Chapter 11

~Rooftop Revelations~

When I wake up, I'm alone. For a moment, I wonder if I imagined Leah, but then I spy a coffee, a white paper bag, and a note on the nightstand.

I sip the coffee—it's just the way I like it. I take a bite of the berry danish that's inside the bag before reading the note.

I had a great time with you last night. Hope we can do it again. A little birdy told me how you like your coffee but thought I'd mix things up and share my favorite breakfast treat. See you soon.

Little Wolf

203-561-0879

The Danish is delicious, but I'm happy she didn't experiment with my coffee.

I take a quick shower and change, thankful I keep a fair supply of clothes here. It's almost time to open, so I head downstairs and look over my schedule. I bring up Instagram and look at the Wizard of Ink profile. There are now nearly two hundred thousand followers. Whoever opened the account regularly posts my designs, which have hundreds of comments.

I check my email, and there's still no response from Instagram's customer service department. Logically, I know whoever made the account has been helping my business, but at any time, they could post something that might alienate my customers. The posts aren't mine, and I don't want to take credit for what could turn into a nightmare.

I craft a message to my customers and post a disclaimer explaining that although Wizard of Ink is my nickname, I don't have an Instagram account of the same name and don't take credit or personal responsibility for any of the messages posted from the unauthorized account. I post this message on the Inkspiration website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts. I also print off a copy to keep at the front counter. Then I send another message to Instagram, not that I have much hope they will help me. I can't even get a "Fuck you!" out of them.

Soon the day is off and running, and I push the mystery to the back of my mind. I have three clients the first half of the day, all getting complex designs, and I'm able to lose myself in my craft. I love that about what I do; no matter what's going on in my life, I can put it aside while I'm inking.

Seth pops his head in while I'm cleaning up. "You joining us for lunch?"

"Yeah."

He hesitates in the doorway. "Thanks for giving my sister a chance, man. That was cool."

I give him a look. "You really underplayed Leah's talent. I was blown away—we all were!"

Seth shrugs. "We aren't a braggy bunch. See you on the roof!"

I finish disinfecting and prepping for my next client, then I head up the back stairs. The sound of voices and laughter greets me. The couches and chairs are grouped around the coffee table. Rose is perched on Emmett's leg with one arm resting loosely around his neck. Seth has a sandwich balancing on his lap. Jasper looks animated and happy. I follow his gaze and see why; Alice is over by the bar, pouring herself a soda.

"Edward! Join the party!" Jimmy calls out.

He's sitting close to Leah, and they have papers spread out on a corner of the table.

I smile. "Jimmy! Leah! I didn't know you guys were here."

Leah looks up at me from under a dark fringe of lashes. Her expression holds caution, probably because she's not sure how to act after last night.

Jimmy fills the awkward gap with his signature enthusiasm. "Little Wolf brought some of her drawings—even one she was inspired to draw last night. I'm telling you, she's going to be a huge success!"

A blush rises to Leah's dusky cheeks. "You're embarrassing me."

Jimmy rolls his eyes. "What is it with talented people trying to downplay their gifts?" He grabs Leah's hand, waiting for her to meet his gaze. "Your designs are unlike anything I've ever seen. They evoke strong emotions. Ed, you have to see these."

I glance at Leah and hope my smile reassures her. "Leah's designs are mind-blowing." I hold her dark gaze for a beat. "Let me grab my lunch and a drink: then you can show me those designs."

There's a lone sandwich resting on top of the bar, which I assume is mine. Nobody asked me what I wanted for lunch, which sometimes happens if I'm busy inking when they order. Corned beef on rye with a pickle is my go-to lunch, and that's what Seth ordered for me.

Ali puts her soda down and opens her arms. "Come here, little brother."

I step in and wrap her in a tight hug, lifting her slight form off the floor. "Who are you calling little?" Ali hugs me for a long time. When I finally let her go, I notice she's wearing a white lab coat with Alice Cullen, APN embroidered in blue. I give one lapel a gentle tug. "Does this mean you have to go back to work?"

Her smile dims. "Yeah. I demanded some time off for good behavior so I could lunch with my favorite guys."

I take a long look at her face. She has dark circles under her eyes and looks bone tired. "Ali," I say softly, waiting for her eyes to meet mine. "You have to slow down. This isn't good for you, and I know it's not good for him." I tilt my head toward Jasper.

She seems concerned. "Has he said something?"

"No. You know he won't. He just broods and suffers silently." My stomach growls, so I lean on a stool and take a gigantic bite of my sandwich.

Ali sighs. "The hospital is so short-handed right now. They're trying to hire more nurses and nurse practitioners."

I finish chewing and shoot her a look. "The nursing shortage is not your problem. If you burn yourself out, you won't be any good to anyone. Have you considered working in a physician practice? The hours would be more regular." I demolish half of my pickle in one bite.

Ali tilts her dark head, looking thoughtful. "I suppose I could."

"But?"

"I thrive on the craziness of the ER. I love being useful and saving people and catching things that others miss." She shrugs. "I will think about it though."

I change the subject. "Did you meet everyone?"

She grins. "Yes! I'm so stoked about Leah's designs. And who knew the quiet, gangly teenager would turn into that!" Ali wiggles her eyebrows. "She's hot!"

I laugh, nearly choking on my food. When I recover, I look askance at my sister. "Are you into chicks now?"

"No, but I know this good-looking, single, tattoo artist who should be interested."

"Ali, don't start." I busy myself with the sandwich.

"Oh . . ." I feel her intense stare but refuse to look. "Something already happened." It's not phrased as a question.

"Kinda. It was innocent . . . sort of." I can feel my face heating up. "I'm intrigued, okay?"

