The Painting I Called 'You'

Ch-12: Cookies and a Ring

Kaiser

»»-----　➴　-----««

It had been three days since that night. Three days since Theo had confined me to my bed because I had a fever and three days since I had seen Astrella. Thankfully, I had the week off so I could go see her today. 

I was worried. She had been kidnapped. 

And it was my fault. 

I wanted to know how she was holding up. I hoped she hadn't visited because she was busy painting and not because she wanted to avoid me. Although Theo had reassured me saying she was just busy, it wasn't convincing enough.  

Astrella barely talks to me when she opens the door to let me in. Judging by the paint ridden palette in her hand, I brush it off, knowing she was busy.

It didn't help my anxiety, though. Her action only made me think she wanted nothing to do with me anymore. I decide upon baking cookies for her. It was an impromptu decision, and I knew better than to overthink it.

I might not know how to cook, but baking was something that both me and Kenzo picked up from our mom.

Too bad I couldn't survive on chocolate cake my whole life.

Personally, Astrella having a kitchen stocked with everything perfect for baking was my favourite part of her mansion, other than her of course.

Plus, it's not like I had anything else to do in the huge space. I get to work straight away, digging through her supplies. 

The smell of chocolate filled the air an hour or so later, when I opened the oven. There was a certain satisfaction in seeing perfectly baked cookies. Especially if you bake them yourself. 

I waited for them to cool before taking them upstairs, Astrella was in her studio for hours, and she hadn't eaten since lunch. 

When I got to the door and pushed it open, Astrella had a hand in her hair, panicking as she spoke into her phone.

"What do you mean you don't know what happened to it?" she exclaims, pacing around between her paintings and supplies.

"It's been twenty-four hours, and you choose to tell me now!?" she exclaims into the phone, I place the plate of cookies on the only available space in the whole room, waiting for her to finish her conversation.

It takes another ten minutes; she throws her phone onto the sofa after she's done and snatches a cookie off the plate to munch on while pacing around.

"What happened?" I ask.

"The gallery was broken into; someone stole the centerpiece. I had half my collection moved in there because I was running out of space here but- oh god, I shouldn't have done that, and now they can't trace it nor find out who did it because the cameras were blocked." her pacing increases with each of her words. 

I shove the plate of cookies into her hands and place my hands on her shoulders, "Astrella. Take a deep breath, eat these damn things, and sit down." I maneuver her to the cluttered sofa and make her sit. 

"What am I going to do?" she groans, I can see some tears pooling in her eyes. 

I kneel down in front of her, "Astrella, we'll get it back, okay? I promise." 

Her glossy eyes meet mine, "What? Illegally?" she mumbles. 

I try not to grimace, "Technically stealing isn't legal either." 

"I don't have time to re-paint it. The gallery opening is too soon, and I still have two paintings to finish." she rambles, picking up another cookie, "These are really good. Where did you get them?" she blurts with a mouthful of the cookie.