Page 183 of Graves

“Well, yes,” I say, thanking Koh as he fills my plate with his incredible food while I’m still holding Lisa. The gentle smile Koh gives me in that one second is heartwarming. “I’m still trying to find my sound. No idea how long that’ll take, but I have to do something. So I’m painting again. It calms me.”

“My stepmother is dying to show his paintings,” Koh says.

“Really?” Sophie asks.

“She owns a gallery and is always looking for new talent. When we had our housewarming party, she demanded to know who the artist was.”

The memory of that evening makes me smile. Though I think less about Selene praising my work to the skies and already planning an exhibition called “Before and After Prison.” What I remember most is Levi staring at the painting above the dining table and suddenly turning into an art expert.

“It’s kind of a mix between Lichtenstein’s Brushstrokes and early figurative Pollock. Really interesting, rockstar.”

My jaw drops open, not knowing what to say.

“Relax,” he grinned, slapping me on the shoulder. “I can do more than just beat people up. Welcome to the family. You fit right in. We all have a few skeletons in the closet.”

“Holy shit,” was all I managed. He just laughed and gave me another encouraging pat.

“That sounds amazing!” Sophie says excitedly. “Let me know when the show is. I’ll definitely come to the opening.”

Lisa has fallen asleep in my arms, so Sophie takes her and lays her down in the bassinet. I take my first bite of what might be the best and most tender steak I’ve ever eaten. Koh is simply a master in the kitchen.

“This is incredible,” Chris says with his mouth full. “Fuck, this is good! How do you cook like this?”

Koh shyly runs a finger over his lips. “My mother was a cook in a Japanese restaurant.”

“God, I’m so lucky!” I say, already going in for another bite.

“So how did you two actually meet?” Sophie asks, sitting back down.

“He was my house sitter,” I tell her, taking a sip of tea. “Back in the West Village. He looked after everything while I was gone.”

“Yeah,” Koh confirms, lovingly placing his hand on my thigh. “One day I came home and he was just sitting in the living room.”

“And it was love at first sight,” Sophie gushes.

“No,” Koh corrects her. “We hated each other.”

“What?” Sophie frowns, mourning her shattered romantic fantasy.

“I didn’t hate you,” I say dryly. “You were just annoying and I didn’t know how to deal with you.”

“I wasn’t annoying,” Koh protests in mock offense.

“A little bit,” I tease, kissing his cheek.

“You also left dishes everywhere.”

“Nothing’s changed there,” Sophie chuckles. “You were like that even as a kid. Someone always had to clean up after you.”

“Maybe,” I admit with a smirk, taking another bite.

“Why did you move?” Chris asks.

“Koh moved out eventually, and after what happened…” I glance briefly at the scars on my forearms. “Well… it just kind of happened. I was spending most of my time here anyway.”

“The paparazzi were pretty intense too,” Koh adds.

“I can imagine,” Chris says. “The story was all over the news. Have they caught the guy who did that to you yet?”