Painting Sky (37 page)

We sat across from each other with our meal steaming between us. Maybe having eating in front of the television would have been a better idea, but I missed sitting at the table. Since Ryan and Cody stopped coming home for dinner, this room hadn’t seen much use.

“Was it that painful posing for me?” Keith asked, smirking.

“Let’s not talk about it, okay? It was embarrassing.” I focused on the food.

“We should do it again,” he said. I shook my head violently.

“No. No way. You had one chance—that was it.” I ate the food noisily, making him chuckle.

We finished our meal with polite conversation about art. We had similar taste in artists.

My brother arrived late that night and I went to bed right after. Sleeping was hard when my mind was in overdrive with the day’s events. I still couldn’t believe I was capable of doing something like posing for Keith. I still couldn’t believe I was falling for him.

I needed a rebound—for real, this time. I couldn’t trust Shelby with this, and I didn’t think Keith or Ryan would allow it. Maybe I could ask Keith for help. It would be safer, but it was unlikely he would help me.

The next day, Keith drove us to school, as he had a class in the morning. I spent almost the whole ride trying to come up with the courage to ask for his help.

“Keith,” He turned to me at a red light. “Can I ask you something… without you flipping out on me?” He frowned, but nodded. “I want to go out.” I made an effort to find the right words. “And find someone. You know, a rebound.”

He parked the car and faced me. “What?” he asked incredulously. “I thought you were fine by yourself? You never pegged me for a girl who needs a boyfriend hanging on her arm all the time.”

I grabbed my backpack from the floor. “I’m not—I just need to do something to take my mind off of—” I didn’t want to lie and say Cody, because that wasn’t who I needed to shake from my thoughts. I couldn’t admit I was developing feelings for him, though. “Off of everything,” I finished, waving my hand around us.

Keith wove his fingers through his hair, got out of the car, and slammed the door. “I don’t like that idea. It’s not you,” he said, moving around the car to stand beside me. “But, if you’re doing this, I’m coming with you. I don’t trust your friend very much.”

“You’re very quick to judge said friend, after all, you had sex with her,” I retorted, annoyed.

He opened and closed his mouth, and messed with his hair a bit more. “I didn’t sleep with her.” This made me stop and turn to him.

“You don’t have to lie. I saw it.”

“You didn’t see me fucking her.” It was his turn to be annoyed. A couple was passing us and the guy frowned at Keith, who remained unapologetic.

I flinched and blushed at his crudeness. “No, but she slept in your room.”

He sighed, exasperated. “Nothing happened. She kissed me in the bathroom, I invited her to my room, and she fell asleep in my bed. I don’t take advantage of drunken girls.”

I stood still, digesting this news. A pleasant feeling took over my stomach and this was exactly what I’d wanted to avoid: feeling anything but friendship for him. Keith motioned for me to go to the art department, while he went the other direction. The stupid boy had made me believe the worst about him this whole time. He’d made me believe the worst about Shelby, as well, who probably didn’t even remember that night.

Today was my last day of classes, except for Drawing, as the classes would be used to build our portfolio for evaluation, so tonight would be the best time to make my move. I would go to a bar and make out with someone. My mind was clearer, and I knew it wasn’t safe for me to sleep with some random guy. I still needed to kiss a guy who didn’t have “Hale” as the last name on their birth certificate.

When I got home that evening, the house was quiet. I took my time in the shower and choosing my clothes. It ended up being black skinny jeans and a white shirt. I would need a warm jacket, but I was sure the place we’d be going would be warm enough.

I still needed Keith’s approval to go out. There was no way he wouldn’t tell my brother if I didn’t let him tag along.

When I went downstairs to eat something, even though my stomach had such a knot in it that I wouldn’t be able to eat a proper dinner, Keith was already at the counter, pushing against his cell phone’s screen.

“What did the phone do to you?” I asked, grabbing a carton of juice from the fridge. He mumbled something, annoyed, and finally looked up at me. I had pulled my hair into a bun and applied some make-up, but his eyes didn’t go to my head, first. He looked at my legs and the small amount of cleavage I had, and slowly lifted his gaze to meet mine.

“Damn. You still want to go out?” He frowned.

Disappointed, I nodded. I’d thought he was checking me out, but he was just confused as to why I’d cleaned up like this. I just shrugged and turned to the cookies on the shelf. “Yes, I was hoping you would come with, but, if you have plans...” I trailed off, not admitting that I was too chicken to go out alone.

“No, I don’t.” He put the phone in his back pocket. “Where do you want to go?”

I shrugged again. I had no idea what the best places to hang out were. I never did this—try to pick up a guy at a bar. Keith was right: this wasn’t me.

He nodded before grabbing a cookie from the package in front of me. “I know a place.” He gave me five minutes to brush my teeth and grab a jacket, and then we got into his car and went to a different town twenty minutes away. This was good: maybe there, people wouldn’t recognize him or me as Ryan’s sister. A girl could hope.

The bar wasn’t dark and shady, as I feared. It had white furniture and a lot of lights. The music was loud, but not so loud that people couldn’t talk to each other. People around me looked like they were in their mid-twenties. Maybe an older guy would be better for my purpose. He would be more mature. On the other hand, he might request more than I was willing to give. I just had to breathe and be myself.

Keith’s heat and smell wasn’t helping to calm my nerves. After we grabbed a table and ordered two beers, I was realizing this wouldn’t work. Any decent guy in the room would assume I was with Keith and would back away. I had to dance alone, at least.

“I’m going to dance—alone,” I added when he started getting up.

It took me some time to stop feeling ridiculous on the dance floor. Keith’s eyes were on me the whole time.

