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She’s laughing harder now, and it’s beautiful Ty and Cass are lost in their oorld, cuddling on Cass’s bed I take a risk, and lean in, kissing her quickly on her cheek Her laughter stops io wide "Don’t, Nate," she says, her sone now Well, shit
"Sorry You’re really pretty when you laugh, and a hing You should bekissed by waiters at restaurants, professors, frat guys No, wait No frat guys Just ugly waiters and old professors"
She’s s a wall up Phew
"Do you want to read why I like the ‘pretty’ painting?" she says, quoting the word pretty just to mock me I love that she does it I suck in my bottom lip and study her, just like she did toher notebook over, and scooting down to lay my head on her pillow Her breath stops when I settle in, but eventually shewithto touch her But , so I’m content to al, by Johannes Verht! I re" I sound so uneducated My mom’s an artist--which, you’d think would make me more attuned to art, but instead, I just blocked it out It just wasn’t inOur dad runs an accounting firm, and I take after him, so the creative side of ht to see her lying next to , and I have to take a deep breath to rerin, and then she nestles in closely, her chin on my shoulder while she watches my eyes follow the lines on her paper I feel every tiny breath she takes, and tiirl more in my life
I know she feels my chest puff with air when I have to take a deep breath just to calive me space But now that I knohat that feels like, I’ain
"You’re not reading Is it that bad?" she asks
"No I uh You were I’ainstNot literally, but I identify with her It is the only painting that stopped me completely, and I know it’s because when I look into her eyes, I see ry, but she’s bound by duty Every part of her body is cloaked, at least from what you see Her head is covered, and her bodice as well But she bothers to put on this one pearl earring, sort of a rebellion to the path she’s on, al to be saved And her eyes are looking right atme to save her And her mouth is barely open, about to tell h tiirl and I--at this juncture I have to decide if I want to break her free And she has to decide if she wants to let e, we do the sa at me I may not know art, but I’m pretty sure there’s a reason Rowe made me read this I’m just not sure if she wantsme--if I pursue her, I’ll be stuck in a circle that never ends
"It’s good," I say, pullingfro her book and reaching for the notebook, her fingers staying clear of mine this time
"Yeah, I mean, it’s probably like a B You didn’t really talk about the pretty colors and choice of oil versus acrylic, but it’s all right," I tease, and she purses her lips, fighting against her s me in the chest with her notebook
"I can live with a B I’ her folder and book into her backpack I notice she’s putting physical distance between us, and it makes me uneasy
"So,us to the football ga Maybe…you wanna come?" I ask her when her back is tomess