Page 19 of Wet Paint

“I missed you too,” she told me as we broke the kiss to look at each other. “I hated being so distant.”

I reached up with one hand to brush a strand of her hair away from her face, admiring her beauty. “Me too. But we got all weekend. Or do you have plans with your friends?” I didn’t want to ruin anything, and I especially didn’t want to be a possessive asshole. Even though I liked the idea of locking her up in the studio, or maybe my apartment, and keep her there forever. To have her all to myself.

She shook her head. “I don’t have plans. I was hoping we could hang out. You know…like we did last time.”

I nodded. I wanted that too. So damn much. “Were you headed to the studio to paint?”

“I’ve actually been here all morning,” she told me, taking a step back to show me her hands which were covered in dried paint. A grin appeared on her lips. “I finished the ocean painting and started a new one. You want to see?”

“Of course.”

“Great! Let me grab a snack first. You want something?” She turned back to the vending machine and took in her options before reaching into her overalls’ back pocket.

“No, thank you.” Before she could pay, I pulled out my phone and used it to pay for whatever she was going to choose.

“Oh, you don’t have to—”

“Take whatever,” I offered.

She turned her head and sighed, unhappy with the idea of me paying a few bucks to get her a snack. “You better get used to this.”

“But—” She was ready to argue, but she stopped herself, scrunching up her nose in the cutest way possible. “Fine.”

She put in the numbers of the snacks she wanted—a Twix bar and a pack of sour candy—and after taking them out, she turned back around to say, “Thank you. I will share.”

I chuckled and reached out to touch her waist. “Come on. Show me what you’re working on.”

We started walking toward the studio when someone called out my name.

I froze, wondering for how long that person had been there for. Hoping we didn’t get caught.

“Professor Novak.” It was a student of mine. A Freshman.

“Yes, Eleyna.”

She looked between Ivy and me, then gave me a tight smile. “I was hoping to find you here. I have a few questions,” she said before looking back at Ivy. “Hi.”

“Hey,” Ivy replied, sounding as friendly as ever.

“Am I interrupting something?” she asked with a shaky laugh.

“No, you’re not. What can I help you with?” As much as I wanted to send her away, I couldn’t. it would make this look weird. I didn’t spend time alone with my students. Well, not unless it’s Ivy.

“I, uh…” She watched Ivy for another moment before her eyes met mine again. They softened, and I started to feel uneasy. I hated the way she looked at me. The way she always looked at me during class. I didn’t want to flatter myself, but I knew Eleyna had a crush on me.

Unlike with Ivy, though, I didn’t feel the same.

“I was hoping you could help me figure out what color scheme I should go for. For my next project, I mean. I saw you did a painting. The landscape,” she said, keeping her bright blue eyes on me. She looked nervous, but she didn’t let Ivy intimidate her.

“I really like the colors you used, but I was wondering how you managed to make it all blend so nicely together. The darker blues and…and the lighter greens. And then you added shades of purple and orange. I just can’t wrap my head around how well it works, even if you used so many different colors. Your art truly amazes me.”

I needed her to shut up.

As much as I appreciated her words, I couldn’t listen to them knowing she intentionally talked to me that way to make me notice she was into me. She was trying way too hard, and it made this situation so much harder.

I was being a hypocrite. Wasn’t going to deny that. Because whenever Ivy complimented my work and talked to me that way, I took it all in. Appreciated it all without flinching.

But it just sounded wrong coming out of Eleyna’s mouth.

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