hand.
“ You know you deserve better,” I said. “He is a liar and it won’t get any better or easier with him.”
She huffed, and I knew she hated that I’d been through something similar with him—that I had any knowledge about Fontenot at all. What did she like about him anyway? All he did was toy with her.
“ I’m gonna talk to him again,” she said.
“ Don’t start a fight.”
“ I won’t!” She walked out of my room and I let her go. If I told her about Nicole or Fontenot leaving for work, she’d only find some excuse to blame me. So I didn’t. Her problems were always someone else’s fault, but I still felt the guilt of my omission. I had a selfish hope that perhaps we wouldn’t be roommates when it all blew up and I wouldn’t have to face it.
Would I live alone then? I’d never lived alone. The idea was terrifying but also exciting. Of course, I’d have to find a better job. So far, none of the companies in my area were hiring. Living alone in a new city was even scarier.
Not ready to handle those thoughts, I went to the kitchen for a glass of water. When I walked back past Fiona’s room, I heard their passionate reunion and barely contained my gag. Fontenot was manipulating her. He knew he didn’t want anything more serious and was still leading her on. “It’s none of my business,” I whispered.
As I shut the door to my room, my phone lit up with a new message. Is everything okay? Paul asked. Just made it home.
Instead of texting him, I called.
He answered quickly. “You’re all right?” he asked full of concern. “Are they still fighting? Do I need to come back? I shouldn’t have left. God, I’m so sorry. I’m coming back over.”
I chuckled. “Calm down,” I said. “It’s fine. They’re making up as we speak. Loudly.”
He let out a relieved breath. “Good. But I still shouldn’t have left you there. I keep messing up with you. It’s just... It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone I cared about in my life. I’m not thinking straight.”
He sounded distressed and I wanted to ease his mind. “I’m fine, Paul. It’s okay. I told you to leave. But…if you want…maybe you can make it up to me tomorrow.”
I heard his soft laugh, and smiled. “What do you have in mind?”
“ I’m sure you’ll think of something.”
“ All right,” he chuckled. “What are you doing tomorrow?”
“ Classes until 11 and then nothing.”
“ Hmm…I’ll call you. Maybe I can get off work early.”
“ Sounds perfect.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE NEXT AFTERNOON, PAUL picked me up and we drove to Atlantis . Catherine took my paintings and displayed them on the wall. “They’ll sell wonderfully,” she said. “Keep up the good work. Sometimes the local galleries ask me to feature artists I’ve discovered. If people like them as much as I think they will, you’ll be at the top of my list.”
While she and Paul caught up, I deduced that they knew each other on a personal level. Maybe that was why she purchased my paintings up front. Usually, artists were only allowed to use her space for a set amount of time. If their work didn’t sell, she gave the paintings back. Knowing this made her enthusiasm seem less genuine.
“ Thank you,” I said as we left the store.
While Paul and I walked back to his car, I was quiet, thinking. I’d been so excited, believing someone truly admired my work. But now…she was only doing it as favor. Perhaps she was only being nice, afraid to hurt my feelings in front of her friend.
“ What’s wrong, Pretty?” Paul asked, pulling me into his side.
“ It’s nothing,” I said.
“ Tell me,” he pressed, placing a kiss to the side of my head.
“ I just…What if…” I took a breath and tried to calm my thoughts. “Are my paintings good? Did she really want them?”
“ What? Yes! They’re wonderful. Of course she wanted them.”
“ But she knows you. You’re friends. She’s only doing this as a
“ You know you deserve better,” I said. “He is a liar and it won’t get any better or easier with him.”
She huffed, and I knew she hated that I’d been through something similar with him—that I had any knowledge about Fontenot at all. What did she like about him anyway? All he did was toy with her.
“ I’m gonna talk to him again,” she said.
“ Don’t start a fight.”
“ I won’t!” She walked out of my room and I let her go. If I told her about Nicole or Fontenot leaving for work, she’d only find some excuse to blame me. So I didn’t. Her problems were always someone else’s fault, but I still felt the guilt of my omission. I had a selfish hope that perhaps we wouldn’t be roommates when it all blew up and I wouldn’t have to face it.
Would I live alone then? I’d never lived alone. The idea was terrifying but also exciting. Of course, I’d have to find a better job. So far, none of the companies in my area were hiring. Living alone in a new city was even scarier.
Not ready to handle those thoughts, I went to the kitchen for a glass of water. When I walked back past Fiona’s room, I heard their passionate reunion and barely contained my gag. Fontenot was manipulating her. He knew he didn’t want anything more serious and was still leading her on. “It’s none of my business,” I whispered.
As I shut the door to my room, my phone lit up with a new message. Is everything okay? Paul asked. Just made it home.
Instead of texting him, I called.
He answered quickly. “You’re all right?” he asked full of concern. “Are they still fighting? Do I need to come back? I shouldn’t have left. God, I’m so sorry. I’m coming back over.”
I chuckled. “Calm down,” I said. “It’s fine. They’re making up as we speak. Loudly.”
He let out a relieved breath. “Good. But I still shouldn’t have left you there. I keep messing up with you. It’s just... It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone I cared about in my life. I’m not thinking straight.”
He sounded distressed and I wanted to ease his mind. “I’m fine, Paul. It’s okay. I told you to leave. But…if you want…maybe you can make it up to me tomorrow.”
I heard his soft laugh, and smiled. “What do you have in mind?”
“ I’m sure you’ll think of something.”
“ All right,” he chuckled. “What are you doing tomorrow?”
“ Classes until 11 and then nothing.”
“ Hmm…I’ll call you. Maybe I can get off work early.”
“ Sounds perfect.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE NEXT AFTERNOON, PAUL picked me up and we drove to Atlantis . Catherine took my paintings and displayed them on the wall. “They’ll sell wonderfully,” she said. “Keep up the good work. Sometimes the local galleries ask me to feature artists I’ve discovered. If people like them as much as I think they will, you’ll be at the top of my list.”
While she and Paul caught up, I deduced that they knew each other on a personal level. Maybe that was why she purchased my paintings up front. Usually, artists were only allowed to use her space for a set amount of time. If their work didn’t sell, she gave the paintings back. Knowing this made her enthusiasm seem less genuine.
“ Thank you,” I said as we left the store.
While Paul and I walked back to his car, I was quiet, thinking. I’d been so excited, believing someone truly admired my work. But now…she was only doing it as favor. Perhaps she was only being nice, afraid to hurt my feelings in front of her friend.
“ What’s wrong, Pretty?” Paul asked, pulling me into his side.
“ It’s nothing,” I said.
“ Tell me,” he pressed, placing a kiss to the side of my head.
“ I just…What if…” I took a breath and tried to calm my thoughts. “Are my paintings good? Did she really want them?”
“ What? Yes! They’re wonderful. Of course she wanted them.”
“ But she knows you. You’re friends. She’s only doing this as a
Similar Books
