Page 40

When I’m finished adding the color, I dip the used brush into a cup of water, swirling quickly before I take the wet brush back to the canvas. With short, quick flicks of my wrist, I blend the harsh edges, for a seamlessly shifting sky. Once I’m done blending, I drop the brush back into the water, and just as I shift to pick up a new brush, there’s a loud pounding at my door.
No one knows where I live except Spencer, and while she’s been here before, it’s never been while I have all of my work out. It’s not like people don’t know that I’m into art, but the way I tell the story, it’s just a hobby, not a passion that’s essential to my soul the way oxygen is essential to my lungs.
I’d die without it.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Guess there’s no time like the present to let her see this side of me.
Standing up from my stool, I stride across the room quickly, and grip the knob, pulling the door open with a heavy sigh, “Hold your horses Spence, I was b-”
My words stick in my throat, thick as molasses when I open the door and Riot West is standing in front of me, gripping the frame of my doorway with both hands. His nose is red, and the strands of green hair are darkened and clumped together with melted snow. Like a fish, my mouth falls open and I pull it shut over and over, unable to verbalize my thoughts. Thoughts like what the heck is he doing here and how did he find out where I live?
His eyes meet mine, but he doesn’t say a word. His baby blue irises are darker but brighter than usual, like a cloudless, azure sky.
“H-how did you? Wh-” I attempt to string my thoughts together, but I can only choke out a few words before Riot steps into me and cups my face with his hands.
I’m not sure what’s happening. My brain is short circuiting and before I have time to question it further, or overthink, Riot’s supple lips are claiming mine, and it’s nothing like earlier at the bar. It’s not awkward and there’s not even an ounce of hesitation. His breath is warm, and his pillow soft lips thaw from the winter air as he moves them together with mine. Opening his mouth ever so slightly, his tongue slips between his lips, pushing mine apart.
I’m suddenly finding it incredibly difficult to breathe as he stalks forward, walking me backward further into my apartment and kicking the door shut behind him. My brain is shouting at me to stop whatever the hell this is, but my body rebels, relaxing against his, reveling in the way he engulfs me entirely.
Dropping all of my defenses, I rest my hands on his chest as he slides his hands from my cheeks down to the sides of my neck, and slowly slips them around me. My heart thrums violently in my chest as he runs his hands down my back and embraces me with his massive arms.
My mind is a jumbled mess as I’m overcome with the acute awareness that while Riot has feelings for someone else, there’s no faking the sparks that are flying between us. I don’t want any of this to end, but I need clarity in all of this madness. I need to know I’m not coming out the other end of this in shambles.
Pressing my hands against his chest, I push against him while pulling myself away, breaking the hold he has on me. “Riot, I -”
“Shut up,” he whispers, as he leans forward again, but I continue to pull away.
“I can’t. We can’t, I-”
But before the words can tumble out, his lips are on mine again, and it takes every ounce of restraint in my body to pry my lips away. Resting my forehead against his, I shake my head and catch my breath.
“Don’t do this, not like this. I don’t want to come between you two.”
“That’s not what this is,” he murmurs. “I had to. I needed to know… and now I do.”
“Needed to know what, little heathen?” I ask as I move my hand to his chin, tilting his head until our eyes meet.
His Adam's apple bobs as he swallows before answering, “I needed to know if you felt it too.”
“I always have,” I admit. “But I don’t know what to do with those feelings, and I don’t think it’s my place. I don’t belong.”
Pressing his intoxicating lips to mine once more, this time slow, and deep, he consumes my doubts and fears, swallowing them one by one, until all that’s left are the facts. And the facts are that Riot West kisses me like he’s drowning, and I’m his only lifeline.
Pulling away, he reaches up and grazes my bottom lip with his thumb.
“I- I don’t understand,” I huff. “Zeke…”
“This isn’t about him. It’s about me, and Cole I need to see what this is between us, because I find myself consumed by you every time you’re near me, and I don’t know what it fucking means. But I want Zeke too. It’s… I don’t know what it is but I know exactly what I want it to be.”
“And Zeke?” The uncertainty fills me with dread. I don’t know if I can walk away after tonight, and what if Zeke isn’t okay with any of this? Could I even blame him?
“Cole let me take you out Friday? Well, us. Zeke will be there too.”
I raise an eyebrow, eyeing him skeptically. “I… are you sure?”
“Just say yes,” he smiles lazily, and despite everything inside of me screaming that this is a terrible idea, I nod my head in acceptance.