"Oh, God!" I shove Art's red hot spaghetti into my mouth, whimpering from the pain, but revelling in the pleasure. "This is so good."
She just stares at me, eating her pasta slowly, running a hand through her hair. "You think so?"
"You should make this more often," I say, shovelling the food into my mouth, lips burning.
"And you should eat slowly," she comments. "I don't want you to choke."
"You're such a pessimist," I say.
"No," she insists. The art looks at me. "I just...I care about you."
Everything pauses for a moment. Like she's slowed time or something. It's crazy, but I feel it. I don't know what to do. And then, suddenly, she leaned over the table and her lips are on mine. She whimpers, holding my chin, pulling me closer.
"Art," I gasp into the warmth of her lips.
She moans helplessly, sliding her hand down my neck. Her tongue slips gently between my teeth, massaging mine. I pull away, breathing heavily, trying to catch my breath. "Art!"
She just sits there, face flushed an angry vermillion, arms crossed as if she had done nothing wrong.
Then my iPhone rings. I stare at her while I answer. "This is Erin Lorde speaking."
"Good evening, Lorde. It's Doctor Rhys. I just wanted to inform you that the DNA results are in and that you should come and have a look as soon as possible."
I nod. "Yes, of course. Thank you, doctor."
I hang up.
Art rises to her feet, gathering our plates. She's in the kitchen when she finally speaks. "What was that all about?"
"The DNA that we collected from the crime scene has been tested. Doctor Rhys says we can check it out as soon as we can," I say.
She leans over the sink. I can tell that she doesn't want to look at me. "Then we should go tomorrow."
•••
We end up at Bluebell University, where the laboratory is, the next morning. I get out of the car, following Art inside of the building. She's as cold as the autumn weather. She seeps into my skin, making me feel so bad about rejecting her. I don't know what to do.
"Good morning," Doctor Rhys says, ushering us into her office.
Art and I take a seat opposite her, watching her spread a manila folder out on her desk. She crosses her hands over the folder. "We managed to retrieve DNA samples from the wood chips you provided."
"How is that even possible?" I ask, leaning forward in my seat.
Doctor Rhys flips her auburn hair over her shoulder, smiling pleasantly. "There were definite blood stains on those wood chips. Well done. If you hadn't brought them in as soon as you had, the DNA would have been unretrievable. But, considering the weather conditions at the accident site, the blood samples were well preserved."
"So, it tested positive for human blood?" I ask.
Doctor Rhys nods. "I could separate two samples of human blood from the chips."
"Could one of the samples belong to Joseline Madeline?"