It was true, then. I was a masochist.
My eyes flew open at the sound of her mumbling in her sleep and shifting.
This is Lily, I reminded myself sharply. Lovely, kind, smart, funny Lily who was the only person I felt truly myself around.
Something as animal and basic as physical attraction was not going to drive a wedge between us.
I needed her too damn much.
No, I still didn’t understand why I’d attached myself to her like a fucking barnacle, but it was what it was, and I wouldn’t ruin our friendship.
Even if the urge to nuzzle my face in her neck and cuddle her was almost as strong as the urge to bury my body inside hers. God, I hoped this want for her dimmed over time. It would get damned exhausting denying it.
Not wanting Lily to wake only to find me with the hard-on I was currently sporting, I drew off the duvet on my side and then tried to ninja my way over her. My breath caught as I hovered over her for a second. Cursing inwardly, I practically jumped off the bed and hurried from the room.
As soon as I was behind the bathroom door, I sighed in relief.
Then looked down at my cock straining against my jeans.
Bloody Nora.
Thankfully, a few minutes of thinking about the Queen of England (who was literally my great-aunt) solved my situation. Lily was oblivious about my reaction to waking up next to her. She had a quick shower without washing her hair and while I waited, I started reading one of the romantasy novels on her shelves. The fae romance sucked me right in. When she came out, I asked if I could borrow it, and she smiled in delight and said yes. Then I washed up as best as I could. I had extra clothes at my studio, so I’d change there. We grabbed a quick bowl of cereal and left before Maddie woke.
I think Lily just didn’t want to answer any leading questions about my presence.
Before heading to my studio, I bought us a coffee from the shop across the street from Lily’s flat, discussing the book I’d already read the first few chapters of. Lily grew more animated as she declared the next three books were even better than the first.
We made our way around the corner onto Glengyle Terrace across from the Meadows.
“It’s strange to think I’ve been coming to this studio for two years and never bumped into you. I’m a little annoyed about it, to be honest.” I grinned before sipping my coffee.
Lily chuckled, rubbing sleepily at her makeup-free eyes. “Fate wanted our meeting to be a wee bit more dramatic, it seems.”
I eyed her. “You’re sure you want to come help? You could go back to bed. You’ve had hardly any sleep.”
“I want to,” she insisted. “I’m curious.”
Nodding, I led her halfway down the terrace before stopping at one of the townhouses.
“This is it?” Lily asked incredulously.
I led her up the steps. “This is it.” I opened the main door and led her upward to the top floor of the building.
“The truth is an art studio is considered commercial, so it’s more expensive to rent. I found a light-filled one bedroom flat for cheaper instead.” Turning the key in the lock, I strode into the kitchen slash living space. The bedroom and bathroom were off the kitchen.
Lily stepped inside, eyes wide as she sipped her coffee.
The large living area had a ton of natural light not only from the large bay window but from the large window by the kitchen too. The only piece of furniture was a leather sofa, worn but comfortable, easels of varying sizes, and my ladder for the larger pieces. Pots of paint and my painting tools laid scattered by the work I was in the middle of.
Lily stepped toward the painting. It was in the early stages so you could only just start to see the image of the bridges at South Queensferry appearing through the paint. “I can’t wait to see it finished,” she said, admiring it quietly.
Her genuine appreciation for my work made me feel better than the one hundred positive comments I’d gotten on last week’s Reel.
“The packing room is this way.”
Lily followed me into the bedroom that didn’t have a bed but was filled with boxes of prints and packing material.
Pulling out my phone, I ran through the orders with her, picking out the prints we needed to pack. I had an address label maker set up in the corner that I could use through my phone. We got into a rhythm of packing, while my ego grew to unimaginable sizes at Lily’s oohing and aahing over different paintings I’d created.
