Chapter 73
Valentine's Day was right around the corner, and I knew I had to do something special.
Not because Lexi was especially demanding. I knew she didn't need grand romantic gestures. She liked little attentions.
But I still felt like I needed to keep proving to her that I loved her and that loving me wouldn't not be a mistake on her part.
Wanting to do something nice, and actually coming up with it were two separate things though. I had used up a lot of my good ideas.
I probably couldn't just paint something anytime I needed to get her a gift.
The thing was, I never really had a proper girlfriend, since Kendall honestly didn't count anymore, so I had no idea what was really expected of a Valentine.
I was pretty sure the only Valentine's Day card I ever made was for Lexi, years ago, but I'd been too chicken shit to actually give to her.
I probably had it hidden away somewhere in one of my old boxes too.
It would be collecting dust. Maybe it was time to give it to its rightful owner now.
I spent an evening sorting through boxes with old school books, to finally find the card, tucked in between the pages of one of my exercises booklet.
It wasn't my best piece of work, but Lexi would probably like it. If there was something I'd learned about Lexi, it was that she somehow didn't believe someone would actually love her. We had Alex to thank in part for that one.
I kinda wanted to remind her that even if Alex hadn't loved her, someone else had been in love with her in the sidelines all this time.
Even if her mother had left her, someone else had waited for her all along.
That flimsy card wasn't enough of a present. I also needed to plan an actual date.
Lexi had given me so much, without really realizing it.
She'd given me art again, helping me paint again.
She'd made me play the piano again. But that was a hurdle I hadn't quite as much conquered as painting.
She'd love hearing me play the piano. I could give that to her again. Properly.
With that plan suddenly forming in my head, I headed for our music room and sat at the piano. And then I got up and started to look through some of my father's sheet music.
I wasn't sure what I wanted to play and most of what he had lying around was actually full score and it would be more work for me to figure out what I wanted to pay in that.
I was pretty sure my father had a piano score for A Time for Us somewhere, and not that I wanted to curse us by playing a Romeo and Juliet theme song, but I just liked the way it sounded and was pretty sure Lexi would too.
And I was stubborn, so I spent a good two hours looking around like a lunatic until I finally gave up and sat at the piano again, trying to just come up with the notes by heart.
I played the song on my MP3 player, one earbud in my ear, and just decided to go with trial and error.
At some point, I felt like someone had walked in the room, so I stopped playing and turned around.
Sure thing, my father was standing by the door.
He kind of shook his hands, and said, "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to make you stop."
"It's okay, I needed a little break," I answered, stretching my arms over my head.
"A Time for Us?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"You know I have the sheet music for that, right?" he told me with an amused smile.
"Couldn't find it."
It took my father literally ten seconds to find it and hand it to me. Maybe I shouldn't have been stubborn and just asked for help. There was a lesson there to be learned.
"It's nice to see you play again," my father said, leaning against a desk.
"It's... kinda nice to play again," I admitted and meant it.
I hadn't expected to mean it.
There were a lot of things lately that were happening that I hadn't expected.
"If you need anything, you know you can ask me, right?"
"Yeah..." I trailed, and then kind of perked up thinking about something, "Well, now that you mention it, do you think on February 14, I could sneak in the music all and play on you nice piano? For my girlfriend. As a present."
My father chuckled. "That can be arranged."
"Seriously?"
I'd asked, but I had been pretty sure I was going to be denied. So, this was definitely surprising.
He just shrugged. "With how much I've put in that music hall, it shouldn't be an issue. I paid for that piano you know. It's almost as good as the one you're playing right now"
"It's not polite to brag about how much money you have."
"It's yours too."
I stared at the piano keys. "Doesn't feel like mine."
This was something felt bad about, that I didn't articulate into words very often. How much money we had. It felt wrong.
"Eventually it will."
"Hard to believe," I replied, and decided to just change subject. "In the meantime, though, thanks. It's gonna be fun."
"You have any dinner plans?"
I shook my head. "Not sure. I was thinking about making her something."
He scoffed. "And give her food poisoning as a Valentine's Day gift?"
I acted offended for half a second. "I'm not that bad."
My father was definitely not convinced. "Huh uh. Sure. Just ask Anita. And as long as you don't have a food fight in there you can eat in the music hall."
"A nice little picnic would be nice," I agreed. That definitely wasn't a bad idea. And it would give us more time there.
"Don't put your greasy fingers on the keys though. I might have paid for that piano but that doesn't mean I want you to purposely sabotage it."
