Page 19 of Catch Me
To me, sunset was significantly more appealing than sunrise. It was deeper, and as the sun sank lower, the colors gradually shifted and darkened. In the morning, it just got more orange and yellow, then it was bright. When evening fell, you never really knew what you would get, and since I hadn’t seen a sunset in Georgia before, I wanted to try to capture it.
After taking a couple of pictures, I stared at the horizon for a long moment, committing it to memory, then I began to draw. The challenge was in the time limit. Within minutes, the sun could set, and I’d have to go off of memory and the pictures I took, but having it right in front of me was ideal. I made a very rough sketch of the scenery so that I had the location right and jumped into the subject.
This one had some violet hues that were already beginning to darken. Since there was no way I’d capture it at one specific moment, I started at the top, then moved downward, creating a sort of time progression that made it get darker. In my mind, I saw the same thing in the yard—the bottom of the image would be lighter, cast in the reddish glow of the earlier phase of the sunset, then the darker parts would collide in the middle. The symmetry could be nice.
When the sun was no longer visible, I started blending the colors. I was so engrossed in it that the sudden appearance of Tessa over my shoulder made me jump. Immediately, I set the tablet asideand started petting her. When she licked my face, I laughed and used my shoulder to dry my cheek.
“He lives,” Travis said from the doorway. “Watching the sunset?”
I picked up the tablet and shrugged, not looking at him. He headed over to me, so I turned off the screen.
He stopped a few feet away and crouched to pet Tessa. “Did you eat?”
“No.”
“Well, that sounds like a bad way to live. I can order something if you want.”
“I don’t want anything from you,” I snapped.
He was silent, and I avoided looking at him. Not knowing what else to do, I turned the tablet on and navigated to another piece I’d started a few days ago. I wasn’t sure if I liked it, but it was something to focus on.
After a minute, Travis went back into the house. I hung my head, cursing myself for being so rude. There were better ways to respond, especially since he’d done all of this for me. But that was why I didn’t want anything else from him. I was still trying to figure out what his deal was.
Scratch that. I didn’t want to know. All I wanted to do was get this commission and sink into it. When I was home, I’d have something to fill my time outside of classes and schoolwork. Hopefully, I would only have to come out here one more time to get all of it planned out, make some sketches, and take pictures to refer back to while I worked on the pieces at home.
I got to my feet and decided to return to my room. There was nothing else for me to do out here and the lighting sucked for art. As I walked inside, I contemplated drawing Tessa. Since I’d offered to make something for Travis, it might be good to practice getting her perfect beforehand.
I stopped when I saw him in the kitchen. Earlier, I hadn’t looked at him, so I didn’t know if he’d just taken a shower or if it was before he came outside. Probably after since there were some drops of water hanging from the tips of his hair.
He was wearing a dark green athletic tank top that was cut low under his arms and revealed part of his ribs. Since he was facing away from me, I could see the muscles in his back. Those didn’t justcome from throwing a ball. He probably did a shit ton of pull ups or something.
Dark grey sweats hugged his thighs, and when he reached for something in a cabinet, his top pulled up enough for me to see the curve of his hip. His skin there was just as tan as the rest of him, which made me wonder if it was his natural coloring. Or he sunbathed mostly naked.
I blinked a few times, then continued toward the hallway. I didn’t check, but I swear I could feel him looking at me as I passed. Once I closed the bedroom door, I leaned back against it.
Travis was an attractive person. That wasn’t weird to notice. I mean, I had eyes, so obviously I could see that. It was normal to look at people and appreciate things about them. His muscles, for example. I worked out a lot and we had similar builds, which was why I’d wondered if he did pull ups to achieve that definition. I did them almost every day.
“You’re the one who’s terrified of anyone knowing about thedeviantthings you do in bed. Do you still do them, Roman?”
I tried to shake off Tilian’s words. I’d been trying since he said them at Alex’s party. He didn’t know me. Not anymore. We hadn’t even talked when we lived in rooms that shared a wall. It was nothing, not a big deal.
If my dad knew, he’d lose his fucking mind. But there was nothing to know. It was just sex. It was a weird phase I had to shake. I was figuring it out, and when I got back home, I’d hit up Irene. She was always down to give things another go.
Chapter 7
Roman
Surprisingly, I slept pretty well last night. It was quiet out here, and the mattress was too comfortable to be legal. What shocked me out of sleep was being body slammed by a hyperactive golden retriever.
“Jesus,” I mumbled. She licked my face, so I conceded and started petting her. After a minute, she laid down with her head on my chest.
“Shit.” Travis stopped in front of the door. “Sorry, she knows how to open doors. Come on, monster. Go do a lap around the house.”
She didn’t budge. His lips thinned, and he looked a little awkward. When he brought his coffee cup to his lips, he shoved his free hand into the pocket of his jeans.
“It’s fine,” I assured him. “I like dogs, remember?”
“Right, yeah. I’ll be in the kitchen, but if you tell her to go, she will. Sheshould. Depends on her mood.”
