I stared at the half-finished canvas in front of me; trying-as I had been for the past two hours-to gather the motivation to paint. I had nothing else to do and Luca had disappeared into his office above the garage.I fought the urge to slap the paint on my brush in a large 'X' across the canvas and trash it. All I had done for the past few hours had been stare at the imperfections and flaws that I saw and it infuriated me.Would I be able to finish the painting in a month? If I was, who knew if I would even see my parents on their anniversary...When would I give them the painting?I couldn't imagine just mailing them something that had taken me months to finish. All of my work up to that point felt useless. Taking a deep breath, I stood up from the floor and stretched my legs out.As I was walking downstairs to make myself a late lunch, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out to see Mady's name and photo flashing across the screen.I eagerly answered the call."Bitch, you are
After finally making some progress on the canvas, I was robbed of my lighting by the setting sun. I went downstairs and stepped out onto the back deck to get some fresh air. As soon as I walked out, the lights in the pool came on, turning the water bright blue.I heard a gate open and shut and looked over to see Bates running full speed at the pool, taking his shirt off and throwing it on the concrete."Cannonball!" He screamed before leaping into the air and the crashing down into the pool, soaking everything within a fifteen foot radius.As he surfaced, we made eye contact."Are you six?" I asked him, laughing."Come down here and ask me to my face," he said threateningly."Dude, I was trying ask you what kind of pizza you wanted!"Blaine shouted, walking through the gate that Bates had just dashed through.Luca followed him, noticing me standing on the deck."I've already told you!" Bates yelled."I want cheese with extra cheese!""Six-year-old status confirmed," I said, earning a
The rest of the night passed without allowing for any more time to think.The boys plowed through the pizza and went downstairs to the basement to watch a hockey game while I stayed upstairs and took a bath.Luca came upstairs later that night after Bates and Blaine had left to find me sitting in the bed with my notepad resting on my knees as I doodled.He leaned over to look at the sheet of paper, seeing the dogwood flowers I had sketched out and begun shading."That's really good," he said.I couldn't help but blush."Thank you."He backed away and walked into the bathroom, staying in there for a few minutes to shower and get ready for bed. I was pestered the whole time he was in there by a nagging guilt in the back of my head.When he came out of the bathroom, dressed again in only boxer briefs, I felt like I was experiencing déjà vu.He grabbed the blanket that was thrown over the back of the chair beside the bed and tossed it to the ground.As he reached over to grab a pillow, I
I woke up the next morning cuddling one of the pillows that separated Luca and I, the other pillow having disappeared under the sheets.When my eyes opened to see him lying next to me, I couldn't help but stare for a few moments. Hands and arms tucked under his pillow, Luca laid on his stomach with his head turned towards me. His olive skin was a stark contrast against the pure white color of the sheets and his dark hair stood out even more so.Luca's facial hair had grown out a bit since I'd met him a few days prior. It added to his masculine aura and I decided that I liked it.After laying there for a few moments, knowing I wouldn't fall back asleep, I sat up in the bed slowly before getting up to walk quietly across the bedroom floor. It was still early in the morning, the room cast with blue hues of the twilight.I closed the door behind me softly and walked into the kitchen to make tea.Barely catching the kettle before it began to whistle, I had nearly dozed off standing at the
I was regretting my decision to meet with Fallon as soon as I stepped outside in my gym shorts. Chill bumps immediately covered my body and I held my arms close to my chest as I walked towards the driveway.Deciding that I needed to warm up, I walked past the truck and the Jeep and continued my brisk stroll up the driveway towards the gate. The gate opened as it sensed me walking towards it, closing behind me as I stood in the street.Lifting my left arm, I tapped against my watch to start recording a run and began to jog down the road.As my feet hit the ground with each step, I was reminded how badly I needed new running shoes. A shin splint was sure to arrive the next day.Breathing in the cold morning air made my lungs squeeze in my chest and I found it more difficult to get air out and in. By the time I reached the bottom of the hill, I found myself hunched over and panting like I'd already run a marathon.I looked at my watch.0.63 miles.Kill me now.I was at least two more mil
The hot shower I took when I returned to Luca's house wasn't enough to soothe my aching body. My muscles and joints were screaming at me. The webbed skin in between my fingers was rubbed raw by the gloves I had worn Good luck trying to hold a paint brush for the next few days, I told myself.I knew that I wouldn't be able to lift my arms over my head for a week. But, despite the major soreness and discomfort, I felt satisfied. I had done something for myself and it felt rewarding.It was this feeling of accomplishment that drove me to the kitchen for lunch instead of Luca's bed for a nap. I cut up strips of chicken breast and sautéed them in a frying pan, then I moved on to cutting up a head of lettuce for my salad.When I sat down at the countertop after pouring the dressing over the chicken and caesar salad that I had prepared, I heard a door open and turned to see Luca strolling in."Did you make lunch?" He asked, nose in the air.I dropped the fork in my hand back down into the bo
Waking up wasn't as easy as falling asleep. I laid there for several minutes before finally sitting up, an action I regretted instantly.My back was so stiff. My shoulders felt like they were locked in place and my legs were shaking as I tried to stand up from the bed.God, I hate Fallon, I thought.The stiffness subsided slightly as I walked through the house, eventually wandering outside where I could hear someone talking.I stood under the breezeway, watching Luca as he paced the driveway while he talked on the phone.As soon as he saw me, he winked.I smiled awkwardly before Luca ended the call and approached me."I was just about to go see Lincoln, if you'd like to come," he offered."Sure."After grabbing my shoes, I followed him to the truck, where he opened the passenger door for me to climb in. I tried not to wince as I lifted myself into the cab of the truck, my legs burning as I did so.I hate Fallon, I thought again."How was your nap?" Luca asked."Not long enough."I hea
I could see the sky behind the mountains in the distance as it transitioned to darker shades, reminding me of how long I'd been sitting there. I think it's time to stop wallowing in self-pity, I told myself.Deciding I would make dinner, I stood from the couch, catching a glimpse of the pool in the backyard as I did so.A swim would feel so nice right now...Forgoing dinner, I went to retrieve my bikini from my suitcase. I changed and wandered downstairs where Luca had mentioned the pool access was.On the lower level were two empty bedrooms, two accompanying bathrooms, and a large bonus room in between the two bedrooms that boasted a TV the size of a small vehicle. Surrounding the TV was a large sectional sofa and several pieces of sports memorabilia. Hockey sticks, shadow boxes full of jerseys and pucks, and shelves lined with trophies were hung on the wall.Along the far wall was a large window that had a sliding door to get outside into the backyard. I slid the door open to be met