .”

  He blinked as understanding dawned. “Away from me.”

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  “Right. Well, fine.” He scrubbed his face with a hand. “I’m happy for you, I guess.” He forced the polite platitude.

  “Thank you,” she said as tears filled her eyes. She dabbed them away and was silent for several moments before she finally spoke again. “You know, Jed, I’m so sorry for what I did to you.” She looked back up at him, her eyes pleading for forgiveness. “I’m sorry about Trevor, about Sam. It was never your fault, you know. I just said those things to hurt you.” Her voice broke.

  “Don’t,” he warned. “Don’t go there.” He couldn’t. Not now. Probably not ever again.

  “Well, still, I’m sorry. I was too immature back then to think of anybody but myself and I hated all the time you had to put into the business. Even if it was for us.” She took a wavering breath. “I wish what I have with Blaine could’ve been us. I really do. But I guess it wasn’t meant to be.”

  He studied her tear-streaked face. She really seemed repentant. “I’m over it now.” It was all he could offer her today. And he was over it. Over her. He’d come to realize, even without her apology, that what she’d done to him wasn’t his fault and he’d done nothing to hurt her.

  She nodded once and stood. “Oh, I almost forgot. The other reason I came in today was to talk to you about selling back my forty percent of the business.”

  He stared at her in amazement.

  She grinned through her tears. “You interested?”

  “Yeah, I’m interested. What’s the catch?”

  She sauntered to the door in the Kierstan-way he was used to. “No catch. Just gimme a fair price and accept my apology so I can get on with my life and we’ll call it even.”

  She walked to the front and fetched her purse while he thought about it and reappeared a few seconds later. “So? What’s it gonna be, Jed? Surely you don’t have to think too hard on this one. You’ve wanted me to sell out practically from the beginning.”

  He stood up behind his desk. “Sure. How do you wanna work this?”

  She shrugged, appearing unconcerned with the details. “Just have your lawyer work up some papers and send them to me. I’ll check them over. If the numbers appear in order, I’ll sign it over and you can pay me. Sound good?”

  “You trust me not to screw you?” he asked. “After all we’ve been through?”

  She readjusted her purse strap. “Of course I trust you. I’ve seen you angry a thousand times, but I’ve never seen you do something malicious or intentionally cruel.” She eyed him up and down. “You loved me once. I can’t imagine you’d turn your back on your honor no matter what I’ve done.”

  He wished he had the gumption to work her over like she’d done him, but in the end he knew she was right. He nodded. “Fine. We have a deal.” He reached out his hand.

  She took a step in his direction so they could shake on their agreement.

  “All right, then,” she said, stepping away. “I�
��ll see you around. Just get me those papers, okay?”

  He nodded. “Sure thing.” He’d be getting on that the minute she left his office.

  Just as she was out of his doorway, she spun back around, her perfume invading his space. “Sorry, one more thing.”

  He wished she would just go. “What’s that?”

  “I had lunch with Kyle yesterday.” She smiled her Cheshire Cat grin. “She is looking fierce, by the way, with a cute new haircut.”

  He tilted his head as something unpleasant began to buzz in his veins. “And your point?”

  “Oh, I just thought you might like to know how she’s doing. You were friends, right?”

  He didn’t say anything.

  She smirked. “Anyway, she’s getting ready to leave the country.”

  That caught his attention. “Leave the country? When? For how long? Where’s she going?”

  Kierstan laughed. “Boy, you’re full of questions for someone who didn’t seem to care a second ago.”

  He shrugged. “Just curious.” But he was dying to know.

  She studied his face and opened her mouth to speak, but snapped it shut again. “I don’t think I’ll tell you. You’ll have to ask her yourself. I’m outta here.” But before she left him, she tilted her head and spoke with all seriousness. “You know, of all the things I regret doing to you, I think the worst was getting between you and Kyle. I hope you don’t let my mistakes ruin something beautiful.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  She sighed with a sad smile. “Of course you do. You let what happened between us harden your heart and I’m sorry for that. But she loves you, Jed.” She wouldn’t let him interrupt her, “She loves you. And I think we all know there is nothing going on with the old fiancé.”

  “But—”

  “Don’t be stupid.” She pivoted on her boot heels and sauntered away.

  Don’t be stupid? Don’t be stupid?! Who in the hell did she think she was? He sat back down and scrubbed his hands across his head. Holy hell, could she be right?

  He spun his chair around to study the framed picture of the woman under the weeping cherry tree with fresh eyes.

  Kyle?

  He leaned down and reached into the back recesses of his storage cabinet until he found what he was after. He opened the bottle of Jack Daniels and poured himself a generous shot. He studied the deep amber liquid that promised him oblivion and swirled it around the glass before chugging it down in one smooth swallow.

  He reached over and turned on the radio. Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” belted out, reminding him of the drive to the lake. He poured a second shot and tipped it back, already feeling the pleasant warmth rising up from his stomach to his head. Nice.

  He leaned back and sighed.

  A couple shots and a couple perfect songs later, he glanced over, startled to see Michael standing in the doorway watching him. He hadn’t heard the bells over the door, but he was too content in his buzz to care all that much.

  He gave a lazy half-smile. “Mike. What’s up? A little early, isn’t it?” He glanced at the clock on the wall. He didn’t think he’d been in here all that long, but it was creeping into early evening already.

  Michael walked in and furrowed his brows. “Everything all right, boss? You been drinking?”

  Jed reached over and turned down the radio. Shit. Mike was in AA. “A little. I guess I’m celebrating.” He tried to blink and clear his eyes because Michael suddenly seemed to have an aura of soft white light around him. Damn, he’d had too much to drink.

