“Badass?” I felt the flush move into my cheeks.
“Yeah.” He leaned close to me then nudged me gently in the side. “Total badass.”
I blushed and looked away.
“Now for the next piece,” Rydell announced. He moved to my darker painting. “The bidding is now open.”
“Seven hundred,” a woman said immediately.
Yowza…
“A thousand.”
“Two thousand.”
Was this really happening?
“Twenty-five hundred.”
“Three thousand.”
I was expecting people to dislike this painting in comparison to the other…I guess I was wrong.
“Thirty-five hundred.”
“What the hell?” Ash whispered.
“Thirty-five hundred,” Rydell repeated. “Any other bids?”
Scotty raised his hand. “Four thousand.”
My neck snapped and I turned to him. “What?”
Scotty ignored me, looking at Rydell.
“The bidd is now four-thousand. Any other bids?”
The room was silent.
“Going once…going twice…sold to the gentleman in the back.”
The audience applauded then looked at Scotty.
“Why did you buy that painting?” I demanded.
“Because I had to.” He said it simply.
“But you don’t even follow art,” I argued.
“I follow this.” He left my side and walked to Rydell. They shook hands and then the painting was wrapped and handed over. Two of the workers carried it to his truck outside.
I stood still, dumbfounded by what happened. “I can’t believe he bought it.”
“Me either.” Ash sipped his drink. “I mean, your paintings are awesome but I’m surprised too.”
Why did he choose that one and not the other?
Scotty came back inside then found me. “Six thousand bucks in a single night…not too bad of an income.”
I couldn’t stop staring at him. I needed to know why he bought it but I couldn’t ask now.
“You must be rolling in the dough to be able to afford it,” Ash said.
Scotty shrugged. “I’ve been saving my money for a long time.”
“I’ll say…” Ash stared at people in the room and his eyes settled on an older blonde woman.
“She’s probably married,” I blurted.
“She’s hot—so I don’t care.” He kissed my forehead then walked away. “Congratulations, baby sister.”
I rolled my eyes. “I come first until a hot broad makes an appearance.”
Scotty stared at me, his face unreadable.
People continued to mingle around us and look at the rest of the paintings. There wasn’t anything else to do. Both of my paintings had been sold and people were starting to leave. “I’m ready to go if you are.”
He nodded then headed toward the door.
When we arrived at his truck, he opened the door like he always did. Then he got in the driver’s side and headed back to my house. We were silent on the drive. I had nothing to say and neither did he, apparently.
He parked in my driveway then got out to walk me to the door. I suddenly felt nervous. Did he expect to come inside? Could I be alone with him? Was that safe? My mind was reeling until we reached the front door.
His hands in his pockets, he stared at me. “Thanks for inviting me.”
“Yeah, thanks for coming.”
He kept staring at me, giving me a serious look. He wasn’t as upbeat as he was earlier. I’m not sure what put him in a sour mood.
“Scotty, why did you buy my painting?”
He continued to stare at me like he hadn’t heard me. Finally, he spoke. “Because I had to.”
“But why?”
He ran his fingers through his hair then looked at the ground. After a sigh, he looked back at me. “You’ll see.”
What did that mean? “See what?”
“You’ll know when the time is right.”
Could he be any more vague? “Okay…”
“I want you to know how inspired I am by you. Despite the difficulties you face, you still push on and fight for what you believe in. Your parents are idiots but that’s never stopped you from pursuing your passion. That’s admirable and I’m in awe of you.”
I didn’t know what to say… No one had ever said nice things like that to me before. No one ever complimented anything else besides my ass and chest. It was like he knew who I really was even though he hardly knew me.
“I’m really glad we’re friends. Because you’re an amazing person and I’m honored that I’ve been allowed to get to know you, to see what’s below the surface—or at least how much you’re willing to show me.”
I took a deep breath, suddenly feeling the emotion take hold. He was wounding me right in the heart, affecting me where I’m most vulnerable. “I’m glad we’re friends too…I like you.”
“I like you too.”
I stared into his green eyes, seeing the life buzzing within. I suddenly wanted to be held, to feel him hug me. But I didn’t dare make a move and neither did he.
“Good night,” he whispered.
I was sad our night had come to an end. But I hid the disappointment.
He walked away and turned the corner, heading to my driveway.
I suddenly felt alone. Scotty was injecting me with excitement, making me feel alive again. He was reminding me that I was good and I did have value. He made me feel important, treasured and valued.
And most importantly, he made me feel safe.
CHAPTER TEN
Scotty
I almost shoved my fist into my mouth when I saw her in that dress. Hot damn, she looked like a wet dream. Her waist was even smaller than I originally thought. Petite was an understatement. Her chest was busty and noticeable her in low cut dress. She was definitely gifted in that department.
And her legs…damn.
They look even longer in heels. She walked with grace despite the five-inch heels. Her ass was prominent, round and strong. Her face was painted with make up but it wasn’t overbearing. It highlighted her already noticeable beauty.
