Page 91 of Pictures in Blue
“Sorry, he just seems…smitten,” I say hesitantly.
“No. Just really good friends is all,” she grunts as she sets down the paint can and grabs a wide paint brush and the tray, moving them closer to the wall and starts covering the faded paint.
I copy her movements after another long sip of coffee and start painting a few feet away from her. The silence stretches and there is something strangely calming about the repeated movements of the paintbrush, slowly covering the dull red with a bright, new shade. A new beginning for an old building. I wonder what that feels like. Covering the old, faded memories with shiny, brand new ones. The same person, but changed. Brighter. Happier. A new chapter.
Is this my new chapter? Could it be?
“I didn’t mean to get defensive,” Sky breaks the silence, but doesn’t look my way, eyes focused on the task at hand. Her movements are familiar and practiced.
“I didn’t mean to pry.”
“People do. It’s human nature to be curious. We’ve just gotten a lot of questions like that our whole lives and sometimes it gets annoying having to constantly tell people we are just friends.”
“Ah,” I say in understanding. “I get it. The amount of times I’ve gotten looks from everyone while walking in town can be exhausting. I can’t imagine what it would be like to get that for years.”
“Tired of people asking about you and Hudson?” She asks with raised eyebrows.
“Mmmm,” I shrug my shoulders. “More like tired of the assumption? I don’t know. It’s weird. I’m not ashamed or anything, but I’m also just a more private person.”
“This town is far from that.”
“I’ve noticed.”
“Soooo?” She raises her eyebrows expectantly.
“Oh so you can pry, but I can’t?”
“Well, for starters, he’s my brother. I’m protective. This is me asking out of protectiveness.”
“That’s a load of bullshit.”
“I prefer horseshit.” I laugh and feel myself relax. Before I can respond, Sky looks over and meets my eye. “Plus, I’m not an idiot. I saw you two at brunch. More importantly, I saw the way he looked at you when you weren’t looking. It was obvious and you can’t deny it.”
“Fran isn’t the only observant one,” I mutter.
“No, she’s not. But if you wanted to hide it, you two didn’t try very hard.”
“No, I don’t think we’re trying to hide anything, but I don’t think Hudson wants your parents to know? I don’t know. It’s just a fling. An agreement. Surface level.” She raises her eyebrows again, waiting for more of an explanation. “It ends when I leave.”
“And when is that exactly?”
I don’t answer right away. If I look at the check out date online, it says that I leave in one week. But if I ask myself now, I don’t think I have an answer. It’s not like I have anywhere to check out of since I’m living with Hudson.
Stayingwith him,I correct myself.
“About a week.” There isn’t a need to complicate things. I’ve had a lifetime of complications with my heart and mind always at war with each other. The two are never in sync and more often than not, I listen to my mind. Maybe this time I will listen to the other side. Raise a white flag and surrender the logical part of me that says leaving is what I need to do.
“And you’re here with me?”
“You asked for my help!”
“You didn’t have to accept.”
I go back to painting, Judy settled close to my feet. “Well, Hudson wasn’t home when I woke up and you called at the right time,” I shrug my shoulders. “Plus, I needed coffee anyway,” I lie. After being holed up in the house the last few days and allowing myself to wallow, I really just wanted to get out and talk to a friend. There’s only so much FaceTiming I can do with Charlotte before I wish she was here with me. It’s better to hang out in person and the idea of hanging out with Sky, getting to know her more was something I found myself wanting.
“Home?” The word is laced with a tone that says she can see right through me.
“Temporary home,” is all I say in response.
