The Art of Knowing [Completed]

17. • inevitable •

[to all easily flustered by unavoidable attention, all the wallflowers who just want to hide behind all kinds of fears.]

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"Wait, wait!" Cassandra warned with a haste before immediately stooping over to save one of her paintings as it slipped off her grasp. She should've known better than to try to carry several canvases on their walk.

Her eyes trailed back to Ryan, who was happily walking a bit farther up before looking back and coming to a halt. His lips curved into a victorious grin once he watched her, holding onto the handle of the large portfolio she grimly agreed for him to carry. They'd been walking back towards the famous diner Cassandra had spent most of her days and nights in, and to be frank, Ryan couldn't be more excited. As the festival ended, they gathered her artwork with caution, and while he vehemently denied letting her carry it all, she agreed to at least let him carry her large portfolio. Nevertheless, the canvases were just as difficult to carry and her stubbornness refuted any help.

"Need help?" he teased with a tilt of his head and smirked, all while receiving a less than amused glare from the brunette.

Her hands rummaged as she tried to keep the paintings together, corners of each of them sprawled with disorder in a bundle. It wasn't long before Ryan stood in front of her and took some of them with ease as Cassandra regrouped. Without a second thought, he gripped onto the paintings this time while holding up the portfolio towards her. His brows lifted suggestively as she sighed in defeat and accepted the exchange.

"See? Better, right?" he pressed. Cassandra's emerald eyes rolled in annoyance before her lips thinned, a slight corner of them lifting with ease.

"Yes, better."

She had an easier time walking now as she caught up with Ryan side by side on their way to the diner. Whether or not her jitters were the cause of her inability to carry the very same canvases she'd carried several times, she didn't know, but each step against the sidewalk brought forth a new set of sporadic heartbeats to thump uncontrollably. Ryan was no doubt a drawing Betsy would remember, and there was no denying she would be more than expressive about her confusion and shock.

Cassandra wished more than anything to have Emilia to back her up, and while she promised she would show up at the diner, there was no way of telling when it would be. That fact proved to be far more intimidating once she realized they had arrived. Her heart continue to beat against her ribcage madly as she stood feet away from the entrance, carefully checking to then see the vivacious Betsy once again entertaining the customers with her charm.

"This is it, right?" Ryan pressed, a bit amused at Cassandra's skittish behavior as her eyes widened in adrenaline. He chuckled before starting to walk towards the entrance. It wasn't long before a petite hand gripped onto his shoulder in a haste.

"Wait, wait!" she begged. "Um, you... you stay here for a sec and I'll take these," her words slurred, several stacks of her artwork now sprawled across her hands.

"Cass-"

"No, no please. I swear it'll just be a sec." His lips thinned as they pressed together, a failed attempt to suppress the amused grin on his face. He watched as she nervously opened the diner's door with the endless collection of creations in her hands and stumbled inside.