She was perfect.
When she told me about her parents, I felt the anger surge. Who the hell did they think they are? They had a daughter who was gifted and talented. Had they even seen her work? My parents were dead so I would never know if they were proud of me, but Livia had that chance and her idiotic parents were wasting it.
It disgusted me.
Her work was so amazing. Every inch of the canvas was meticulously dabbed with paint. The brush stroke was noticeable. The characters in her paintings were so lifelike they looked like photographs.
Move over, Van Gogh.
The second painting broke my heart as soon as I saw it. It was dark, twisted, and depressing. When she told me she painted her upbeat and lively piece six months ago, and then made this moody painting recently, I knew something horrific happened to her six months in the past.
What was it?
I could feel the pain just staring at the painting. The brooding and silent suffering went straight to my heart. That day in the library when she ran away from me, in tears, formed in my mind.
She had a lot more going on than she let on.
I had to have it. I would make sure she stopped feeling that way—eventually.
She was the coolest person I ever knew. She was smart and sporty, artistic and sassy. She had a smile that put Christmas lights to waste. Being with her was making me more obsessed. When she asked me to be her date, I was overjoyed by the request. She could have any guy she wanted, but she decided to take me.
Did that mean something?
And she said she liked me. In what way? The same way I liked her? I wasn’t sure but I wouldn’t press her on it. She’d somehow become one of my closest friends. Actually, other than Keira, she was my only close friend. The guys were good company and great to have meaningless conversations with, but they weren
’t people I would open my heart to.
And I’d already done that a lot with Livia.
My training was brutal and exhausting. No matter how much I ate, I was still starving. My stomach screamed it was full but my body still begged for more calories. I was burning far more than I was consuming.
Every time I faltered, Tate yelled at me to get up again.
When I was exhausted and panting, he pushed me on the ground. “Again!”
“I have a cramp.”
He hit me upside the head. “I said again.”
I moved to my feet. “You’re fucking crazy.”
He punched me square in the jaw. “There are no time outs in the ring, and I’m not giving you one now.”
God, he was such a hard ass. I pulled my fists to my chest then bounced on my feet. I got a few punches in, but Tate was fast. He blocked most of them then returned with his own strikes. He hit me in the throat then made me fall to the ground, coughing.
“You aren’t concentrating.” He rested his hands on his hips and stared down at me. “What’s on your mind?”
“Nothing.”
He kicked me in the side. “Don’t insult me.”
I growled. “I was thinking about a girl.”
“That’s even worse.” He raised his foot to kick me again.
I held up my hand. “Hey, you asked.”
“And what’s so special about this girl?”
“I don’t know.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “You don’t know?”
“Well…I do know.”
“Why the hell are we talking like girls right now?”
I rolled my eyes. “You asked, man.”
“Well, put your dick away and concentrate on your workout.”
I got to my feet then raised my fists.
He looked me square in the eye. “Again.”
When I got home, I was starving. I shoved food into my mouth before I showered then collapsed on the couch. I did what I usually did with my free time—thought about Livia.
I didn’t call her or text her. I didn’t want to be too clingy. She said she wanted to be friends so that was how I was trying to act. But I did think about her constantly. I wondered what she was having for dinner. I wondered if I should invite her to my place and I could cook for her.
But that wasn’t what she wanted.
It’d been three weeks since I met her. We were still working on our project together, and I never had such a good time doing schoolwork. Any excuse to see her was a good one.
I hadn’t hooked up with anyone. I didn’t even go out. Not having sex was frustrating but I tried not to think about it. The last thing I wanted to do was ruin whatever chance I had with Livia. Maybe she would change her mind and want something more with me, but she would quickly drop me if she knew I was hooking up with other women. Besides, she was the only person I wanted, and not just because I was horny. I wanted something more with her, not something cheap and meaningless.
A knock on the door shattered my thoughts. I looked at the time on my watch and noticed how late it was.
Who was here?
I walked to the door and looked through the peephole.
It was Amanda.
What the hell did she want?
I opened the door and saw her wearing a trench coat.
That couldn’t be good.
“Hey.” She said it with a sexy smile on her face.
“Uh…what are you doing here?”
She popped open the trench coat. “Do I need to go into detail?”
It took all my strength not to look. I was single and not a saint. I loved sex, which was why I was a manwhore. But I felt like I was betraying Livia in some complicated way. “Amanda, I’m not interested. Go away.”
“Go away?” She gave me a wounded look. “Don’t act like you don’t love fucking me. Now let’s do this.”
“Amanda, please leave.” I blocked the door.
“What’s gotten into you?” she asked. “Are you gay?”
“Definitely not.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I’m…seeing someone.”
She closed her jacket. “Like, you have a girlfriend?”
To make things less confusing I just answered, “Yes.”
