Page 46 of Home With You

"Yeah. Sorry, I wasn't thinking about that."

"It's fine." I look up at him and my heart beats faster. It happens whenever we're close like this and I look at him. It's why I keep keep looking away.

"I almost forgot," he says. "Your backpack is upstairs. I was going to bring it to you tonight but I was in a hurry and left it. Do you want to go get it?"

"Um, I don't know," I say, not sure I should go in his apartment. I really want to trust him, and part of me does, but the other part is telling me to run. But I really need my backpack.

"I'd go up and get it myself," he says, "but I don't want to leave you here alone on the street." He glances at his building. "I'll tell you what. We can go in together and you can wait in the hall while I run in and get it."

I nod. "Okay."

We go inside and up to the third floor. The building is very industrial looking with lots of metal beams and gray walls. It's kind of depressing.

"It's this one," he says, stopping in front of the door. He unlocks it and goes inside, holding open the door. "You don't have to come inside but if you want to check it out, this is it. It's a studio loft so just one open room."

I peek inside. His apartment is much brighter and cheerier than the dreary hallway. There's a black leather sofa across from a big TV and on the walls are several brightly colored paintings.

"Do you collect art?" I ask.

He laughs. "I guess you could say that."

"Meaning what?"

"Greg did those. He likes to paint. He has so many paintings he'll give them to anyone who'll take them. I needed something for the walls so he loaded up the moving van with them."

"They're really good. I like the colors."

"You want one? Because believe me, I can get more. Greg lives at his mom's house and she keeps telling him to get rid of them. They're filling up her basement."

"I don't really have a place for art," I say with a smile.

"Set it against the building. It'll brighten up the place."

"I don't think so, but thanks anyway."

"Raine, take one. I'm serious."

"Why? Just so you can get rid of one?"

"No, not at all. I just think you might like it. You could look at it and maybe it'd make you feel better."

"How would it make me feel better?"

He points to the wall across from us where two paintings are hung. "The bright colors cheer you up, especially on a gloomy day. And if you stare at the abstract lines long enough, they start to form a picture in your head. Every time you look at it you see something you didn't see before." He turns back to me. "It's like a game." He grins. "It can be very entertaining."

"You don't get out much, do you?" I kid.

He shrugs. "I'm from a small town. Not much to do there. So what do you think? You want a painting? Greg would be thrilled to know someone else has one. He'd feel like an actual artist."

"Not if he knew his painting was sitting in an alley."

"If someone was looking at it and appreciating it, he'd be happy. I guarantee it." He motions me inside. "Come look at the others. I have them all over the walls. You can have whatever one you want."

I shake my head. "That's okay. I'll just wait here."

"Raine, I promise you nothing's going to happen."

"I don't believe in promises," I mutter.

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