CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Despite the fact that Gage said, clear as day, to me that he would always be there for me-- the next day I woke up with this bed empty.
The fact that he left during the night did not only irk me but enraged Aaron.
He didn't remember what happened the night before, he didn't remember how he saw me talking to his shirtless brother nor did he remember how his own blood had knocked him out cold for hours.
I didn't know if Aaron believed I had any part in Gage's disappearance, the man was completely wasted that he couldn't even remember leaving the bar that day.
What was Aaron even doing in the bar so late? Not knowing how he spends his life makes me feel overly uneasy while he knows everything I do.
I sat the opposite of Aaron at the table, my fork stirring around the eggs I made for us. It was the first time in a while that Aaron sat at the table with me eating breakfast, I was surprised he wasn't already at work as he continued to ignore me.
As I glanced at Aaron, whose complete focus was on his phone and not on the breakfast I spent my time making, I considered; do I still want to apologize?
The way he spoke to me, the way he spoke about me in front of Gage the other night upset me. The way he instantly reacted as if he had walked in on Gage and I making love in front of him irked me.
How could he not trust me? How could he disrespect me in front of his own brother, embarrass me of calling me a slut in front of someone I barely know? I understood how he was yell and swear at me when it was just the two of us, but with an audience?
Was that how he truly felt?
"What are you looking at?" Aaron questioned, causing me to slightly jump in my seat unaware that he had caught me staring.
"Sorry, I was just thinking," I muttered, averting my eyes to the eggs in front of me. I wasn't hungry, I hadn't been in a while.
"About?" He continued.
I raised my eyebrows slightly, as I looked back up at him. He was making conversation with me, finally!
"Us." I had been waiting to talk to Aaron forever, but at this moment I had no idea what to say.
He raised an eyebrow at me, before standing up and packing away his work bag. "And what have you decided exactly?"
I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out, so I closed my mouth like I was a gaping fish. Furrowing my brows, I continued to think about Aaron and our relationship.
Before I could think any further, he moved close to me. Moving my hair from my face, he inched his face closer to mine and my eyes fixed on him as his were on mine.
"Think carefully baby, what made you can break you." He whispered in my ear-- his breath almost tickling me. Before moving away he placed a kiss on my cheek.
Next thing I knew he was gone and out of the house.
I huffed in annoyance, glancing at the door he had just left through.
What the hell does that supposed to mean?
***
Being home alone made me feel uneasy. It had been a while since I was home alone, with Gage around I never felt alone because he always seemed to be around.
I missed it.
Because being home alone didn't feel very appealing to me I decided that I wanted to go somewhere I hadn't gone in a while-- the studio.
Walking into my studio, I almost felt the need to dust everywhere. I had deserted the studio for weeks, Aaron didn't like the studio and the work I did in the studio so after our argument I didn't want to upset him even further and decided to back away from my time in the studio.
But being alone again after Gage left, I felt as if my art was the only release I had.
I brought over my sketchbook and placed in on the table before focusing on the canvases. As much as I enjoyed spending my time making live art, I also enjoyed taking my own time and drawing from imagination.
I stared at the blank canvas in front of me, a mixture of different paints and equipment surrounding me.
"Knock, knock." I jumped at the sound of a voice echoing through the studio, the wet paintbrush in my hand falling and splattered around black paint on the ground.
I ignored the paint and my head shot up to the sound of the voice-- my eyes widening at the person that laid on the edge of the door frame, their arms crossed over their chest as a toothy smile was plastered over their face.
"Gage?" I spoke, staring that the man in front of me.
The man that disappeared only days ago, leaving me with his drunken brother-- with my drunken lover.
"How's it going V?"
I narrowed my eyes towards him, marching over to him as his smile only widened. I stood in front of him with many emotions running through my mind, I wanted to punch him for leaving me, I wanted to slap him for lying when he said he'd always be there for me.
However, I chose to hug him tight but in all honesty-- I missed him.
Gage froze as my arms wrapped around his waist, my head laying on his chest. I couldn't help but feel flustered and I was glad he couldn't see my face. I had never been in this close to him-- ever.
Quickly, Gage shook from his frozen state and wrapped his arms around my body, his head leaning on the top of my head, his breathing sending a breeze through my hair as he let out a light chuckle.
"I didn't know you missed me that much." He spoke up, his hands squeezing at my shoulders as he nuzzled his nose into my hair.
I pulled away from him quickly, narrowing my eyes at him. "You lied," I muttered at him, giving him a push that didn't move him one bit. "You said you would be with me always," I sent another push harder which once again didn't move him.
"But you lied to me," Another push, no stumble. "You left me." I pushed him again however this time, his body jerked slightly behind.
I looked up at Gage to see an apologetic look on his face; "I'm sorry Veronica." I scoffed at him, turning and walking back to the blank canvas.