“Oh.” The hurt moved into her face. “But…why didn’t you want to be with me? We have a great time together…”
Now I felt bad. I was using her and she knew that, but I guess she developed feelings on the way. I never did. “It just happened…”
She fisted her coat but she stepped back. “Oh okay.”
This was awkward… Should I say something? “Amanda, you’re a very beautiful girl and we did have a great time together. There’s nothing wrong with you. It’s me.”
That didn’t seem to help anything. “I’ll see you around.” She turned her back and walked to her car, her shoulder noticeably slumped.
I sighed then shut the door.
Even though I did the right thing I felt like an asshole.
My favorite part of the day arrived; my psychology class.
When I walked inside, she was already sitting in the third row. She was back to wearing a baggy t-shirt and jeans. Her hair was in a loose braid and hung over one shoulder. But she still decorated herself in other ways. Golden earrings hung from her earlobes and her fingernails were a bright pink. She seemed to hide her body the most.
I sat beside her and felt my skin prickle. Anytime I was close to her, my nerves went haywire.
“Hi.” She gave me a breathtaking smile.
I felt a little dizzy just from looking at her. “Hi.”
“How was your night?”
Besides having Amanda show up on my doorstep, it was okay. “Fine.”
“Did you train?”
“By train, you mean my mentor kicking my ass?” I said with a laugh.
“You’ll get better,” she said confidently.
“I always thought I was good, but training with a professional makes me realize how amateur I am.”
“Every successful person started off just like you; a student.”
I smiled. “I guess that’s true.”
“When I was younger, I used to doodle in class all the time. I was always told I was a horrible student with attention issues. And they said my sketches were childish and ill crafted. But look where I am now.”
“Now you’re a master.”
She smirked. “I wouldn’t say that…”
“I would.”
The class started so we ended our conversation. I rested my notebook on my knee while I made notes. When I glanced at her paper, I noticed her notes weren’t made in words, but pictures. She used diagrams and bubbles to remember the lecture.
She just got cooler and cooler.
When the class was over, we walked out together.
“What are you doing now?” I asked.
“To study before my next class.”
“Well, I’m getting lunch. Would you like to join me?”
“Sure.” She said it quickly and without hesitation.
And that was wonderful to hear.
We went into the cafeteria and made our selections. When we went to the register, I paid for everything without giving her a chance. She eyed me but didn’t argue in front of everyone else.
Then we moved to a table and sat down. I carried the tray for her and placed it across from me.
She kept her braid over one shoulder while she sat down. Her back didn’t touch the chair because she sat straight. She was always poised and refined. I watched her pick up her fork and slowly eat her salad.
For the time I’d known her, I’d never seen her hang out with anyone. It seemed like she was friendless. I wondered why she chose to spend the majority of her time in solitude. We were closer friends but I didn’t think it would be right to ask. “Have you seen your parents lately?”
“No.” She sighed deeply. “But I’m supposed to have dinner with them tonight. Not looking forw
ard to it…”
“Why do you bother to see them at all?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know…they’re my parents. This is the first time I’ve seen them since they decided to stop paying my tuition. I’m not sure how that will go.”
“They don’t deserve your compassion,” I blurted.
“Probably not. But Ash always has my back. I’m not going in alone.”
At least her brother wasn’t a dick. I liked him. He was a cool guy that looked after his sister. He reminded me of myself from time to time. “Well, if there’s anything I can do to help, let me know.”
“Sure.” She picked at a strawberry and ate it.
I looked past her and noticed Liam and Keira eating lunch together along with Bran and Tony. They were both smirking at me, noticing my company. Liam winked at me and Keira gave me a thumbs up. Bran placed his hands out and acted like he was groping a huge rack. And Tony was acting like he was jerking off.
Thank god Livia couldn’t see them.
I rolled my eyes then returned my focus to her. “The gang is having a BBQ this weekend. You’re invited.”
“I am?”
“Yeah.”
“Your friends are nice. I like them. Well, except for Bran.”
“He comes off strong but he’s a good guy.”
“I’m sure he is.”
I finished my sandwich then looked out the window. If I looked at Livia too much, she would know how obsessed I was. Sometimes I wish she were my girlfriend just so I could look at her whenever I wanted. “Do you have any plans after dinner?”
“With my family?”
“Just in general.”
“No. I’ll probably go home and break all my dishes.”
I smirked. “Well, if you want to come over and watch a movie or something, I’ll be awake.” She had never come to my house before, and she never invited me inside of hers. But I didn’t directly ask her, just gave her an open invitation. We’d never been alone together in private. I was hoping some privacy might make her trust me, see me as something more than a friend.
“We’ll see…”
That was a definite no. Oh well, I tried.
She looked at her watch. “I should get to my next class.”
“Okay. I’ll see you later.” Don’t go.
She grabbed her bag and shouldered it. “Thanks for lunch.”
Unstoppable (Forehead Kisses #4) Page 8