The Choice Of Us

The Tick

TIANA

Blue

Chartreuse

The colours spread around the canvas and my head involuntarily tilted to the side trying to decipher just what the artist was attempting to exhibit in the zigzag like pattern they painted.

The sound of a deep chuckle caused me to snap my head to find Luis observing me.

"What?"

"It's fascinating to see you so engrossed in that painting."

"Don't get me wrong it's nice. But the one that really got me was at this shop that sells antiques and other items," I mumbled sauntering over to another painting that hung on the wall.

"I remember that place," he chuckled rubbing his chin," I was pissed at you."

I smiled at him taking note of the light that flashed across his face," I wasn't planning on ever apologizing."

"It's okay, your gratitude is more satisfying," he smirked as I rolled my eyes.

"If only I could turn back time."

"You don't mean that," he responded moving towards a particular painting that portrayed a dark, dilapidated house surrounded by a dense forest whose tall trees towered menacingly over it.

"Looks like you've found a piece that speaks to you," I remarked, unlike all the other paintings we saw, this one seemed to call out to him given the way he placed all of his focus onto it.

"The darkness surrounding it . . ." I glanced at his downturned lips realizing he was growing upset the longer he looked at it," kind of reminds me of my childhood." If I hadn't been paying so much attention to the concentration on his face, I probably would have missed the statement that came out in a whisper.

My eyes widened in surprise, I was convinced he was joking, but deep down I felt he wasn't and his neutral expression confirmed that," It couldn't have been that bad?"

He eyed me quietly for a few seconds to let me know he was by all means being serious." Like I said, I had a pretty shitty time growing up. The environment was far from ideal. Truth is I grew up surrounded by hate, was force fed things that no one ever should. . ."

"And now?"

"I've been doing everything in my power to bury that old life."

"But it made you who you are," I pointed out.

He turned and moved his eyes all over my face in deep thought it seemed, "It showed me what I shouldn't be," he brushed past me leaving me to decipher his words. And I followed quietly behind him, whilst gazing at the other paintings that sat on display in the art gallery

"What kind of painting were you looking at in that shop anyways?"

I grinned hard at the memory of that beautiful piece," You should have seen it. I've never had a taste for art but that painting was an exception. It was a waterfall surrounded by this vast green forest, whilst being slowly baked by the colours of a sunset. I felt like I was there, you know?" Even now I felt breathless just thinking about it, I could only wonder how dazed I looked.

"May be one day you'll be in a place like that," he murmured smiling small at me and I don't know why but when he said that it somehow made me at ease. Like a part of me just knew that it was true.

"May be one day you'll learn to face your past, instead of burying it."

He scoffed, "I doubt it, there's no need to face those demons."