Beauty in the Ashes

by Micalea Smeltzer

  “Yes, sir,” I answered immediately.

  He eyed me with a stern look. “Don’t call me sir…ever. Makes me feel old.” With a shake of his head, swinging his gray ponytail, he scratched his bearded chin. “I’m going to start you off today training with my grandson, Emery. Emery!” He called, pushing open the door that led to the back.

  The guy I had noticed Daphne checking out yesterday appeared in the doorway. He smiled easily, crossing muscular arms over his chest—stretching the thin cotton of the black t-shirt he wore. His jeans hung low on his hips, held up by a leather belt. His dark hair fell messily over his forehead, concealing a unique shade of blue-green eyes. They reminded me of the water you saw on tropical islands.

  “Emery.” His smile was lopsided as he held out his hand for me.

  “I gathered that.” Shit. My sarcastic side refused to stay reigned in lately. If my mom was here she’d try to wash my mouth out with soap. “I’m Sutton.”

  “I gathered that,” he repeated my words back to me with a laugh.

  “Now that we’re all…acquainted,” Griffin clapped his hands together, “let’s get to work.”

  ⌘⌘⌘

  After my shift ended, there was a slight pep in my step as I walked home. Working at Griffin’s would be fun. The atmosphere was great and everyone was great to work with. Emery was sweet with a fun personality. I could see myself being friends with him.

  When I stepped inside my apartment Brutus came up to me meowing and rubbing his small body against my legs. Clearly, he was happy to see me.

  I picked him up, nuzzling him against my neck. Kissing his nose, I placed him on the floor and slung my bag on the counter.

  I was tired, but happy.

  A part of me was still in shock that here I was, over a thousand miles from home, and I was fine.

  Well, except for my shitty neighbor across the hall.

  A slow smile spread across my face as I pulled my iPod from my purse and placed it on the docking system.

  I knew it was horrible of me to be looking for ways to torment my neighbor, but I couldn’t resist the free entertainment.

  I should’ve probably invested in a TV. Instead, I flicked through my songs settling on one by Evanescence. I turned the volume up as loud as it would go, and started dancing around wildly, shaking my ass as I sang along at the top of my lungs.

  He liked silence.

  I liked noise.

  Messing with Caelan was wrong, but I couldn’t resist. He’d get angry, and I…well, I liked to push people.

  I knew there was probably a lot more to Caelan’s behavior than I or anyone else knew.

  I was sure he had a really interesting story—everybody does, just like Daphne said.

  For now, I wanted to mess with him.

  I wanted to make him angry.

  I wanted to see that fire in his eyes.

  Something about him called to me, drawing me in.

  I didn’t understand what it was about him.

  Maybe his brokenness.

  I stopped dancing and stood still in my kitchen.

  What the hell was I doing?

  Was I flirting with my neighbor?

  Was this some kind of sick foreplay?

  I scrambled to turn down the music—analyzing my own behavior—but I didn’t get it silenced in time.

  He pounded on my door, and from the sounds of those knocks he was livid.

  Shit.

  What had I done?

  I forced myself to open the door and pretend that I wasn’t internally freaking out over my thoughts.

  “I thought we had discussed this,” his voice was icy as his eyes glared directly at me, “you need to keep the noise down. Since you didn’t heed my warning, it looks like I get to shut you up.”

  I found my back pushed roughly against the brick wall. One of his hands entwined with mine, pinning it beside my head, while he braced the other on the wall above my head. I was affectively caged in with nowhere to go.

  My eyes closed as I found myself unconsciously cowering to his domineering ways. My hair fell over my left shoulder and a few strands tumbled forward in an effort to hide my face.

  My heart beat wildly in my chest, threatening to break free, but my ribs kept it caged.

  His sudden movements and overall officious way had surprised me.

  “Are you scared, Sutton?”

  My eyes popped open, my mouth falling a bit with shock.

  “No,” I answered with a challenging smirk.

  Caelan Gregory didn’t scare me. Not the way he thought at least.

  He scared me in the sense that I couldn’t figure out why I was so drawn to him. I’d only been here three days and I didn’t even know him.

  We had chemistry, and I knew he had to feel it too.

  I didn’t even know what I wanted from him.

  Certainly not a relationship—after the disasters of my love life back in Texas, I wasn’t ready for that.

  I had a desire to get to know this man though.

  He had demons.

  And dammit if I wasn’t insanely curious as to what they were.

  My mom always told me I was attracted to ‘broken things’ that I could never fix.

  “Oh, Sutton. You can’t save every broken thing you come across, dear. Some things…they’re better off being left the way they are. They aren’t worth saving.”

  That’s what she told me when I tried in vain to save the dog dying on the road outside our house.

  Her words weren’t harsh. She was just being realistic.

  Unfortunately, I could never grow out of my need to save things.

  I should’ve been a doctor, not a business major.

  Too late now.

  “Wrong answer,” he growled, the scent of alcohol hitting me in the face.

  Before I could respond his mouth was on mine. His lips were harsh and demanding and the heavy stubble on his cheeks chafed mine.

