Cold and Ash

chapter 29

We were sitting on the sofa as the rain continued to pour outside. His hands were in my hair and my head was placed on his shoulder as we continued to talk and kiss occasionally.

"It's been an hour. Wouldn't your father get suspicious?" I murmured as I snuggled more into him.

"No he won't, with so many people around him, he is probably drowning in his own ego at the moment—even if he does get suspicious, we will just say we got stuck in the rain," he said. I nodded absently. His arm was draped over my shoulder as he continued to touch my hair.

"I never thought it would come to this," I said as I sat upright and looked at him. He was gazing intensely at me. I swallowed as I continued, "I thought I had lost you forever when you said goodbye," He frowned as he looked down and caught my hand in his.

"I can't lose more people," I said quietly.

He rubbed his thumb over my palm and continued quietly,

"You haven't lost me and you never will, there are some things that I haven't explained to you yet, and I can't until there settled completely. I didn't want you to get involved and risk my father's wrath," he said honestly.

"You don't have to forgive me but I want—" I cut him off.

"I don't blame you for James anymore. I wanted to, but you did what you did to save the factory...if it had burned down you could've been dead or worse, your father might have taken the chance to make life hell for your sister," I said quietly. "I don't blame you, and I want you to know that."

His eyes were glittering in the dark with an emotion, I couldn't name, he said quietly,

"I don't deserve your forgiveness, not yet. But I will one day," he smiled sadly at me and trailed his hand over my cheek.

I bit my lip but nodded absently as his eyes snapped to my lips.

I smiled as I leaned on him slowly and touched my lips to his. His hand went to my back and he groaned as I pulled away.

"It has stopped raining," I said suddenly and looked around.

"It has," he said sarcastically, and I smiled at him.

"Don't be a baby," I said standing up as he tried to stop me from leaving. I looked around as I searched for my pins to my hair and started collecting them. My eyes snapped to a picture that was on the floor, I picked it up.

He rose slowly as his eyes fell on the picture in my hand. "Is this you mother?" I asked quietly looking up at him. He smiled as he nodded, his fingers grazing mine as he touched the photo.

"This shed was mine. I filled it with my things, my father used to get so angry because I spent so much of my time here," he chuckled slowly, "But my mother didn't, she thought it was needed— the solitude. Time away from everything to read books and paint. She was quite the dreamer." He looked up at me. I smiled slightly as I said, "She sounds wonderful."

"Are those painting yours?" I asked after a moment, pointing to the a stack that was sitting by the window. He nodded, and I walked towards them as I leaned down and browsed through them.

Most were sceneries, of kids running around, his mother's and suddenly my cheeks reddened as I realised there was one of a naked woman.

He chuckled, "That's one from my rebellious phase," he grimaced.

"You surprise me more and more," I said quietly in embarrassment.

"Don't be embarrassed. It was from an art school.The  lady offered me a lot of money, but she forgot to take the painting with her," he said.