The first guy who approached me was tall and slim, with a hipster vibe. He was nice, but didn’t show a hint of attraction to me and I didn’t feel one, either. He was a good dancer, and, after a couple of songs, he stepped away to meet his friends. I didn’t even catch his name.

The second guy showed his attraction toward me long before I felt any toward him. I saw Keith shaking his head at me and I just shrugged. Brody wasn’t being disrespectful—just annoying. He sensed my lack of interest and turned to another girl.

The third guy was cute, like boy-next-door cute. He had blond hair, caramel eyes, dimples, and all. He was also a good dancer and had all the right moves. He whispered his name, David, asked for mine, and then placed his hands in safe places on me. I was starting to think he was the one, when a screeching redhead pushed me away from him and got in my face. The music wasn’t very loud, so everyone turned to watch the scene.

“You think you can take my boyfriend from me? You slut! Go find an available guy,” she screamed, while pushing me back. I’d never fought with someone other than my siblings, so I didn’t know what the appropriate behavior was. David was just standing on the sideline, looking amused at his girlfriend.

“I didn’t do anything,” I tried pleading, but she just got more aggravated.

“You think a guy like David wants anything to do with you?” she sneered, looking me up and down. She was prettier than me and way more curvy—exotic, even, with all the red hair around her face. I felt like shrinking in front of everyone. It wasn’t the first time I’d felt plain, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. I just wanted a friend right now, and Keith was nowhere to be found. Why had he wanted to be my wingman just to up and leave? He was probably with some girl. Of course he would have much more luck than me when it came to seduction.

I was then pulled back by two strong hands, and, before I could complain, Keith’s cologne reached me and I instantly relaxed. “Is there a problem here?” he asked, calmly, but with that tone of his that sounded like a threat. His arms remained around me and I snuggled into him, seeking comfort.

“She—she was trying to hit on my man.” The redhead stammered, looking between Keith and me. She was attracted to him, alright, and I couldn’t blame her.

Keith sneered from behind me, pulling my back flat against him and leaning over my shoulder. “I don’t think your guy could handle my girl. Don’t you think I satisfy her enough?”

I tried not to blush at his words, but I was beaming. I felt the heat from him mix with the smugness inside me—even if what he’d said had been a lie. It made me feel desirable and special. The girl didn’t even bother answering. She knew I had the upper hand, now. No one would trade Keith for the clean-cut David. They left and everyone else returned to their activities. Keith’s hands were still on my wrists, his heat was on my back, and his stubble was against my neck.

“I can’t leave you for five minutes without you getting into a catfight.” I felt his amusement, which calmed my nerves. I didn’t like confrontations.

“You left me. I thought you were supposed to be my wingman.” I looked over my shoulder to read his features.

His smiled dropped, but his grip on me intensified. “I never liked this plan of yours. I was watching how you handled the situation.”

I disentangled from his hold and turned to him. “You were watching? What about stepping in sooner?” I crossed my arms over my chest and his eyes lowered to my cleavage for a fraction of second before coming to rest on my face again. He didn’t look apologetic.

“I wanted to see your reaction. You were the one who wanted a night out. This kind of stuff happens.” He shrugged, like it was no big deal. His gray eyes were sparkling with amusement.

I looked around, embarrassed. “Yeah—to you, not to me. I don’t usually go out to find... company.”

His expression turned to disgust. “You sound like you’ve been preying on innocent guys to have a one night stand with. I agreed on finding a guy so you could have a good time, not a one night stand. I wouldn’t leave your side, anyway.”

I pondered what he was saying. I would never make out with a guy with Keith as the audience. I wouldn’t be able to, anyway. This had been his plan all along: agreeing to my terms without revealing his own. This night had been condemned from the start.

“Let’s go home,” I said, feeling the failure weighing on my shoulders. This wasn’t important, but I still felt like I wasn’t good enough. I would go through life feeling half-accomplished.

We were silent all the way home. I felt deflated, while Keith seemed bored. He’d been counting on having fun and ended up babysitting me and driving me around.

Before I could get to the stairs, he grabbed my elbow and spun me around, bringing me closer to him. “You didn’t believe that girl, did you?”

Keith wasn’t as oblivious as I’d once thought. He could see through me, but there was stuff I would prefer him not knowing, like how insecure I was. Being cheated on by my only boyfriend and being attracted to the biggest player I knew could hurt anyone’s ego.

He shook his head like he was reading me again. “You’re the most gorgeous girl I ever seen—and, believe me, I’ve seen and hooked up with a number of them.”

I didn’t know if I should feel flattered or jealous—maybe both. He’d called me gorgeous: me, plain Jane. I had never heard Keith say anything he didn’t mean, so I didn’t dismiss his compliment. I knew in my heart that he was speaking the truth, and I could see it in his eyes. The vulnerability he rarely showed was cracking through them.

“Can I draw you again?” he asked, before I could open my mouth to address the compliment. Saying “thank you” seemed insufficient. I felt my head nodding before I’d processed the request.

“Now?” I shrieked, when I saw the gleam in his eyes and the energy emanating from him.

“Why not? No one’s home.” He shrugged, pulling me up the stairs.

I tried to come up with a valid excuse, but I couldn’t think of anything. “It’s one in the morning, and—and, do you mean nude?” I knew what he meant, but I still needed the reassurance.

“Is there really any other way? It’s not the first time. Come on Sky, I need this now.” I could see the urgency in his eyes and sense it in his voice and through the electricity running from his fingers to mine. Like an addict, he pulled me upstairs, to the attic, and the butterflies in my stomach fluttered in anticipation. I needed this, too, but for reasons other than art. I needed him, but I also knew he would crush me.

I wouldn’t survive Keith Hale.