  I was so overcome by shock that I couldn’t even push him away.

  Was this really happening?

  Oh, it totally was.

  His lips were on mine.

  And my traitorous lips were actually moving with his.

  What the fuck?

  Get it together lips! You’re not supposed to like this doucheknozzle!

  My lips so weren’t listening to me.

  Oh no, they were still toying with his and—

  Oh, shit.

  I moaned.

  Like a low oh-my-god-that-feels-so-amazing moan.

  Apparently I’d lost all control of my body with one touch of his lips.

  That wasn’t okay with me.

  Trying to get myself under control, I wiggled my fingers free from his and braced them against his shoulders. He leaned in closer, as if my touch was drawing him in.

  I let his lips linger against mine for only a second more before I pushed him away roughly.

  His lips fell from mine as he stumbled back.

  He looked at me with shocked, hooded, blue eyes.

  He seemed stunned and confused, then arrogance stole across his face.

  “After that,” he closed the distance between us once more, leaning down so that his lips brushed against my ear, “I’m hoping you didn’t learn your lesson.”

  He turned and left—humming pleasantly under his breath like he hadn’t just attacked me with his lips and hands.

  I moved to watch him enter his apartment. He turned back to me before closing the door and just stood there with that smirk. I wanted to wipe it off his face and force any other expression on his face except for complete and utter arrogant confidence.

  He leaned against the doorway watching me. That signature cocky grin of his widened further. For someone as grumpy as Caelan, it was as close as he got to a smile. Stupidly, I was wondered what his real smile looked like.

  “Oh, look. My kiss has left you speechless,” his voice was bland, but there was a slightly pleased sparkle in his eyes that livened up their normally
dull quality. “Don’t worry. That happens to everyone. I’ve been told the affects eventually wear off…well, actually they don’t,” he shrugged. “Guess I’ve ruined you for all other men.”

  I opened my mouth to retort but it was too late. He had already closed the door, because of course he was going to get the last word. He always did.

  I had news for him.

  This. Meant. WAR.

  ⌘⌘⌘

  Caelan

  As soon as the door closed, I leaned my weight against it and let out a breath I hadn’t known I’d been holding.

  I’d intended to shut up Sutton with a kiss the next time she disturbed me, but I hadn’t expected to enjoy it. I should have known, the way she called to me like a siren of the sea, but damn.

  I shook my head, my hair brushing against the knotted wood of the door.

  That kiss had been unlike anything else I had ever experienced in my life. It had seared me to my very core.

  If Sutton hadn’t pushed me to break apart the kiss, I’m not sure how far it might’ve gone. Probably too far. Out of this galaxy too far.

  What the fuck was it with this one woman?

  What was so damn special about her?

  I wanted to believe it was the fact that she treated me like a human being—albeit one she messed with, but others were too afraid of me to try.

  Not her.

  “Are you scared, Sutton?”

  “No.”

  She should’ve been. She should have been terrified of me and what I was capable of. She had no idea what kind of monster lurked inside me. If she got too close, I’d explode, taking out the both of us—leaving nothing but debris behind, without a hint of who we once were.

  CHAPTER 4

  Sutton

  I startled awake, the sound of music blaring roused me from my unconscious state.

  I blinked my eyes into focus, turning to stare at the flashing green numbers on the clock beside my bed.

  Three in the morning? Who the fuck would be throwing a party at this time?

  I had finally fallen asleep, only to be roused by this? Great.

  With a high-pitched groan I thrust the bed covers off of me. I slipped my feet into my bunny slippers—complete with ears, of course—and stormed towards the door.

  I yanked it open so harshly that it banged against the wall.

  The music and other noise was coming from the apartment to the left of me. With a fire simmering beneath the surface of my skin, I stomped down the hall, raising my fist and pounding on the door.

  The sounds of people laughing, talking, and having a jolly good time met my ears.

  The door finally swung open and I looked up into the dark eyes of a very good looking Asian guy. His dark hair was longer in the front and shorter on the sides. The wisps that hung in his eyes were dyed a neon green color. A lip ring adorned his plump bottom lip—and those lips were currently turned into a smirk as he watched me, leaning casually against the door with arms crossed over a chest that I was sure was well sculpted. I wanted to laugh at the fact that he was dressed in black slacks and a white button shirt with the sleeves rolled up. It seemed too fancy for a party being thrown at three in the morning—and for a guy with green accents in his hair.

  “Can I help you?” He asked, boredom lacing his tone.

  My sass instantly returned as I pushed all thoughts of his attractiveness out of my head. “Yeah, you can, actually. Turn the music down.”

  A single brow rose on his forehead. “No.”

  I wanted to roll my eyes.

  The irony in this conversation didn’t escape me, and I now understood how Caelan felt anytime he asked me to turn down my music—which he had done several times in the past week. I always refused.

  What made the situations different however, was the fact that I was playing my music at a reasonable hour when people were still awake.

  “It’s three in the morning!” I cried, the sounds of an upbeat party song drowning out my words. The poor music choice was enough to make me gag.