I've heard enough apologies to feed me for a lifetime.
"Veronica please, you have to understand that the reason I left was not because of you or the promise I made," He paused as I spoke in front of my canvas, my face facing him as he spoke and I noticed him walking closer to me as he spoke.
"Why did you leave?" I asked, bending down the wipe the black paint from the floor with a wet wipe and placing the paintbrush in a cup of water.
Standing back up, I realised how close Gage and I happened to be, my eyes scanning every feature of his face.
I wasn't blind to see that Gage was indeed a beautiful person, I just hadn't fully let it sink in my mind. He was a very beautiful person.
Gage cleared his throat, causing my eyes to avert to his. His jaw was clenched as he scanned me, was I staring?
"I needed to leave so I had realise some things." Was his ever so vague answer? Realise things? What things?
"And have you realised?" I raised an eyebrow at him, watching as Gage stepped closer to me slightly. His movements shocked me, but I made no movement to show it because not only did it shock me but it also intrigued me.
"Not just yet." He spoke ever so quietly, but I heard. We were inches away now I felt a slight flash of deja vu from when the last time we were in this position.
Before I can say something else, I noticed that Gage's face was coming closer and closer to mine, his sights purely on my face as he leaned closer. I didn't move nor did I stop him from moving-- I couldn't find myself to do it.
My mind went blank when Gage came closer. Our noses were touching and I could feel his breathe on my face as he continued to inch further to me.
Was he about to kiss me? Was I going to allow it?
"Let me draw you," I spoke, finally moving back and away from Gage.
I couldn't allow it, what was even going through my mind? I was with Aaron, and despite our differences at the moment, I wasn't going to stoop so low as to lock lips with his sibling.
"Uh, what?" Gage coughed, clearing his throat as he took multiple steps back. It was clear he was regretting the moment we had.
Why was I sad about it though? I was the one to pull away.
"Let me draw you," I replied, grabbing my sketchbook from the table and a pencil before sitting down on the couch.
"What, like one of your french girls?" He smirked, sitting on the opposite side of the couch, leaning his back on the arm of the couch with his body facing me.
"I'd rather you stay clothed, sorry to burst your bubble."
"Damn." He joked, slapping his knee. "So what do I do? Pout for a couple of hours, I good at that." He then proceeded to pout in the air, his hand placed under his chin. I assume he was under the impression he looked like he was thinking of a master plan however he truly looked like he had some troublesome constipation.
I laughed, opening up my sketchbook. "God no," I laughed again when I looked back at Gage, his face getting funnier every second. "Just talk to me." Gage dropped his pose, leaning relaxed on the couch as he looked over at me.
"What's your middle name?"
"That is of interest, because?" I asked, sketching away. I regularly looked back up at Gage, analyzing his features. His jawline, the direction of his nose, how bulbous and narrow it was, the size of his ears, the size of his eyes, the slightly slit in his left eyebrow. I focused on every single detail of his face.
I wasn't complaining with the amount of staring I was doing. His face wasn't hard on the eyes one bit.
"Can't I get to know you?"
"What's your middle name?" I asked him instead, glancing up from my sketchbook for a moment to see him roll his eyes.
"It's Arthur." I didn't look back up at Gage as I listened, sketching his hair.
"Ann."
"What?"
"My middle name, it's Ann." I stopped sketching for a moment, focusing on the pencil in my hand as I refused to look up at Gage. "After my mother."
"You don't talk about your family much." He was right, I didn't.
I shrugged, continuing to shade on the sketch paper. "Not exactly something I get into much."
"How much?"
I sighed lightly, glancing up at Gage to see him looking straight at me with his brows furrowed and his eyes narrowed in curiosity.
Too bad curiosity killed the cat.
"Done." His head tilted at my words, raising an eyebrow at me in confusion. "The sketch, I'm done."
"Oh," The confused look that was once on his face vanished, instead a smile had widened on his face showing off the dimples on his cheeks. Dimples I hadn't noticed before until now. "Let me see then, V."
I shook my head. "I'm not sure, it's not very good. I rushed." I held the sketchbook close to my chest. I didn't know why I didn't want him to look, I drew him so he could see so why was I all of a sudden nervous about his reaction?
"Oh come on V, I'm sure it's great." Gently, he pulled the sketchbook out of my hands and turned it so he could look at the sketch I had made of him. I huffed, looking away from him, and instead focused on the back of the blank canvas in the middle of the room.
"Veronica," Gage began but I cut him off.
"I know it isn't that great, but at least I tried right." I forced a laugh, turning back at him with a small smile.
Gage looked at me like I had three heads. "V, this is amazing." He placed the sketchbook facing upwards.
I felt a fat smile on my face, Gage's compliment making me feel giddy all around.
Aaron never complimented my art before.