The Heart-Shaped Emblor (The Ewlishash Series) by Alaina Ewing Page B

to her, but I didn’t take my eyes off of Cooper.
    He had a sweet expression as he met my gaze. All the fantasies I had about him for the last couple of years, all the memories of our dating these last few months, they all came flooding back. I wanted to believe he really might be my knight in shining armor, but something still nagged at me. He wasn’t the one . I tried to shrug it off, focusing on the fact that he was next to me, trying to be supportive. Cooper didn’t really speak. He just watched, and occasionally grimaced, sucking out some of my pleasure like a high-powered vacuum.
    “So how are things really going?” He sounded distant.
    “Fine.” My mouth creased in confusion.
    “You placed all these items here? Where they hang?”
    “Yes,” I responded slowly. “Why?”
    “You have many of Jaden’s drawings and paintings close to my photographs. Was that intentional?” Cooper rubbed his knees nervously.
    I made a quick survey of the hall. “I don’t know what you mean. What items of hers have I put close to yours?”
    “See that photo of the dog swimming next to the man sunbathing?”
    “Yeah.”
    “That’s my photo,” he admitted. “The abstract painting of the man taking a picture next to it, that’s me. Jaden painted that a couple of years ago.” His tone dropped to a low hum as he spoke.
    “You’re kidding,” I mused. “That doesn’t even look like one of hers. I’m not even looking at who the artist is. I’m just placing items where they seem to fit. It’s just a coincidence.”
    Cooper leaned to one side, resting his arm on his knee. “And that one?” He pointed to a picture of the side of a woman’s back. “Didn’t you look to see who took that photo?”
    Where was he going with this? “No. It’s labeled on the back.” I responded more quietly now, realizing the woman was nude. “I haven’t been looking because I didn’t want any of the artists’ names to conflict with where my instincts told me they went. Why?” My stomach turned, making eating not such a good idea.
    Cooper’s silence was all I needed to draw my own conclusion. “That’s her?”
    He nodded with a tight jaw.
    “Why would you put that photo in the show? Why would either of you put your older pieces in? Shouldn’t you be submitting more current work?”
    “I didn’t submit those works, Aislinn. There are more of them as well. In almost every case, you’ve either selected a photo of her, or put our works side by side.” He chewed on the inside of his cheek. “So this wasn’t intentional?”
    “No!” My defensive attitude made him jump a little. “Of course I didn’t do that! I don’t even want to think about the fact that you kissed, or dated! Why would I do that?”
    “I was hoping you had the answer to that,” he sighed. “Are you sure you aren’t trying to get revenge for us kissing? For not telling you we dated?”
    “Wait.” The meaning behind his question sank in. “Cooper, if you didn’t submit these photos, who did?”
    “You really need to ask?” His contempt made my chest feel heavy, and I wished I hadn’t.
    “Jaden? Why would she do that?” I wanted to believe that all of this had been an accident, but had it? She obviously knew what she was doing. The photos and paintings were getting to him.
    “You’ll be angry if I tell you why,” he admitted while he bit off a piece of his nail.
    “Angry with who? You or her?” My nerves were eating a hole in me. Here I figured displaying the art this way would be fun and diverse. Yet, all I managed to do was place the two people I wanted to keep apart, side by side. That was why Jaden had done it. She wanted me to see how perfect they’d been together. Jaden wanted to hurt me. I sat back against the wall, stunned by my realization.
    “I guess I don’t need to explain.” He turned solemn.
    “No,” I mumbled under my breath.
    “Don’t let her get to you. She’s a bitch.”
    “Right,” was all I could squeeze from