"You're a free agent. Nothing to feel guilty about." Ali turns as if her name is called, catching Jasper's eye. "I have to get back to my love."

I wrap the rest of my sandwich, preparing to join the group.

Before she leaves, Ali puts her hand on my arm and looks up at me earnestly. "I know he's a good friend of yours, but keep an eye on Jimmy. He's too . . . smooth. There's something off about him."

"Okay."

She goes up on tiptoe to kiss my cheek. "I love how I don't have to explain myself to you."

"Your instincts are usually spot on."

Ali winks and carries her drink over to the table. She sits on Jasper's lap and snuggles against him. The tension leaves his body, and a content smile plays over his lips.

I grab a bottle of water and my sandwich, joining Jimmy and Leah on one of the couches. Jimmy leans across Leah to fist bump me. "What's up?"

"Not much. Happy to be here with everybody. I didn't know you were coming by."

Jimmy shrugs a shoulder. "I was in town getting some supplies and thought I would pop in."

"Where's Bella?"

"She's feeling under the weather."

"I hope everything's okay."

"It's fine, Ed." There's a slight edge to Jimmy's tone. He doesn't want to be questioned further, and it's really none of my business. He leans forward and picks up some of Leah's sketches. "Look at these! Little Wolf is a treasure trove of art."

I take the drawings and go through them slowly. They're really good.

Leah puts her hand on my arm. "I always start with pencil drawings. They look much better once I do them in color." She sounds almost apologetic.

"Leah, these are exquisite. Please, never apologize for your art."

"That means a lot to me," she says almost shyly.

I continue going through the sketches until one grabs my attention and doesn't let go. It's a female in shadow, merging with a golden-eyed wolf. The woman is looking to the side, while the wolf looks directly at me with an intense, knowing gaze. Gold is the only color in the black and white drawing, and this makes it stand out all the more.

"Whoa! This one jumps off the page."

Leah smiles. "I drew that one in the middle of the night. I was really inspired."

Jimmy leans in, looking interested. "Pray tell, what inspired you? Whatever it is, you should do it regularly."

"I'm not exactly sure, but I'm hoping to tap into it more often." Leah looks into my eyes when she says this.

I finish my sandwich and drink my water, all the while very aware of Leah's leg touching mine. The three of us are talking, but it feels intimate and secret. Leah and I know what happened last night. By the way she keeps sneaking glances at me, I'm pretty sure she feels this too.

Ali stands and waves to everyone. "I have to get back to the hospital. Thanks for having me, guys!"

Everyone says goodbye. Jasper slings an arm around Ali and walks her downstairs. Seth cleans up some of the garbage and heads down to reopen the shop and greet customers.

Rose is straddling Emmett, and they're busy making out. His large hands roam over her ass, and her arms are wound around his neck.

Jimmy yells, "Get a room!" He winks at me, mouthing, "Told you."

Rose glares at us. "Grow up!" She stands up and takes Emmett's hand, leading him to the stairs. "We'll continue this later, big guy."

"Your wish is my command, Rosie!" Emmett follows along behind her like an eager puppy.

Jimmy laughs. "Another successful match!" His smile fades, and he looks somber. "You know, Ed . . . I don't think your sister digs me."

I wave a hand dismissively. "I think you're imagining things. Ali just has a lot on her mind."

Jimmy's phone rings, and he walks over by the bar, talking quietly. He turns abruptly, heading back our way. "I'll be right there, baby." He slips the phone into his pocket. "I gotta run. Bella needs me."

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah. I'll call you later, man." He stops in front of Leah, taking her hand and kissing it. "Thank you for sharing your talent. You have a bright future. Never doubt yourself."

Once Jimmy takes off, I'm left alone with Leah. She tangles her fingers with mine and smiles shyly. "I had a good time last night."

"Me too. Thanks for the coffee and danish. That was a nice surprise to wake up to."

She leans over and presses her mouth against mine. I slide my hand behind her neck and deepen the kiss.

After a while, Leah pulls back, breathing heavy. "We should stop. You probably have clients waiting, and this isn't the place to do what I have in mind. Too public." She smiles.

"You're right, and I feel kind of funny because of Seth."

"I don't think he'll mind. We're two consenting adults. And he thinks you walk on water." She kisses me softly, caressing the side of my face. "You're something special, Edward. I've waited a long time for you to notice me."

"Every man's eyes were on you in Denali's last night. It's almost impossible not to notice you."

"Wow. Okay, so I'm going to go now while my head can still fit through the door." Leah's face is flushed. "I was going to ask if I could observe this afternoon, but maybe I shouldn't."

"Stay. Why don't you hang with Jasper today?" We stand, facing each other, and I tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'm not a fan of mixing work and play, but I threw the rulebook out the window last night. The only way we're going to be able to see each other socially is if we can be professional at work."

"Okay. Let's do this."

"You go on ahead and find Jasper. I'll be down in a minute."

After Leah goes downstairs, I wander to the wall at the edge of the roof. I rest my arms on the stone and lay my head down. My insides are twisted in knots, and I'm not sure why. The feeling rolling through me is reminiscent of the slow climb up the hill of a rollercoaster—the anticipation as you are slowly but surely hauled to the apex only to be tipped into helpless free fall.

~oOo~

Edward is feeling uncomfortable about Leah, and he's starting to about Jimmy. Part of the discomfort is his curiosity about and budding attraction to Bella. Would love to hear your thoughts. See you next week!

*IMPORTANT*-Fanfic has made a ridiculous update that will turn email notifications OFF. This is the default setting. You will need to go to "settings" in your FF account and opt in to receive email notifications. Even if you do this, this setting will automatically default back to NO every six months, at which time you will need to change the setting again. Just one more way FF is making our lives difficult.

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