Chapter 3 #2
Everyone murmured in agreement as Avery flicked on the lighter. She darted around the room to every wick until all of us had a candle with a flame.
Avery returned to the front of the class and lit one more candle for herself. She picked up the piece of paper and held both up, showing us how to angle the fire to the paper. I anticipated it would catch, but it didn’t.
“What is this magic?” Mateo called.
That earned a few snorts. Avery ignored him as she moved the candle, soot darkening the page until she lowered it. She turned the page over, showing us the marks.
“Now how in the hell did you take that to that?” I asked, gesturing from the paper to the canvas.
There was something really special about the way her eyes lit up.
Avery loved teaching, that much was clear.
“There are techniques you do after this. You can use a paintbrush, a feather—really anything that can make marks to draw into the soot. You can also introduce other mediums too, like watercolors. For this one, I went over it with a paintbrush and pencil.”
Damn. That piece would sell for thousands in some of the circles I used to run in. Used to.
Avery looked around the classroom. “Now, all of you give it a try. I’ll get the water ready.”
Mateo blew out his candle and stood up. “I’ll help, Avery, if you just want to focus on teaching.”
Her teeth sank into her bottom lip as she considered his offer. “You sure?”
Mateo nodded. “I’m no artist, Blue. Let me give you a hand.”
“Ugh. I can’t believe you’re calling me that,” she sighed. “But okay. Thanks.”
I narrowed my eyes on the two of them again. Jesus Christ, they needed to get a room.
“Why are you blue?” someone asked.
“That’s none of your business, Betty. All right, everyone. Make some art!”
I rolled my shoulders, ignoring the ache on my right side. I’d spent an hour this morning going through the PT exercises, and I hated them. Every moment of it was excruciating. Humbling. There was a fear lodged in my chest that I’d probably hurt forever.
Wrinkling my nose, I held the paper above the flame, careful not to let it touch the paper. It took some adjusting of the angle, but eventually a plume of soot licked at the paper, creating marks like brush strokes.
“Wow,” I whispered.
“Good job.” Avery’s voice startled me, and I realized she was behind me. “May I touch you?”
I swore I could hear my brain synapses hissing. “Uh. Sure.”
“Thanks.” She leaned over me and grabbed my hand, steadying it slightly.
Her skin was soft against mine. Her fingers were long and slender and stained blue, her nails short. Heat jerked through me from her touch, but then I realized she could see my right hand was trembling and it all fizzled out into embarrassment.
“Sorry,” I muttered. “My hand shakes on that side sometimes.”
“You’re doing great, Levi.” The scent of her perfume washed over me and my mouth watered. Patchouli, rose, and berry hit me subtly like a sweet summer breeze. “There we go. Look, you’re a natural.”
“I’m not good at this.”
“You’re doing fine.”
“I’m not.” The fire was making me nervous now.
“You really are. You’re doing great.”
The praise kicked my heart rate up. I started to pull back, but the paper moved a little too close without me meaning to. The flame caught and I cursed as it lit up.
“Here,” Avery said quickly. “I’ll take it.”
“No—”
“Give it to me, Rayburn,” she growled, reaching for it.
I was being obtuse, but I snarled at her regardless. “I said no.”
“You’re being a dick.”
I yanked back a little too hard and she stumbled forward, her long waves falling forward. In the blink of an eye, the flame caught her hair.
“Fuck!” I yelled, jumping up quickly. “Firefighter!”
Mateo rushed across the room in a blur and lifted the bucket. He threw the water straight on her, drenching her completely.
Avery squealed, her eyes clamping shut as the flame was snuffed out.
Everyone fell silent and stared as she sputtered, her cheeks blooming bright red. Her eyes flew open and burned with fury.
If looks could kill, I’d be a dead man.
“Levi fucking Rayburn,” she hissed. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
All my defenses rose up. “It’s not my fault you didn’t listen to me,” I snapped.
Which was maybe not the best response I could have given to her.
“You didn’t listen to me,” she said. “I’ve been working with this art style for years. That’s why I’m the teacher.”
“I told you, I’m no artist.”
“And as my dad used to say, everyone is.”
Everything iced over. My eyes widened at the implication as her cheeks turned even redder.
Surely, she didn’t mean her dad was gone. Surely not. Austin would have told me. We talked every month. We’d been talking every month for years. I would have known. Right?
“Used to . . . ?” I croaked.
Mateo winced, telling me what I needed to know without a word.
Avery’s throat worked as she swallowed hard. She crossed her arms, her wet hair sticking to her face and neck. “Yeah. Sorry. Dad passed away two years ago. Heart attack. He’s gone.”
Two years.
All my bones were cold. I opened my mouth to apologize for putting my foot in it, but Avery was already moving to one of the other tables, completely ignoring me. Everyone’s attention slid back to her, and even though she was drenched, blue, and on the verge of tears—she kept going.
Fuck me.
I needed to get the hell out of here.
Mateo pressed his lips together as he studied me. “You didn’t know?”
I shook my head. “Austin didn’t tell me. And I’m not very good at keeping up with people on social media anymore because of my job. Sorry for the trouble.”
“Avery doesn’t really talk about it,” Mateo said, keeping his voice low. “Out of the three of them, she’s more of a vault than Austin.”
“Apparently not.” Now the truth was staring me dead in the eye, and I didn’t like it.
I was alone. Maybe more than I’d ever realized.
“Do you want to get brunch after this?” Mateo asked. “Since you’re back in town, but also sort of new? We can grab tacos and go harass Austin. I like the idea of showing up with his best friend at my hip.”
“No.” I winced, having said that a little harsher than I meant to. “Sorry. I just need some air. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing here.”
Before Mateo could say anything else, I pushed my chair in and headed for the door. Avery’s voice haunted me as I hurtled to the front, my heart pounding as I ran from both of them.
One week in Whynot, and I’d already ruined everything.