Married to the Bad Boy

31

"Stay here." Sterling said.

I could barely hear him over the blaring alarm but I could feel he had left my side as all the warmth was sucked from my body. The alarm was so loud that my brain was throbbing with each siren that went off. 

I squinted as bright lights came on, raising a hand to cover my eyes that had gotten used to the dark as the alarm finally stopped, but the ringing of it continued in my ears. I wasn't sure if I was dizzy because of the sudden light, or because I was still reeling from the kiss.

Sterling walked back into the room and I looked at the massive painting that was face first not the ground. We must have knocked it over.

"Crap." I said leaning over to put it back up and I paused, "Should I pick it up?" I asked. What if it set the alarm off again?

"Nah, leave it." He said waving a hand as his phone started to ring.

"Hey." He said as he picked it up, turning around, "Nah that was just me. I came to pick something up and set off the alarm. Oh why? No you don't need to come. Alright I'll wait for you."

He turned back around, looking a bit irritated, "The others are coming."

"The others?" I asked.

"Samantha and Ethan. The alarm sent a notification to their numbers so Sam already left and Ethan just called to tell me. I told them its just me but I guess she's already on her way."

"Oh, sorry." I said.

"Why?" Sterling asked, looking up at me, "It's not biggie. They need to pick stuff up as well."

I looked at the painting on the ground, "They're not going to be happy with this, hopefully it's not ruined." I said. I didn't even see it in the dark, maybe it wasn't a glow in the dark one.

Or maybe we got carried away.

"They won't." Sterling grabbed the painting, placing it faced down on a table. I think they would, I could see paint on the ground.

"I think they would, we just ruined their painting."

"They won't." he repeated, looking at something on his phone. 

"How do you know for sure?" I asked, stressing out.

"I know the artist he won't be mad." he said as he started walking out. I quickly followed him as he turned the lights on as he went. 

"Are you sure, I'll apologise when they come anyway."

"Apology is noted." he said as he walked through the front of what looked like a walk in store. It was much wider, and full of space than the back rooms. It had paintings hanging on the wall as he led me to the front door which led out onto a busier, less dodgy entrance.

"Noted?" I asked.

"Yeah, your apology is noted."

"Why are you noting it?"

"Because that's my painting." He said.

"Yours?" I asked pausing as I exited the store. He didn't reply, instead he waved to Samantha as she came rushing across the road.

"What happened?" she asked almost a shocked look on her face.

"It was me. I told Ethan to tell him not to come, I knocked over something because I came through the back." Sterling shrugged.

Samantha looked over waving to me, "Oh good. I thought we had another break in." She huffed, as she tired to catch her breathe.

"Hey Aedan, how's it going?" She asked as she and Sterling closed the three steps between us.