had learned to link with existence. She painted purposefully, hesitantly, doubting,

to dark and deep and midnight blue-are too unrefined. She hadn't p

ever warmed it. Chilly kept her awake. S

the brush, bristles scrap

amm

more. Painting had once been a way to escape living. Now it was almost an autop

nock on t

eart s

nocked at

a towel, glancing at the c

due-again. Or worse, some self-righteous buyer trying to wh

n the door, teeth clen

lung it open, t

way stood th

lack suit, shoulders set, face thinner than she reme

ander

whitened on

No

eight years carefully getting over forgetting. Forgetting

her door as if there had ev

e bite in his voice wors

quality of his voice against th

re?" Steel icicles leaped off her lips, t

gering too long as if he was co

e to se

shly, bitterly. O

No

lar

on. "You don't get to just s

line, but it was still as empty as ever. He

ou," he sa

inside he

even speaking to me? When you just left me sitting here alone, by myself

accustomed to all those yea

ched tightly around her arms. "I don't care what

on his face. Remorse? Regret? No.

ay you,"

ides tur

h shock. "You think I'm i

a snake's voice, as he walked towards the blank canvases,

burned.

o commissi

to

illion

made a ne

eing in her life. But a million dollars would keep her studio afloa

ew it. Dam

and steeled hersel

ok at the same cold, cutthroat billionair

something in his eye

ed expr

ed gl

he edge of her brain. Alex

omething a

ed her arm

couple of inches, as

. "I have li

ion in e

?" She asked

e half-truth, or so

t thing

L

t not the w

had so almost broken, the tension in his fists at his hips as if he was hold

se, of reason, somethin

s electric, something on

x did say something, hi

ase,

ike a slap. Alexander Hayes d

was. On her p

uld shut

oney, and shove it up into whatever damn cr

inted h

bounds of the real world. This was not merc

was bu

hing

teeth in a hard l

-halfway to a snar

Do

ubled back i

in her soul fo

kind of, it was kinda like