The Artist

Chapter 6

"Hi Daniel," Mia said when she saw him standing there, looking between her and Chris.

He gave Chris a look before coming over, wrapping an arm around Mia's waist and kissed her deeply. It was obvious to Chris he was making a statement that Mia was his and nonverbally telling Chris to back off. All it did was make Chris want to roll his eyes to himself.

"Who is this?" Daniel then turned and looked at the hunky man standing there.

"This is Chris Evans," Mia motioned to him. "We met him at the art show at the Pioneer gallery a couple months ago, remember?"

"Oh yeah, the movie star," Daniel remembered all the buzz surrounding him at the gallery, the fact that such a famous actor was in attendance. He looked at Chris, sizing him up as he eyed him and said, "I didn't realize that you two really knew each other."

Chris felt bad for Mia and he decided to jump in, informing him, "Oh well we just ran into each other a few times and then I ended up taking her art class at the rec center."

He simply just nodded and then turned to Mia, "Well if you're headed home, I can take you, babe. I'd love to spend some time with you anyway."

Mia looked between the two men, not knowing exactly what she should do. She wanted to keep helping Chris, but it was obvious Daniel was upset with the situation so she looked at Chris and said, "Maybe I could come help you finish up a different day?"

Chris wouldn't lie. He was disappointed. He knew he was developing some real feelings for her and that part of him really wanted Mia to pick him. But the logical part of his brain knew she would go with her boyfriend so he quickly tried to play it off easy and told her, "Yeah totally, just text me."

And once the pair shared a quick hug, Daniel wrapped his arm around her waist and led her down the street before getting in his car and heading back to her apartment. They didn't say much to one another until they were inside Mia's apartment.

She made her way to the kitchen, getting a glass of water while Daniel trailed behind her and finally asked, "So when were you going to tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"Tell me about Chris," He looked her in the eye when she turned around.

Mia took a drink of her water slowly before answering, "I didn't know that it was something I needed to tell."

"Um the fact that you're hanging out with a movie star never was something you thought you'd mention? And the fact that he's a man that you're spending time with I think it something I have a right to know about," Daniel leaned against the counter.

"We're just friends," She told him. "We've only hung out after I teach my class and today I was just helping him paint some things for his niece's birthday party. It's really not a big deal."

"It is though Mia, I saw the way he was looking at you. If you guys are just friends someone should give him the memo," He pressed her. "Look, I just wish you would have told me about him."

A soft sigh came out of her as she blinked back a few tears that stung at her eyes. She stared down at her sock covered feet before lifting her head and quietly telling him, "That's the thing though Daniel, I did tell you about him. You two met at the art gallery, I told you I ran into him at the football game and I told you that he came to my art class and we went out to dinner after. I feel like you don't care about what I care about or who I care about. You just don't even really listen to me anymore and so sometimes I wonder why even share with you at all? I don't feel like I'm special to you, or sometimes that you even care."

Daniel turned and walked out of the kitchen, running a hand through his blonde hair while sighing. Mia's small apartment was more of a loft feeling, everything all being in one big open room so her eyes followed him as he paced back and forth before eventually turning to look at her and shrugging, "Mia, I don't know what you want me to say."

Mia wanted him to be sorry. She wanted him to feel sad that she felt she couldn't share with him and that he cared for her. But she couldn't make him feel a certain way so she just shrugged and said, "Forget it Daniel, it doesn't really matter."

"C'mon, why don't I take you out for dinner," He attempted to smooth things over.

Mia picked at her chipping nail polish and told him, "I already ate with Chris."

He let out a small sigh, not really wanting to think about Chris anymore and instead went over to sit on her couch. Daniel patted the spot next to him and said, "Babe, come sit with me. Let's watch a movie or something."

Mia slowly nodded before she shuffled over and sat down on the couch, letting Daniel pull her against his side and he kissed the top of her head, telling her, "I love you Mia."

'You say it but I don't feel it' were the words that were in her heart but Mia didn't have the courage to say them.

She tried to push the feelings out of her heart and laid her head on his shoulder as the two settled in for a movie. As the night went on, Daniel acted as if nothing had happened, but Mia still felt as if her heart was heavy and suffocated. His apathy toward her really hurt Mia but she didn't know what to do about it.

Mia just stayed silent for most of the night and once Daniel had fallen asleep, she grabbed her phone, wanting to occupy her brain so she wasn't left alone with her thoughts. When Mia clicked her phone on, there was a text message waiting for her.

'What's your address? Ma wants to send you an invitation to Stella's birthday party.'

Mia typed out her address and sent it back and almost instantly got a response from Chris saying, 'Don't feel pressured to come if you don't want too... but I would really love if you did.'

She couldn't help but send him a sarcastic response, saying, 'I'm surprised you would because if I wasn't there, you could just tell everyone you made those cardboard animals all on your own.'

The three dots appeared, letting Mia know he was typing before words popped up on the screen that read, 'Nah, the tradeoff isn't worth it. Everything is more fun when you're there.'

For the first time since getting home that evening, Mia smiled. She sat there for a minute, deciding what she should respond to him. Her eyes flickered to Daniel sleeping on the couch and then back at her phone before deciding ultimately to just text back the truth.

'I feel the same way about you'