Deep Burn (Burned Duet 2)

Asher: How did you know I was worrying?

Mom: Because you take after your dad. I’ll stay here until you get home. Just concentrate

on what you need to do today. Okay?

I blew out a breath. She was right. I needed to concentrate on the shop. I needed to contact all of my clients and rearrange the appointments I’d canceled. More importantly, I needed to give Elodie some space. I couldn’t be with her every second of the day, no matter how much I wished I could. She had to regain her freedom, even if it was only through baby steps. And this was the first step since we’d been back.

Asher: Call me if you need anything.

I pushed my cell back into the front pocket of my jeans, got out of my car, then walked into the shop. The door had been replaced, and the inside had been put back to how it was. It was almost exactly the same, apart from a few new shelves scattered around that my dad had put up because the old ones had been broken.

“Well, I’ll be damned.” I turned my head toward the voice. “Long time no see.” Lara pushed up off her seat and moved toward me, slapping me on the back in greeting. “We weren’t sure if you’d actually show, but here you are.”

“Here I am,” I replied, my tone clearly stating I hadn’t thought I’d be here either. “Mav here yet?”

“Sent him out for coffees and breakfast,” Jez announced, moving toward Lara and me.

My stomach rumbled. “Good call.” I glanced around the shop, my gaze halting on the back hallway. “Wanna fill me in on what’s happened while I’ve been gone?” I walked toward my station and sat in the tattooing chair.

“Nothing much,” Jez started, wheeling his stool closer to me. “The door got replaced. We tried to put everything back to where it was before.” His gaze roved around the inside of the shop. “Got some new shelves.”

“And your dad and brother emptied the apartment upstairs.” My breaths sped up. “They said you wouldn’t want to go back up there.” Lara shrugged. “How’s Elodie doing?”

“She’s…” I trailed off, not sure what to say. She was doing better than she had been, but I knew it would be a long road until she was back to her normal self. I wasn’t even sure she knew what her normal was anymore. So much had happened. She’d been fighting for so long. But now she didn’t have to, at least, not for a while anyway. “As okay as she can be.” I stood, wincing as I got closer to the hallway. “I need to contact my clients and—”

“Mav already did it for you when you messaged to say you were coming home,” Lara supplied, following me toward the back of the shop. “He’s put them all on the system starting next week.”

I didn’t answer her. I couldn’t, not while I was focusing on the back of the shop. I wasn’t sure I could spend my days with the door leading to the stairs of the apartment right there.

“We could block it off,” a new voice said from behind me. I spun around, coming face-to-face with Mav. His hands were full of four coffees and a white paper bag. “It’d only take some woodwork, then you could rent the space above and not have to see it every day.”

I didn’t take my attention off him, working his idea around in my head. He was right, we could block it off. It would still be there, but I wouldn’t have to see it. And the income from above the shop would mean I’d be able to work fewer hours, at least until Elodie was fully back on her feet.

“That’s not a bad idea,” I said, taking the coffee he held out to me. “You know anyone who could do it?”

“I could.” He shrugged and handed Lara and Jez their coffees too. “My dad is in construction. I used to work with him during the summers.” He sat on one of the rolling stools and opened up the white bag. “It’d only take me a couple of days.”

“Do it,” I told him, not taking a second to think his plan through. I needed the memories to be blocked off, not just for me, but for Elodie too. That was if she ever decided to come back here. I wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t. “Take the measurements and make a list of supplies we need.”

“On it.” He shot past me into the back office, and I sat back in my seat, blowing out a breath. I’d only been here thirty minutes, and already, I was exhausted. I hadn’t thought how it would be coming back here. All I’d been thinking about was how Elodie would be without me by her side, but now my own memories of that night were taking over. The way the glass was smashed in the front door, the sounds I heard as I walked up the stairs to her apartment. They were a constant echo in my mind.

“Bring me my laptop!” I shouted to Mav, closing my eyes, and scrubbing my hand down my face. He appeared a couple of seconds later, and I opened the laptop, checking on my schedule and seeing nothing booked in until Monday. It meant I had nearly a week to get back into the swing of things until I had a proper client back in my seat.

I closed my laptop and took a swig of the now lukewarm coffee. Part of me wondered whether I should have just closed the shop altogether. If my lawyer couldn’t get the DA to bring the charges back down, I wouldn’t be a free man after April. I’d be locked inside a cell for god knows how long. And Elodie wouldn’t have me by her side. She’d be alone again. Fuck. I couldn’t let that happen. I needed to find a way to figure all of this out.

I pushed to the edge of my seat, about to see if Mav had finished measuring up, but the door to the shop swung open, and a panicked Aleste darted inside. “You’re here,” she breathed out. Her head turned left and right as she looked around the shop. “Where is she?” Her voice was panicked, and it had me rushing out of my chair. “Where is she, Asher?”

“Oh shit.” Lara cleared her throat. “I forgot to tell you about Aleste.”

“Tell me what?” I asked, not taking my attention off Aleste. Her face was pale and panicked. She had her dance clothes on as if she’d rushed out of the middle of a lesson.

“She’s been looking for Elo—”

“Where is she, Asher?” Aleste stepped forward, her eyes wide. “I heard what happened and—” She made a choked sound. “Is she okay? I tried calling, but there was no answer.”

“She’s okay.” I took another few steps toward her. “She’s at my place with my mom.” I swallowed, trying not to let the emotions take over. Being back here was harder than I’d thought it would be, and although my skin was crawling and my heart was telling me to bail, my brain refused to give in. If Elodie was seeing through coming home, then I could spend the day here and put plans in motion.

Aleste blew out a breath and swiped at her face. “Has she been dancing?” I shook my head. Elodie hadn’t mentioned it once. “Tell her…” She placed her hands over her chest and sighed. “Tell her the studio is here for her when she’s ready.”