[ 18+ COMPLETED high school romance]
Lina Andrews has always been a bookworm; she loves to read, and she loves to learn the depth of what lies behind the words-hence, why she's always found with her nose in a book. Even with how much her brother, B...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
After my birthday weekend, I felt like Lina and I were in a really good fucking place.
I let her in—she saw the ugly, selfish part of me and she didn't run away. She just held me and kissed me. Assured me I was okay. She made me feel safe. Plus we had the most amazing sex we'd ever had yet.
But she was being distant.
Barely noticeable, though. If I hadn't spent so much attention watching her and paying attention to her, I probably would've missed it. But it was subtle.
She got happy to see me, but not as happy as she did. She would kiss me, but not as long as she used to. She would look at me, but not as hopeful as she had before.
Now I'm starting to freak out and wonder if I had done something wrong. And I wanna ask her, but I don't want her to just end things as they are right now. I'm happy with her. I love her, I love being with her. She's who I wanna be with forever.
I just wanna know what's going on in her head.
I lift my head up from the plate of food I was making for us, but Lina was no longer leaning against the wall, watching me. She was gone. I set the knife down, walking towards where she just was.
"No way," I hear her say, almost laughing.
I had invited Lina over for lunch, per my moms request. She wanted to sit down and chat with her, and I guess ma finally came out and found her.
I pause, waiting to hear what they were talking about.
"Oh, but it's true." I can hear the smile in my mother's voice. "My Hayden is very talented with a brush."
Lina was silent for a moment. "He really did this?"
"He made a lot of what I have displayed in the house. He doesn't like it when I brag," ma chuckles. "But he's talented. I wish he'd listen to me about pursuing it professionally."
"Professionally?"
"Sì. Hayden eventually found a healthy outlet for his anger through art. He never saw it as something he was good at, that he could do for living. I tried talking to him, so many times. But boys never listen to their mammas," ma laughs.
I groan, rubbing my palms over my eyes. Lina got pissed about my birthday. I hope she doesn't get mad about this.
Ma is right. Painting was never something I considered for myself. The last time I got in trouble, my mom came into my room. She didn't say anything. She simply set down a canvas and some paint beside me and left.
I scoffed at the idea. I stared at it for hours, not believing that she actually thought it'd do something for me.
But when I picked up the brush, everything else vanished.
