Page 59 of Sexted By a Stranger
I threw the pencil down on the desk and buried my face in my hands.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Come in."
The door opened, and Mom walked in carrying a steaming cup of tea.
"Sheila, you've been holed up in here all day. You should come out and get some fresh air." Mom set the teacup in frontof me, studying my face with concern. "What's wrong? You look exhausted. Were you up all night again?"
I picked up the cup, letting the cool mint fragrance ease some of the anxiety churning in my chest. "No, Mom. I'm just having a creative block."
"Sheila," her voice was gentle, "don't push yourself so hard." Her gaze swept over the blank design sheets in front of me, her eyes filled with worry.
"When you're stuck, go for a walk. Check out the garden, or maybe watch Leon paint? That boy's improving so fast—he could enter competitions now."
I set down the teacup, steering the conversation away. "Mom, how's your back? Still bothering you?"
"Oh, much better." She smiled and stood up, doing a little half-turn and patting her lower back. "Luca arranged for a specialist to treat me. Now I can bend over and lift things without it killing me like before."
"You know what, Sheila?" Mom sat back down, her voice carrying a vitality I hadn't heard in years. "Life here is so comfortable. Before we came to the manor, the cleaning company's work wasn't keeping me very busy anyway. Now all I do is take care of Leon, watch TV, and do a little housework. I've been thinking maybe I should find something else to do. Not for the money—just to keep myself active."
The contentment and hope for the future in her voice instantly shattered the flimsy walls I'd built around my heart. This peace, this hope—it was all bought with Luca's blood money and deals made in the shadows.
I forced myself to smile. "That sounds great, Mom. What were you thinking of doing?"
"I haven't decided yet," she squeezed my hand, "but Sheila, the life we have now is beyond my wildest dreams. Sometimes I'm afraid I'll wake up and find out it was all just a fantasy."
If only it were just a dream. I thought bitterly, but only nodded. "Yeah, Mom."
Before I could say anything else, the door burst open. Leon came running in, clutching a portfolio case, his cheeks flushed with excitement, eyes bright as stars. It was pure vitality—something I hadn't seen on his fragile face in far too long.
"Look!" He rushed over to us, carefully pulling out a matted watercolor painting.
The image showed me in a cream linen dress, head slightly turned. Beside me, Luca, in a dark shirt, leaned down slightly, his gaze focused intently on my face while dappled sunlight played across both our figures.
"Gold medal. Professor Smith entered me in the Young Artists' Vision Awards—I won gold!" Leon's voice trembled with excitement, carrying that special pride only teenagers could muster. "The professor said the judges loved the atmosphere and emotion in this piece."
"When did you paint this?"
"Last week, when you two were walking in the garden." Leon beamed with pride. "I saw you from the window and thought it was such a beautiful scene, so I painted it. Professor Smith said I handled the light and shadow really well, and that I have real talent."
"It's absolutely gorgeous. Leon, you're incredible." Mom was already on her feet, her eyes bright with proud tears as she gently touched the frame. "Luca's going to be so thrilled when he sees this."
"Yes. Where is Luca?" Leon looked at me eagerly, his expression hopeful. "I want to show him. Is he in his study? Or did he go out?"
"Leon…" I managed to curve my lips upward. "He's handling something very important right now. Show him later, okay? He'll definitely be proud of you."
"Okay…" Leon looked a little disappointed, but the joy of victory quickly overshadowed it. He carefully rolled up the painting, then suddenly looked up again as if remembering something, his tone light and cheerful. "Oh, Sheila. Professor Smith also said once I'm feeling stronger, I can try working on larger oil paintings." With that, he clutched his portfolio and rushed out like a whirlwind.
"Sheila, are you sure you're alright?" Mom still looked worried, her fingertips lightly touching my forehead.
"I'm fine." I curved my mouth into what I hoped looked natural. "Go spend time with Leon. I want to lie down for a bit."
The door closed softly, leaving the room in silence.
I closed my eyes and gently placed my hand on my abdomen, trying to untangle the chaos in my mind.
As Luca's lover, I was willing to embrace his dark world, willing to accept all the danger and fear that came with loving a man like him.
