Chapter 5 Kane and Jessie (Nina)

Jessie drove, already planning our evening. "Dinner first, then that new movie—"

"Jessie, I don't think I can do dinner. Or a movie." I stared out the window.

I wanted to. I wanted to make up for the ruined birthday, the ruined morning. But I had to fix what I'd broken.

"You're still mad?"

"No. I ran into someone last night. Broke something." I sighed. "I need to buy glue, piece it back together, and return it."

"Okay." Jessie sounded disappointed. "Then let's go do your puzzle game."

We bought glue. Went back to my place.

I set the porcelain shards on the table with the care of someone handling bones. "We need to put this unicorn back together."

Jessie picked up a piece, turned it over. "Nina, maybe we should just buy him a new one. This is a waste of time."

"No." I found a clean towel and started wiping each fragment. "It was a gift from his dead friend. It matters to him. I need to glue it, and I need to get a replica made."

Jessie listened. Then sat down and started helping.

"Maybe I can ask Kane. He has a friend who does sculptures..."

"Kane?" I looked up. "Your Air Force lieutenant brother?"

I'd never met him. Only heard Sharon Collins mention him in passing.

"Yeah." Jessie shrugged. "He just got back from overseas. On leave."

Two hours later, the unicorn was glued. Fragile. But whole.

Jessie checked his phone. Kissed my cheek. "Babe, I gotta go."

I walked him to the door. "Thanks for the gift. The flowers. The puzzle game..."

"I'll be on time tomorrow. I promise."

"See you."

I watched his car pull away. Then I went inside, searched for sculpture studios, saved two numbers, set my alarm, and fell asleep.

The alarm woke me at dawn. I got ready, called the studios.

When I opened the door, Jessie's car was already there.

"Morning, Nina."

"Morning." I circled around to the passenger side and got in.

Jessie handed me a paper bag. "Avocado egg sandwich. Whole wheat. Didn't forget."

"Thanks. Sweet Jessie. Love you." I meant it.

"I asked Kane about his friend. Not doing sculptures anymore. We need another plan."

"It's fine. I found a studio. Here's the address."

Jessie punched it into his GPS and drove. I met with the sculptor, signed a contract, paid the deposit. Three days.

On the way out, I texted the man whose unicorn I'd destroyed.

Hey, I'm the girl who broke your thing at the Metrorail station. Can we meet the day after tomorrow at 6 PM? I have to return your sculpture.

A long pause. Then an address. Nothing else.

See you in three days.

For three days, I lived in the studio. Art history lectures in the morning. Ballet until my toes bled. The YAGP preliminaries were coming, and I was going to be ready.

On the third day, the studio called. The replica was ready. But Mrs. Thorne had kept me for extra practice, and by the time I got to the studio, grabbed the sculpture, and made it to the café—I was thirty minutes late.

I scanned the room. No sign of him.

I was reaching for my phone when a voice hit me from behind.

"Can't watch where you walk. Can't show up on time. Is there anything you can do right?"

I turned. Looked up. Way up.

Kane Black stood there, all six-foot-plus of him, radiating the kind of cold that made Florida's humidity feel like a lie.

"I'm sorry. My class ran late. I really am sorry."

He didn't blink. "Where's the replacement?"

"Can we sit?"

He said nothing. Sat at the nearest table.

I'd just set the box on the table when Jessie walked in from parking the car. He froze.

"Kane? What are you doing here?"

I looked from Jessie to the man across from me. "Wait. You're Kane?"

"Kane Black." His voice was flat. Empty.

Jessie slid into the seat beside me, grinning like this was a social call. "Kane, this is my girlfriend, Nina. Nina, this is my brother, Kane."

He turned to me, eyes wide. "So you're the one who broke Kane's sculpture?"

"Apparently."

I placed the repaired unicorn on the table. Then the replica beside it. "I'm really sorry I broke something so important to you."

"This is your compensation." Kane's eyes were ice.

"I know I can never replace the original. It was from your friend. But I glued every piece back together, and I had this one made to match." My hands trembled. "I know it's not enough. Nothing I do could ever be enough. But I'm sorry."

Kane stared at the two unicorns. Said nothing.

Jessie watched me, all nervous energy, and couldn't help himself. "Come on, Kane. It's just a sculpture. She got you a perfect copy..."

"Jessie." I stopped him, quiet but firm.

I knew what it felt like when someone destroyed something you cared about. Linda had smashed the camera I'd bought Jessie. I'd been furious. Devastated.

This was Kane's dead friend's last gift. Of course he was angry. Of course he was hurting.

Kane's gaze cut to Jessie, sharp as a blade. "Jessie. It's not just a sculpture."

I pressed my lips together. "Is there anything else I can do?"

Kane stood. Gathered both unicorns. Looked down at me with something that wasn't quite hate, but wasn't forgiveness either.

"Yes. Stay away from me."

He turned to Jessie. "And you."

Then he walked out.

Jessie watched him go, frowning. "Is he crazy?"

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