The Heart That's Meant to Love You

Chapter 44: Coloring

Looking forward to our session this weekend. The text from Ruby came too early in the morning.

Kieran had ignored it. He had other issues to deal with. A clingy woman didn't rank high in his priority list.

He had known this day would come. Kieran couldn't indefinitely avoid teaching the class he had been given. One day, he would have to go back to campus. He had been hoping, however, that it wouldn't be the same day that he had promised to model for the painting class.

Sadly, Kieran had a reputation to uphold, and that involved keeping his word. As much as he wanted to back out, Kieran couldn't form a plausible excuse.

He could spin it. Could do just about anything to make Naomi take a step back. Maybe if she watched him flirt with other girls, she would run back to the safety of the known. To the path laid out for her, where she would become something amazing. All Kieran had to do was to stomach flirting with other girls for one day. He could show Naomi how terrible he truly was.

Those lies propelled Kieran out of his apartment and onto the campus.

He reached the Fine Arts building just in time to see Naomi step out of Oliver's sleek sports car.

Oliver gave Naomi's head a pat of affection.

And Kieran's resolve cracked.

Why should Annoying Oliver get all the spoils when he hadn't done any of the work? Why should Kieran back down when Oliver said to do so?

Pull yourself together, Kieran. He had to stick to the plan. He had Tawny to think about. Besides, Naomi clearly liked Oliver. Why would she get so close to him so fast if she didn't? She had spent weeks keeping Kieran at an arm's distance. Her attitude alone answered all Kieran's unasked questions.

It grated, that she so easily let that idiot into her life. As if he could ever be a real man. Kieran had felt the immature boy vibes from him since the beginning.

Not your problem, he reminded himself. He had never been meant to stay and protect Naomi in the first place. Why would he entertain the thought now?

With a new-found stomp in his step, Kieran stormed his way into the Fine Arts building. He could do it. He could make it through another session with the painting class. Just a few hours, and then he could run away like he wanted to.

Ms. VanCamp greeted Kieran with her arms wide open. "Our favorite model!" An open-air kiss to each side of his face came next.

Kieran accepted it, but his mind still resided elsewhere. An ominous loop of Oliver's hand patting Naomi's head replayed constantly behind Kieran's eyes.

On cue, Naomi came flitting in. Kieran didn't miss the way her gaze turned up to stare at him as she passed him. Good. It appeared he still had some influence.

Good? You're here to break it off, not make it worse. He had to focus. Naomi's presence shouldn't affect him like it did.

"Let's get started, class!" Ms.VanCamp returned to her desk.

Kieran took a steadying breath as he strode to his seat in the middle of the room. Naomi hadn't been there last time he modeled. For some reason, that made his chest tighten and his heart race. Kieran refused to let it show.

Naomi took her seat, but one of those petite hands raised in the air.

Ms. VanCamp pointed her own paintbrush toward Naomi's seat. "Yes, Ms. Rowe?"

"Since I wasn't here for the last class, can I finish the painting I was working on before instead of painting the model?"

The Model. Kieran should have known that Naomi wouldn't refer to him by name. She avoided confrontation at all costs. Calling Kieran by name would only entice juvenile college girls to bully her.