  “Whatcha celebrating?”

  He tucked the bottle of Jack back in the cabinet. “Kierstan is selling me her part of the business and moving on.” He waited a beat, knowing that Michael didn’t know the full story. “I don’t expect you to understand, but we have a complicated history and this was a long time coming.”

  Mike nodded. “Then it’s a good thing?”

  “It’s a great thing.” He smiled.

  “Congratulations, boss. I’m happy for you.” Mike grinned and sat down. “You sure you’re all right? You keep blinking and looking at me funny.”

  “I . . .” Wow. He’d never done acid before, but Jed would swear this must be what a trip was like. Mike was glowing like he’d been nuked with pearly glitter. So much so, that the rest of the room had fallen away like a reverse kaleidoscope.

  “Jed? Are you sure you’re all right?” Michael’s face was truly concerned, but all Jed could see was the light and the . . .

  Were those wings?

  He jumped up. “I think I drank too much.” He paced a few steps and turned back to Michael. Still white and glowy. “Oh, geez!”

  “What’s wrong?”

  He couldn’t look at him. “Dude, I think I’m hallucinating.” He covered his eyes with his hands and sat back down. “You’re glowing like a nuclear reactor.”

  Michael didn’t say a word. Instead, a supernatural silence filled the room.

  Jed finally peeked through his fingers. Mike sat still as a statue, not quite as lit up, but a gentle white light still hovered around his body. He looked perplexed for a fleeting moment, then he seemed to cue into something that was way beyond Jed’s comprehension at the moment.

  Jed dropped his hands, slightly reassured that this hallucination seemed to be fading. Until Michael spoke.

  “Do you believe in God, Jed?”

  “What?”

  “It’s a simple question. Do you believe in God?”

  Jed’s mind and body were lulled by the liquor, but his heart cried out the answer. “Yes.”

  Mike nodded once. “That’s very good.”

  Jed’s eyes roamed over the gentle ebb and flow of the white light around Michael. It was as if it were living and breathing. What a crazy hallucination. Or maybe he needed to get his eyes checked. “You sure you don’t see that?”

  “See what?” Michael asked.

  “The light.” He pointed. “All around you.”

  Mike smiled softly and, if anything, his light became more pronounced as if he were now proud of it. “So, Jedediah,” he said, snapping Jed’s attention back to his face. Nobody called him by his Christian name other than his mother. “I must know, if you believe in God, do you also believe that He is all-knowing in all things?”

  Where was this conversation going? And since when was Mike so deep? “Uh, I guess so.”

  “Even in matters of the heart?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Sure, Mike. Why?”

  The glow intensified and Jed had to squint. He got the distinct impression he’d made Mike irritated. “Well, Jedediah, I’m trying to lead you to the natural conclusion that soulmates are real and pre-destined by God, your Father. Because up until this point, you’ve been very difficult and uncooperative.”

  Difficult and uncooperative? What the hell? “Uh, Mike, I’m not sure what pipe you’re smoking from, but I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

  Kaboom! Jed would’ve sworn there was a violent roll of thunder. But just as quickly as it rattled his desk, it was gone and he couldn’t be sure if it was just his imagination.

  “There!” Mike pointed a meaty finger at the framed sketch of the woman behind his desk. “Who is that?”

  Jed peered over his shoulder. “A woman under a cherry tree.”

  “No!” Michael boomed. “Who is that?”

  Jed didn’t know what to say. She’d been nameless and faceless since he’d drawn her all those weeks ago, too far away to identify. Too far away to hold.

  “Who is she?” Michael asked again, gentler this time.

  “I don’t know,” he finally said.

  “Of course you do. It’s her. Your one. Your soulmate.” He crossed his arms
and tilted his head. “Father gave you that drawing, you know.”

  This whole conversation was just too ridiculous to begin to question it. Jed didn’t know where to start.

  “I know who it is,” Michael continued. “Father knows who it is. You know who it is, if you’d just admit it.” He pointed to the girl. “Who. Is. She?”

  Jed’s heart began to race. He’d pushed her away all this time because of his own fears. He didn’t want her to rip open his heart like Kierstan had. Because she could do infinitely more damage.

  He shook his head. “I don’t know if I can.”

  “Of course you can.” He turned his eyes heavenward for a brief moment. “You know there’s power in saying things out loud sometimes.” He leaned forward, his shimmery aura following him. “Come on, Jedediah. Speak the truth. It’ll set you free.”

  Jed glanced again at the sketch. Of course he knew who she was. It had been her all along.

  “Who is she?” Michael asked again.

  Jed turned and looked him in the eye. Maybe the truth would set him free. If not, what more could it hurt? He swallowed. “It’s Kyle, okay? It’s Kyle. And it kills me a little more every day.”

  Mike smiled. “No reason it should kill you, my friend. She is your soulmate. Don’t you understand?” His brow furrowed as he seemed to remember something. “Now, you can still screw it up, so you need to decide what you want to do.”

  “What I want to do?”

  Mike slapped the top of his thigh in frustration. “You’re telling me we got this far and you’re not going to go to her? She’s leaving in a few hours!” His mouth formed a tight ‘O’ like he’d just divulged something he wasn’t supposed to.

  In a few hours? Jed jumped up and headed to the door before he had another thought. He stopped when he saw Mike grinning as he rose from his seat. “Wait a minute,” he said. “Are you telling me the truth? Is she really leaving?”

  Mike straightened. The strange white light was gone now, thank goodness. “I’m telling the truth. Would I lie?”