Which means I better find out what happened to her father.
No. That’s too complicated a task to resolve in such a short amount of time.
But if I get this Ember of Midnight I know she still roams the halls for. . . I’ll secure her again.
Now, I just need to figure out what the hell it is.
Chapter 37
Pussy Doesn’t Like You
CINDER
Charming asked me to give him until tomorrow, but I'm not sure I can.
After the garden party, I practically fled to the Common World. Grateful for my shift at Poison Apple, I ground myself in the motions of serving drinks, remembering who the fuck I am.
Even with Kai sitting mere feet away, watching me, it’s easy to remember who I am when I’m surrounded by other badass females. Snow flashes me a quick gleaming smile just before she hauls six shot glasses up onto the bar in one motion.
Goldie’s ass shakes as she takes a quick break to groove with one of the bar patrons who dances with her from the other side. Both of them sing loudly along to the popular tune. The lights turn pink, bathing Goldie in her signature color. Ted sits at the bar, his eyes locked on her as if she is the only thing in the universe.
“Hey, you good?” a voice interrupts. Rap is behind me, taking some numbers for stock orders.
“Yeah, yes,” I say, going to fill a pitcher of beer. My boss's sharp eyes never miss anything. She doesn’t ask for more of an explanation, but she continues to work.
I will be good. Once I break things off with Kai and return to my normal life.
After my shift, Kai insists on dragging me to some mystery location. I'm exhausted and my nerves are still raw from the confrontation with my stepfamily, but he's relentless.
“Where are we going?” I demand, struggling to keep pace with his long strides.
“You'll see,” is all he says, that infuriating smirk playing at his lips.
We stop in front of a nondescript building. Kai ushers me inside, ignoring my protests. But the moment I cross the threshold, the words die on my tongue.
It's a studio. A real, honest-to-gods art studio. The space is open and stacked with art supplies. The faint scent of paint and creation lingers in the air, beckoning me.
“What is this?” I round on Kai, my voice sharp.
He shrugs, hands in his pockets. “It's yours. For as long as you want it.”
Kai's words hit me like a punch to the gut. A studio? For me?
My heart clenches painfully in my chest. The offer is tempting, dangerously so. The studio feels like a trap, a shiny lure designed to lower my defenses.
I scoff, crossing my arms. “I don't need your handouts. I'm not some charity case for you to fix with your endless riches.”
Something flickers in his eyes, but he keeps his tone light. “It's not a handout, Cinder. It's an investment. In you, in your talent.”
“You don't know anything about my talent.”
“Don't I?” He steps closer, his gaze intense. “I've seen your paintings. You try to hide them, but I couldn’t help take a sneakpeek at more than a couple. They're incredible, Cinder. The world deserves to see them.”
My heart stutters. He's seen my art in my bedroom. The pieces I've never shown anyone, the ones that are too raw, too real.
Part of me wants to melt at his thoughtfulness, but another part still bristles. I don't need him to swoop in and save me. I've survived on my own for years.
Even as I think it, a small voice whispers:Maybe it's not charity. Maybe he really believes in you.
