Keomi wasn't in our room, and I didn't expect her to be. She texted me earlier saying that she was hanging out at the mall with Geneviève tonight. I sighed in exhaustion and threw my satchel on my bed, then proceeded to throw myself onto it as well. I closed my eyes and wanted nothing but to rest for the rest of the night but then I felt something crumple beneath my head. I reached under my pillow and pulled out a note that read;
Armani,
Meet me in the art room, I think I’m ready to talk.
-RK
My heart fluttered at the sight of River's undeniably beautiful and feminine presenting handwriting. For some reason every time I agreed to meet with him, I always came back in tears and confused. Not this time, this time if he let me down or pushed me away again, I think I'd simply take Fabian’s advice and leave him alone. No matter how painful and hard that would be, I would put myself first.
I made sure to text Keomi before I left, so she knew where I was. Mama told me that as a woman living in such a dark world, it's important to always let your friends know where you're going.
ME: Going to meet River, I'll be back in a few x
KEOMI: Oooh, a booty call? Use protection, please.
ME: OMG Keomi It's not like that??
KEOMI: My bottom drawer under the box of tissues ;)
ME: NO THANKS!!!
I laughed at Keomi's assumption, I couldn't possibly imagine such a thing, River barely wants to talk to me let alone let me in his bed. A small part of me wondered what that would be like though, to taste him again and have him taste me, to be tangled in his sheets, hot and sweaty and have it all be like the movies. It is important for me to confess that everything that I knew about love, romance and sex came from film and literature. I had never been in a relationship with, let alone felt a connection to someone as strong as the one I felt with River. But I knew better than to let my thoughts wander too far, I had to keep my newly awakened desire on a leash.
I grabbed my purse and made my way out of my dorm yet again. We weren't allowed into the school building after dark, but ever since I'd come here I didn't seem to follow many rules. I didn't know who I was when I was with him, all I knew was that he was the only one who'd ever unlocked this hidden, secret part of my heart.
I wandered the halls of St Kathrine’s, moonlight shining through the tall stained-glass windows and nothing but the eerie sound of the hallowing wind and my footsteps to ease the silence. I climbed the staircase to the abandoned art room, which had a faint glow of candlelight shining from it. I turned the corner and pushed the door open and I nearly dropped my purse at the sight in front of me.
There were candles everywhere; on the tables and on the floor. There were two stools, one facing a blank canvas with its back turned to the other placed in front of it. Pots of paint of all different colours and brushes splayed on the floor and there at the center of the scene was the most beautiful thing of all, River.
He wore only a pair of plain black sweatpants and he looked awfully casual for the first time. His hair was messy and slept on and his eyes were restless yet still bewitching. He gestured to the higher stool for me to sit down, and I did just that, letting my purse fall to the floor.
"Your shirt," River spoke, softly, once again in a tone I didn't recognize, gentle, "take it off."
He must’ve been out of his mind if he thought I'd simply take off my clothes for him with no objection. Did he respect me so very little that he thought I'd do so? I was trying my best not to yell at him and display the full extent of his insult.
"No River, I'm not taking off my clothes at your mere request, are you drunk or something?" I refused crossing my arms,
“I don’t drink, remember?” He reminded me,
“High?” I added narrowing my eyes in scrutiny,
“Seriously?” He sighed, his blue eyes glimmering in the faint candlelight, “I actually listened to the peer pressure seminars they gave in lycée.”
“Doesn’t matter!” I burst out, but his next gesture shocked me.
He stepped closer towards me, his eyes luring me in like a moth to a flame, my mouth suddenly went dry so I swallowed hard. River never broke eye contact when he knelt before me, his Cupid’s bow was prominent and sat like a crown above his rose-tinted lips. His jawline was sharper than scalpel blades and I dared not touch it in genuine fear that it might cut me. I could tell from the look in his eye that he was doing this deliberately, to show that he was disarming himself before me, to show that he was breaking down his glass castle. His shoulders were at arm's length with my hips, he didn't seem so guarded anymore, he was simply just a boy.
"I just want to paint you." He declared and I was taken aback, “S’il vous plaît.”please.
"What about me is so inspiring that I am worthy of your muse?" I challenged slightly sarcastically, he looked down and smiled,
"Tout..."everythingHe stated as though I were mad not to see it,
I thought about it for a second and I realized that there wasn't a single part of me that was reluctant to his offer, Iwantedthis, and I wanted to be River Kennedy's muse. I couldn't bring myself to say it aloud so I simply nodded.
"I need tohearyou say yes." River insisted, hiking his delicate fingers up the backs of my legs.
"Yes, I want you to paint me." I agreed.
