Page 75 of Beautiful Lies
She wrapped her arms around me from behind and I pulled down my mask, looking at her over my shoulder.
“Are you bored yet?” I asked, setting down the spray paint can.
“Never. I love watching you paint. They’re amazing, babe.”
She hadn’t called me babe in years. I loved that she’d said it now, the word rolling off her tongue as if it was natural. “Because the subject is amazing,” I said.
She came to stand next to me as she studied the art. She’d been hanging out here with me every night while I painted. After the shop closed. After we ate a late dinner together. After we fucked in the kitchen, her bare ass on the counter. Or she straddled me in a chair like last night. Tonight, I’d taken her to our sushi place and she’d fed me salmon sashimi slathered with wasabi then we’d fucked in the unisex restroom. Instead of her usual screams and moans, she’d sunk her teeth into my shoulder, biting down so hard she’d drawn blood that seeped through my T-shirt. I could still feel the sting from her teeth marks. We were crazy, Ava and me. I always thought we’d loved each other to the point of madness. Insanity, really. But I didn’t know any other way to love her except madly.
"It’s me but not really me,” she said, referring to the paintings.
These two pieces were loosely inspired by last week’s aerial silks class that she’d invited me to. I’d painted two Avas. Fire and Ice. She was right. They weren’t really her, but they were the essence of her. Ava on fire. A blur of movement and bursts of color. Flaming hair, billowing red silk, her face aglow, sparks shooting from her fingertips. Ava the ice queen. Silks suspended from a snow globe, silver hair and swirling snow, a bluebird perched on her shoulder.
“They’re the best pieces you’ve ever done,” she said, her voice hushed as if she was in church, her breath coming out in white puffs.
She shivered, and I wrapped my arms around her, thinking it was from the cold. “All done here. Go inside and get warm. I’ll be right in. I just need to clean up.”
“I’m not cold,” she said, tipping her head back to look at me, her face lit up in the glow of the floodlights, her cheeks rosy from the cold. And those goddamn eyes. I swear I could get lost in those eyes. “Just happy.” Ava gave me a smile that could light up the night sky. And I knew exactly what I’d paint next.
“You’re so fucking gorgeous,” I said.
“Kiss me like you mean it,” she said, her eyes at half-mast, her body leaning into mine.
I held her face in my hands and tipped it up to mine before I lowered my mouth to hers.
* * *
My phone rang,and Ava picked it up from the counter, checking the screen before she answered it. “Hey, Killian. What’s up?”
She rolled her eyes and I chuckled as she sighed. “We’ve been back together for weeks now. Get with the program.” Her brows drew together as she listened to whatever Killian was dishing out. “I’m not. Things are good. Doesn’t Eden talk to you? I thought she told you everything.”
Ava listened for a moment then winced. “Oops. Um, tell her I’m sorry. It’s just…oh hey, Eden. You know I love you. When you get back, we’ll work on our fabulous Pinterest board and we’ll iron out all the details. And we’ll go shopping for dresses and…” Ava stopped and nibbled on her fingernail. “I’m not going to say it.”
She rolled her eyes again. “Fine. You were right. Happy now? If you’re looking for a smackdown, I’m pretty sure I can take you.”
I snorted laughter and Ava stuck her tongue out at me. “Real mature, babe.”
“You’re just saying that because you’re the teacher’s pet,” Ava told Eden. “But I’ve got mad skills. Ask Connor.” She smirked at me and I smacked her ass as she said goodbye and handed me the phone.
“What’s up?” I asked, not sure if I’d be getting Killian or Eden. Killian, as it turned out.
“You okay?”
“It’s all good. Are you on the road?” Killian was going to spend Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania with Eden’s family, just like he’d done last year.
“Yeah.”
“Have a good trip and Happy Thanksgiving.”
“So you and Ava…”
“Yep.”
“Huh.”
“I think it’s great,” Eden yelled in the background. “Even though my best friend and maid of honor has been MIA for two weeks. I still love you both.”
“We love you too,” I said. “That was meant for Eden.”