"If I played violin, would you have let me play with a Stradivarius on loan?" I asked teasingly.
"You don't play the violin."
"But if I had," I pushed.
He rolled his eyes at me. "Not just so you could impress your girlfriend."
"So, that's a yes."
"That's not a yes."
"That's not a no either."
He rolled his eyes again, and pushed himself away from the desk. "Just practice now. I have some calls to make."
"Thanks Dad."
"You're welcome."
And so, the Valentine's Day plans sort of all fell into place, and not long after, it was February 14th and I was driving to pick up my girlfriend to go to school.
Almost before I even parked my car in front of Lexi's house, she was already rushing outside.
My Pumpkin was definitely excited about our plans. She was impatient. I actually liked that about her.
I got out of the car, grabbing the rose I'd picked up at the florist, before I stepped out, and grinned at my girlfriend.
I did the theatrical little bow and offered her the rose. "My lady."
Lexi burst into a little giggled and automatically went to hug me, taking the offered flower. I squeezed her in my arms, nuzzling my face in the crook of her neck.
"I have something for you," my Pumpkin said, as soon as I let her go.
She dug a CD out of her bag and handed it to me.
It was very clearly a burned CD, with little doodles I could easily recognize as my girlfriend's doing.
"You made me a mixtape?" I asked. I couldn't keep the grin off my face.
"Yes, you can make fun of me after you've listened to it," she replied in a rush, and hid her face against my shoulder like she was embarrassed.
How could she be embarrassed over such an adorable gift?
I laughed at how cute she was being, kissing the top of her head.
I was really looking forward to listening to this mixtape now.
"Barf. Barfbarfbarf. You guys were cute like three months ago, but now you just disgust me," Tyler was reciting, as he walked past us and went to his seat at the back of the car.
Maybe I should have gotten him a flower too. He wouldn't be this pouty if I had.
But for now, my girlfriend and I just laughed at his antics and took our seats in the car too.
"Tyler is jealous," I pointed out as I drove away from their house.
Lexi nodded. "Oh, I know."
"I have a right to be jealous, I loved him before you loved him," Tyler grumbled, his arms crossed over his chest.
It was too fun to rile up Lexi with that, so I said, "He makes a good point."
She just rolled her eyes at us though. "You two are dumbasses."
"I'd never treat you that way, Blakina honey," Tyler said and then kind of choked up and added, in a super high voice like he was about to cry, "I'd never treat you that way."
See, he has a nickname for me," I pointed out to my girlfriend and then asked Tyler, "And how would you treat me darling?"
"So good. So so good."
"But how?"
"Just, so so good."
Lexi rolled her eyes again. "How about you two get married, if you like each other so much."
"Is gay marriage legal here yet?" Tyler asked, frowning, like he was trying to figure it out in his head. "Vermont has it, but do we have it?"
"Let's just move to Vermont darling," I told him.
He nodded. "Let's."
"Not. Let's not," Lexi added.
We kept bickering all the way to school.
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Happy Monday my little Pumpkins! <3
I'M BAAAACK!
I needed a break. A loooot has happened. For one, I got sick. Twice. And then there's been vandalizing at my apartment block, and the shop at the ground level has been getting threats that someone is gonna burn down their shop, so like, that's super comforting when you live on top of that. I've been sleeping... not well. But yeah. Positive thinking now. And good insurances. And a getaway bag ready by the door. Fun times.
On more important notes! If you haven't seen my announcement, we have a new uploading schedule! I'm gonne keep doing Little Bitch chapters on Monday, but also, now on Tuesday you'll be getting Virgin and the Whore chapters, and Tenth Knot chapters on Wednesday. And Life in Paintings chapters daily (I'll be uploading them in the evening for me in EST time)
I hope you guys are excited about all of that. I'm also working on something else. Anyone remembers my psycho Tristan? ;P And also, still editing I Sold, for those who wonder. Eventually we'll have something that's gonna be publishable. XD
Oh. Also. I've been trying to get back into reading in the last year, and I just binged the Once Upon a Broken Heart series. Anyone else read them? I got the first one with the pretty UK cover when I was at the airport last year. So pretty. I do judge a book by its cover. Anyway. Yeah. Is Red Queen a good follow up series, if I feel a little empty inside without Jacks?
Alright. Gonna go sleep now. LOVE YOU GUYS! Thanks for being patient with me! <3 See you all next week!