Tears streamed down Aleena's face while she clutched the bouquet of long stemmed white roses. The crowd in the park had thinned out as the blazing sun dimmed with the approach of evening as Autumn did its best to back its appearance. The gentle breeze toyed with her ponytail. She didn't know why her emotions were on her sleeves. Maybe it was because of the brutality that sniffed out his life or because she hadn't been in the appearance of death since she reached her thirties. All she was certain of was that Paul was kind and a delight to have in her sessions and she was going to miss the smile he beamed even when he fell out of pose.

"Were you fucking him?"

The crass words halted her motion. Instead of gently resting the bouquet on the steps of the veranda that she recently learned was a creation of Paul's, they dropped out of her grasp.

Her brown eyes snapped to the man behind her. "DeMarcus." Dismay and confusion clouded her delicate features. "What the hell? What are you doing here?"

"I asked you a question first." He pulled one of his hands from the pocket of the suit pants to sharply point at the blown up portrait of Paul on the brass easel. "Were you fucking him?"

Aleena surveyed their surroundings but the park goers were carrying on with their regular evening routine. "No. Why would you ask me that?"

"Clearly he meant something to you or you wouldn't be crying like you lost your best friend." He stepped closer to her. "You can be honest with me. I won't overreact."

She chortled then gestured to him. "You're overreacting right now. How did you even know where I was?"

"I went to the studio and saw you leaving so I followed you."

She eyed him sharply, "And you didn't think to just I don't know, ask me."

"You're not dressed like you're going to a vigil." His eyes scanned her body from the sheer button down blouse that showed off her lace camisole to the corduroy tan skirt and ankle boots. "A full face of make-up for a dead man."

"DeMarcus..." She calmly stated his name even though she was fuming under the surface. "The information you seek was on the calendar. I have a date."

"After we decided to start trying for a baby."

"No. You decided." She affirmed. "And you expected me to blindly agree. You keep talking at me and not hearing me. And I'm tired of it."

She moved to walk away from him but he stepped in her way halting her steps. "I'm right here. Listening to you."

"Now, you want to listen to me." She seethed. "What? Is your girlfriend busy? Or did you think I was going to wait around and wait for you to put me first. But that's fine because I'm putting myself first. I have to go."

She sidestepped him and he cut her off again. She tsked, her sight traveled over his shoulder and she shook her head.

"What?! Is he here?" DeMarcus snarled as his wild, frantic eyes searched the vicinity for whoever she was looking at.

"You want to break the very rules you created so badly and know who he is. There he is." She pointed to the man standing by the sports car as she walked off and this time he didn't follow her. He was frozen in place as Apollo peered at him with hostility. Aleena didn't look back once she reached the car but Apollo didn't let his sight falter as he opened the door for her. He gave DeMarcus a two-finger salute after closing her door and sliding into the driver's seat to merge into traffic and speed off.

DeMarcus clenched his fist. Rage raced through his blood as he hurried to his car.