“And then we kissed?” Landon says softly, prompting me to continue.
I sigh. “Yeah, and then you kissed. It was…beautiful. The sky at dusk. Just pinks melting into blue and the hint of sunlight.” I shake my head. “But it was also green. Ugly. Not the kiss. The colors.”
Fuck, I want to be kissed like that. But I lied.
I can. I can right now.
It’s too late now. I’ve missed my chance. And that’s probably for the best.
“Why green?” Landon asks quietly.
I almost laugh. “You know that adage, green with envy? There’s a reason for it.”
Silence falls over us. I can’t bear to even look at either of them, and my throat goes tight.
“Why do you think your love painting felt wrong?” Ben asks after a few minutes.
Fuck. I close my eyes. “Because I was thinking of Lincoln when I painted it.”
“Already hate Lincoln,” Ben says, and for some reason I burst into laughter.
“Me too. Fuck Lincoln,” Landon says.
“Oh?” I glance between the two of them. The paint drying on my skin is starting to get itchy, but I’m not sure I’m ready to get up and wash it away.
Landon nods solemnly. “Yeah, anyone who made Parker’s love feel like pain goes right on the shit list.”
I raise an eyebrow. “You have a shit list? I can’t see it. You’re so… kind. I can’t see you being mad at anyone.”
Something dark flashes in his eyes. “Oh, I could be plenty mad at anyone who hurts you.”
“So, who else is on your shit list?” I ask, smirking, thankful for the levity and the shift away from my colors.
“Lisa Cole. She stole a rock from me in third grade. Miles Roberts. Little asshole rear-ended me in high school and totaled my car. And now Lincoln.”
I blink at him for a second, then Ben and I both start laughing.
“A very short shit list,” Ben says, still chuckling. “And she stole your rock? The car, I get, but arock?”
Landon narrows his eyes, looking entirely too adorable for words. “Yes. I worked really hard to find it. It was flat on top, and I wrote my initials on it. When I tried to tell the teacher she stole it from me and that I could prove it because it had my initials, Lisa said I was lying and that they wereherinitials.” Landon’s face turns pink. “And okay, sure, theywere,but that doesn’t matter.”
I grin. “You might be the most adorable human I’ve ever met in my life.”
Landon shakes his head. “No, I’m pretty sure that’s all you, Cotton Candy.”
Groaning, I bury my face in my hands. “Ben, I’m gonna kill you for that.”
“What if I call you lovebug instead?” Landon asks, and I can practicallyhearthe smile in his voice.
“What if I murdered you?”
Ben laughs. “What would the colors be then?”
My heart flips. Lincoln never wanted to talk about my art with me. Hell, he’s half the reason I keep it so hidden. When you’re shown time and time again that it’s not safe to bare your soul, you eventually stop doing it.
I pull my hands away from my face, then shoot him an unimpressed look. “Red, obviously.”
He nods. “Right, for anger.”
