Page 1 of Caught Stealing Your Heart
My eyes were closedas I swayed from side to side, sitting Indian style as SZA’s voice swooned me into picking the perfect colors for my painting. I dipped the tip of my flat brush into a vibrant shade of purple and stroked it along the edge of my canvas. I poured my heart onto it, expressing myself in one of the only ways I knew how.
Art was my first love. My parents said they knew I was destined to be an artist from the first time they bought me a coloring book and crayons, and I finished the book in one day, then asked for another one. There was something about creating, whether it be coloring, drawing, or painting that soothed me. It healed broken parts of me. It spoke for me. It was me.
Once I got to a good stopping point, I sang along with SZA as I turned to look at my phone. Whenever I was in my element, knowing I was creating my latest masterpiece, I would paint live, on FameVsYou. It was an app created by Camden Cove’s very own Kaijira Givens, and it was one of my favorites. It was the perfect app to showcase my art and myself.
“Why don’t you shake some ass like Willow instead of this sappy shit? We see that ass poking.” I read one of the comments and shook my head. My copper irises flitted upward toward my thick, threaded brows. Usually, I didn’t respond to people when they compared my cousin, Willow, and me, but I’d been seeing too many comments recently. “Because Willow and I are two different people. I do what I do, and she does what she does. You can get off my live if you think it’s sappy.”
More comments poured in, some agreeing with me and others agreeing with the viewer. The negativity was beginning to mess up my vibe until one comment popped up from a consistent viewer that warmed my heart.
Leilani is a beautiful, smart, and creative woman who inspires me every day. Her vibe is unmatched, so get off her dick. If you’re not here to be captivated by the strokes of her brush or her fire playlist, then go elsewhere.
“Aaawww! Thank you so much, PaiDai7. You better let him know.” I gushed, pointing my brush at the screen and winking. “I’m on a different type of vibe, and that’s no shade to my cousin for the ones who like to take things out of context. Y’all know I hype my girl up and enjoy watching her do what she does more than anyone. I tune in toeverythingshe does.”
As if she knew we were discussing her, Willow sent me a request to join my live. Without hesitation, I accepted it. My head flung back, locs hitting the top of my ass, as I released a hearty laugh at the deep scowl etched on her pretty face. Her pierced nose scrunched up while the red lollipop she ate pressedagainst her round, glossy lips. Willow’s drawn-on eyebrows were lowered toward her monolid eyes which matched mine, thanks to our mothers.
“And who the fuck has a problem with my cousin?” Willow asked, flinging her lollipop toward her screen.
“Hey, cousin.”
“Hey, Lei. What you over there painting?”
I hunched my shoulders. My head slanted to the side as I carefully studied my canvas. “I’m not quite sure yet. It’s coming together, but I’m still figuring out what my heart is saying.”
“It looks fye as hell already. You know the ones that come from your heart without guidance always turn out to be the best.”
“You’re right. That’s why I’ve been going with the flow. I came in here with no idea, only feelings.”
“Now, who asking you about your ass and shit?”
Leave it to Willow to come to my defense, and I loved it.
Willow and I were like two peas in a pod. Always had been and always would be. We were exactly a week apart, with me being the oldest, but one would’ve sworn Willow was with how protective she was of me. She’d been that way since we were in kindergarten when a boy pushed me off the swing. Willow punched him in the nose and was suspended for the rest of the week. No one else tried me from then and all the way until we graduated high school.
I could hold my own with no problem, but I was the type who would let it build until I exploded. Willow was an act first, ask questions later type of person, so I hardly ever had a chance to fight my own battles.
“Girl.” I cleaned my flat brush in my water jar and picked up my round blender brush, which I dipped in white. “Some horny man who probably only gets on here to jerk off.”
“And that’s not what he’s about to do with you. I have plenty of content he can look at for that.”
One thing about Willow, she wasn’t ashamed of what she did. Our content was completely different, just like we were. She was what people called a Fame Model. Her content was explicit, and she made some good money from it too. With the body she was blessed with from my aunt, Ellie, I didn’t blame her. I could’ve easily done the same, but art was my passion.
Willow and I laughed at some of the women commenting about old boy who had disappeared. One comment caught my attention, and I thought it was the perfect idea.
“Oh, shit. I like that. You see that, Willow?”
“Hell yeah. That’ll be dope as fuck, for real. When you want to paint me, cousin?”
“Whenever you’re ready. I’m free all week except for Saturday for the pop-up shop, so you can come whenever you want to.”
“Bet. We can set something up. You want me to come with you to the pop-up shop? I’m supposed to have lunch with one of my ballers, but I can cancel. Matter of fact, don’t even answer. I’ll be there. Send me the details.”
My high cheekbones lifted more as I showed off all thirty-two of my teeth. “I love you. You don’t have to cancel your plans for me. My parents and Mamie will be there with me.”
“And so will I. I’m sure Mama will come with me, so let’s just make this a family affair.” Willow stood up and started twerking. All I could do was shake my head and laugh as I clapped along to the song playing on her side. My comment section was flooded with men sending Willow gifts and asking me to join her.
One thing our family did was support one another. We were all close knit, especially since my father didn’t have anyone besides us. We all clung to one another in a healthy way, and I thanked God for it every day. If it wasn’t for my family, I wasn’tsure how I would survive the life as an artist, especially being independent. I was building my platform brick by brick with my own hands. It was one of the hardest things I’d ever done, but it was rewarding to see how far I’d come.
“Is that Brandon?” Willow all but yelled, putting her face all in her camera to read the comments.