  “So?” He looked down and studied his nails like they were way more interesting than anything I had to say.

  I bit down sharply on my tongue, but was saved from answering by Caelan storming out of his apartment.

  His eyes were wide with anger and his jaw was tight.

  Without saying a word, he surged forward, cocking his arm back and ramming it into the man’s face. I saw blood spurt out before the man covered it with his hands.

  “I fucking told you, Cyrus,” Caelan seethed, spit flying past his lips with his words, “if you ever disturbed me while I was working again, I’d break your fucking nose! I always keep my promises!” His face was red and he breathed heavily as if he’d just run several miles.

  Cyrus, I assumed, slid his back down the door, glaring up at Caelan.

  “You’re a fucking prick, Gregory.” His voice was thick.

  Caelan spread his arms wide. I noticed for the first time that he was unsteady on his feet and his eyes were slightly glassy. I assumed the way he’d come flying out of his apartment had distracted me from the obvious fact that he was raging drunk. “At least I own what I am,” he slurred and then curtsied, I kid you not.

  He stumbled back to his apartment and I looked from his door to Cyrus.

  “I’ll turn the music down.” The lump on the floor finally spoke. “You know…from down here, your ass looks real nice.”

  My mouth popped open and my cheeks colored as horror filled me. I was in my underwear and a tank. That was it. In my haste to scold the party thrower, I’d forgotten clothes.

  “Oh, and nice slippers.”

  I closed my eyes.

  Those damn slippers!

  “I’m Cyrus, by the way,” he continued to speak from the floor, acting like his nosebleed was perfectly normal, “and yoooou must be Sutton, my new neighbor. Welcome, love,” he waggled his eyebrows while mimicking a fake British accent.

  “Oh, so you’re British now?” I crossed my arms over my chest—trying to act like the fact that I was standing in front of him practically naked didn’t bother me.

  “I’m whatever you want me to be,” he licked his lips suggestively.

  I snorted, rolling my eyes. “Just turn the music down.”

  I turned sharply on my heel and went back to my apartment. I stopped short of closing the door when I noticed that Caelan’s door wasn’t quite latched.

  I bit my lip, wondering if I should close it or leave it open.

  I warred with myself for a moment, but finally curiosity won out. I couldn’t help but wonder what his apartment looked like.

  I tiptoed across the hall, noticing that Cyrus had picked himself up and his door was now closed—the music was still blasting, but it wasn’t as loud as before. Still, I doubted I’d get any more sleep. That was normal for me though.

  I placed my fingertips lightly against the door and gently pushed it open.

  “Hello?” I called out softly. Normally I didn’t care about making Caelan angry, but Cyrus had clearly pushed him past his limit and I didn’t want to be next. I kinda liked my face and wanted to keep it bruise free.

  “Caelan?” I ventured further into the apartment.

  I silently cursed myself for still being mostly naked. Why hadn’t I had the brains to put clothes on before I came over here? Oh, right, because I was a nosy bitch and wanted to know what kept him busy.

  The place was surprisingly stark. No pictures, no mementos—making it appear as if he was the one that had just moved in, not me.

  There was a couch with a coffee table in front of it, but nothing else, not even a TV.

  Most of the space was occupied by an easel and canvases—some with paintings, others waiting to be used. There had to be hundreds of them occupying the space. I was surprised by how good he was. Crazy good, actually. I didn’t even know Caelan, but he pushed my buttons, so it pained me to admit he was actually talented.

  Every painting was done in watercolors, the color
s of the portraits dripping down the canvases…almost like each person he painted was crying.

  There was one that caught my eye…one person, actually, since there was more several paintings of her. My curiosity had definitely been piqued.

  She was beautiful with light blonde hair and blue eyes. In every picture her eyes seemed…dead…haunted. I wondered who she was and what she meant to him. I mean, obviously she meant a lot to him if he kept painting her. I’d never carried on an actual civil conversation with Caelan, but I got the impression that he didn’t let people in.

  Unfortunately, being closed off was something I understood all too well. I didn’t like talking about my feelings and I wasn’t the lovey-dovey type. Apparently, those were the two very reasons why my ex-boyfriend cheated on me with my ex best friend. I hoped they were happy. Okay, that was a lie. I wanted both of them to fall off a cliff.

  The fiasco with my ex-boyfriend was another reason I’d needed to get away from Texas. I was angry about what he’d done, that was for sure, but I wasn’t hurt like I should’ve been. I guess that showed that I really hadn’t cared all that much for him. I think there was something wrong with me. It was like I unconsciously held myself back from people—never letting them get too close.

  So, why was I currently sneaking around Caelan Gregory’s apartment in search of some clue to who he really was?

  I was seriously screwed up in the head.

  After studying the paintings—their swirls and colors almost hypnotizing—I couldn’t help but notice white flecks dusting the coffee table.

  I wasn’t dumb.

  I knew what that was.

  Empty bottles of liquor were scattered along the floor. Some still had small amounts of liquid inside, but most were empty shells.