Page 6 of Broken Vows

I can’t help but chuckle at her excitement. “You realize I’m the artist here, right?”

She sticks her tongue out at me. “Details, details. Come on, let’s go wild!”

As we wander down an aisle filled with sketchbooks, I run my fingers along the spines, feeling the different textures. “You know,” I say, “I used to dream about having an unlimited budget in a place like this.”

She grabs a leather-bound sketchbook off the shelf, holding it out to me like it’s made of gold. “Well, consider this your fairy godmother moment. Any sketchbook you want, it’s yours.”

I raise an eyebrow. “No, that one’s like fifty bucks.”

“And?” she challenges. “Consider it an investment in your future as a famous artist.”

I roll my eyes but can’t keep the smile off my face. “Fine, but I’m buying my own pencils.”

We make our way to the pencil section, where Lilly picks up a set of colorful markers. “Ooh, what about these?”

“For sketching?” I laugh. “Not unless I want my drawings to look like a kindergartener’s art project.”

She pouts playfully. “Hey, don’t knock down kindergarten art.”

As I’m examining a set of graphite pencils, she gasps dramatically. I look up to see her holding a ridiculously large paintbrush. “Lex! This is it! This is what your art has been missing!”

I can’t hold back my laughter. “Oh yeah, because what every sketch artist needs is a paintbrush the size of their head.”

She waves it around like a wand. “Alexis the Great, Master of Gigantic Brushstrokes!”

An elderly woman browsing nearby gives us a disapproving look, which only makes us laugh harder.

After what feels like hours of Lilly’s antics and my half-hearted attempts to actually shop, we finally make it to the checkout with a respectable haul of supplies.

As we walk back to her car, arms filled with bags, she bumps her hip against mine. “See? Wasn’t this more fun than moping at home?”

I nod, feeling lighter than I have in weeks. “Yeah, yeah, you were right. Don’t let it go to your head.”

As she pulls up in front of my house, I feel a twinge of reluctance to leave this bubble of happiness we’ve created.

She must sense my hesitation because she turns to me with a soft smile. “Hey, you’ve got this, okay? Just promise me you’ll actually use those supplies.”

I nod, gathering my bags. “I promise. Thanks for today. I mean it.”

As I’m about to close the car door, she calls out, “See you later!”

I wave her bye and watch her drive away, then turn to head inside.

Chapter Four

I losemyself in the lines of my latest sketch, barely noticing the sunlight shifting across my desk throughout the afternoon. My hand moves almost of its own accord, filling page after page with designs that flow from my imagination. It’s only when my stomach growls that I realize how much time has passed.

Glancing at the clock, I wince. It’s almost 10 PM, and I promised to make dinner tonight. But where is Jeremy? I grab my phone and send him a text.

Me

Honey, is everything okay?

My back aches from hours of sketching. I should probably get up. What’s the point of making a meal when we’ll probably eat in silence, if we even eat together at all? Still, I promised. I pull out some meat and begin cooking.

Maybe tonight will be different. Maybe we can watch a movie or just talk over a glass of wine.

Anything to bridge this gap between us. I’m so lost in thought that I nearly slice my finger, the knife coming dangerously close to my skin.

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