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“Come with me.”
A little shyly, she stepped back, then reached out one hand. Patrick took it without hesitation. Despite everything, being with Emma felt right in some way that he couldn’t quite pinpoint. He just knew that if he could never stop touching her for the rest of his life, he wouldn’t mind.
“Don’t you have more classes?” he asked as Emma closed the classroom door behind them and led the way down the sunlit hall.
“Not until afternoon,” she said. “We have plenty of time. At least from my side. Do you need to get back to work?”
“As much as it might surprise you to hear this, there are more important things than work. Someone clever taught me that.” Patrick grinned at Emma, and she smiled back.
“This someone does sound very clever.”
“She is. And she’s a wonderful artist, too.”
Emma’s eyes widened, then she covered her face with a free hand. “I guess you finally did see some of my art, huh? Although not in the way either of us would have wanted.”
Patrick nudged her gently with his shoulder.
“It’s true that I wouldn’t have chosen an art heist as the logical next step in our relationship, but it all seems to be working out, doesn’t it? And I actually thought that your version was better than the original in a few major ways.”
“Okay, now you’re just flattering me.” Emma rolled her eyes, then pushed open the door onto the campus with her shoulder. “Aurora was painted by a master.”
“So was your copy. I loved the freedom in your brushstrokes. And the messages you left for me… they meant a lot.”
“I know it was a terrible idea to include the heart and the teardrop. If you hadn’t realized it was a forgery without those, they would have tipped my hand for sure. But I just couldn’t stand the thought that you’d think I hadn’t really cared for you. I figured you’d find me out eventually anyway.”
“Well, like I said, I appreciated those messages. And I did figure that it was you very early on, given the timing of the heist.”
Emma covered her face with her free hand again.
“There’s a reason I’m not usually an art thief. Why didn’t you go to the police?”
“I still had hope that you cared about me and I couldn’t do that to either of us.” Patrick paused. “I am curious about something, though. I know you aren’t generally an art thief, but you must have had some experience to be able to infiltrate LWC like you did.”
Emma sighed. “It’s true. I did have some background. Actually, I used to be a corporate spy. When I graduated, there were no jobs to be had in art. I kind of fell into my first spying job. But I want you to know, I had standards. I never did any jobs that could hurt specific people. Not until Aleksander made me.”
Patrick squeezed her hand. “I believe you. I know stealing Aurora wasn’t your idea. You must have some good stories, though.”
“Hmm.” Emma shrugged. “I’m not sure. To be honest, spying is a lot more boring than you’d think. And I’m glad to be past that now. Even before I did that job for Aleksander, I was ready to get out of the world of corporate espionage. I’m glad I’m teaching art now. I love it. Although I do miss the acquisition work we did together.”
“Well, maybe we can work out a special role for you. Perhaps as my trusted advisor on personal art purchasing.”
Emma laughed and nodded. “I’d love that.”
“So, where are you taking me, anyway?” They’d left the campus and turned onto a smaller side road. It led beneath blossoming cherry trees toward a neighborhood that looked a little more rundown than the one where the college was.
“You’ll see,” Emma repeated. “So impatient.”
They walked a few more blocks, and then Emma stopped outside a large brick building. It looked old enough to be historical, but it seemed to be in a state of mild disrepair. Emma led Patrick inside, and he winced at the small, dark hallway. Was this where she had been living?
When she let him into an apartment, his worries were confirmed. Emma’s studio was spotlessly clean and beautifully decorated with tiny watercolor paintings, but it was also tiny and cramped. It wasn’t bad, but she deserved so much more.
Emma didn’t pause to give Patrick the tour, though. She led him directly to an art safe, which looked like by far the most expensive item in the room. She twisted a combination into the dial and the door sprung open. Carefully, she removed a painting and turned to show it to Patrick.
His heart leapt at the sight of Aurora. Emma had clearly taken excellent care of it, and it looked to be in better shape than it had been when it had hung on his wall.
“You kept it?” he asked with some wonder.
“Of course. I wanted to keep it safe, just in case I could return it to you someday. With my apologies.”
