Page 22 of Falling for My Ex Next Door

“This painting, you seem to particularly like it.”

“Hmm. I feel it speaks loudest to me.” She responded.

“Why?” I probed further.

“Perhaps it’s just the way it seemed to come alive before my eyes. I feel it’s telling a story in which I am the lead.”

She was lost in the painting.

“I still don’t understand.” I turned to fully face her.

“Look, Eve is in deep contemplation. She seemed to be fighting with her head about the logical decision of whether to eat the forbidden fruit or not. She is caught between her sense of loyalty to God and the beauty of the serpent’s cunning ways. She is almost falling and wearing a gutty look. Yet, I feel like she is so vulnerable and a victim of indecision. She wants to actively participate in her own destiny, and that’s why she reaches for the fruit.”

I thought for a while about what exactly she was trying to say, but I could hardly decipher a clear message.

“Do you think you are her?” I queried.

“Maybe, I feel pity for myself when I look at her.” She said somberly.

“Clara.”

“Here,” she said, returning the mug. “Thank you for the tea.” And slightly bobbed her head.

“Clara.”

She stared at me. I moved forward, closing the space between us. I wanted to say something and do something, but then I was suddenly handicapped by the apprehension I spotted in her eyes. I stepped back, getting out of her way.

“I’m sorry,” I said, and she quietly left the room.

It was just for a while, I said to myself. I was going to make sure that apprehension disappeared from her eyes. I would make sure she would be more than comfortable with me. I was going to set myself to do that.

Chapter Seven

Clara

The inconstant rain seemed to have finally ceased. The season then took its natural form. The sky began to clear up, and a lazy sun would dangle over the horizon more often than not. The air felt lighter, and the heaviness of the rain lifted.

There was this sense of freshness in the air, and you could just relax and forget about every other existence. And as the dark clouds finally rolled away, the earth appeared brighter and brighter.

I reclined on the sofa after purchasing the other things on my list. It was a matter of time before I began to run the coffee shop again.

Lucky for me, the repairs were things I could handle on my own, though I thought about asking Old Napoleon for help. I was sure he would be more than happy to assist me.

Even after a week, my encounter with Jacob in my house still had me on edge. I decided it wasn’t fair on me, seeing how unaffectedly Jacob navigated through his daily routine. After that day, we had seen each other the following morning, and I reluctantly responded to his cheerful greeting. He was on his way to work and offered to give me a lift as his company was located in the same direction.

I refused at first, but then he persisted, saying I would not mind him giving me a lift if I saw him as a friendly neighbor and nothing else. Eventually, I received his offer of help, and he dropped me off in front of the coffee shop.

The place was already as good as new with the nice replacement of almost everything in the interior.

Wary of peculiar eyes, I shut the door behind me. Old Napoleon visited soon after.

“It seems you’ve been making friends.” He let out his usual elderly laugh.

“Yeah, I think.” I knew he was most probably referring to Jacob.

“That’s good to know. Madeline would be proud to see you are doing very well, and with the shop, you are really making progress already.” He commented, looking around.

“It’s all thanks to your support.”

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