He tosses Sienna the bottle, and I lean over to see that it’s a bottle of lube.
“Figured you could use it since you haven’t gotten laid in a while,” Thane baits, leaning back with a smug grin.
“You’re one to talk,” Kole quickly fires back. “I can’t even remember the last time you had someone over.”
“Why do you think Sophia’s coming to visit?” Thane says, the two of them seeming to not even care that Sienna and I are sitting right here, listening to the whole thing. In fact, hearing that he plans on sleeping with her is making my stomach knot to the point I feel like I’m going to be sick.
I get up and sprint to the bathroom, making it to the toilet just in time to throw up my breakfast. If this is some consequence of the mark, I’m going to be really pissed.
When I open the bathroom door, Thane is standing on the other side.
“What’s wrong?”
He reaches for my face, but I swat his hand away, shoving past him.
“Nothing.”
“It’s not nothing,” he says, appearing in front of me.
“I’m just not feeling good, okay?”
He takes a step back, looking me over like he’s not sure if he believes me, but I just huff out an irritated breath and step around him.
“You good?” Sienna asks when I sit back down beside her.
“Yeah, I’m fine. What’s next?” I ask in an attempt to breeze past the fact that I just ran to throw up after Thane alluded to having sex-plans with Sophia.
“Cookie decorating!” She jumps up, offering me her hands.
By the time Sienna leaves, I’m more than ready for bed. We spent all day playing games and doing all the fun holiday activities she could think of, and I even got to test out my new bow and arrows on the target board. It was the best Christmas I’ve ever had, maybe even the best day I’ve ever had, and it’s all thanks to her.
I slowly make my way up the stairs, the exhaustion of the day finally setting in. Before I even make a move to shower, I plop down on the bed, replaying it all back with a smile on my face. For so long, I’ve been in survival mode. Living day by day, just trying not to die, but everything is different now, and today was the first day I’ve truly allowed myself to bask in this new life of mine. Of course, I still have my reservations about it all, but for one day, I was able to forget about all of the bad… at least for the most part.
As I relive the day in my head, I get a small spurt of motivation and force myself to sit up, only when I do, I see a giantpainting sitting up against the wall next to my door. I sprint over to it, dropping to my knees. Every single detail is painted to perfection, right down to the exact shades of my eyes and the small scar on my shoulder. I pull the portrait closer, so I can get a better look and notice an envelope lying on the ground.
Grey,
This painting is your real present. I hope you like it.
Merry Christmas,
Thane
I continue to stare at the painting, running my eyes over every inch of it, completely in awe. It’s like he’s memorized every one of my features. Even someone painting me while looking directly at me would miss some of the details that he’s managed to capture from memory. My heart beats more wildly every second I look at it. My whole life, I’ve felt invisible, but this… it’s like someone finally sees me.
“Grey, can I come in?”
My heart nearly bolts from my chest when Kole knocks on my door, snapping me out of my thoughts. I quickly shove the letter back in the envelope and lean the painting up against the wall before opening my door.
Kole is standing with his hands behind his back and a playful smile pulling at his lips.
“Why do you look like you’re about to annoy me?” I ask, turning around to go sit on my bed.
“Annoy you? I came to give you your other present, but I guess if you don’t want it…”
“Wait, what present?”
He saunters over with an air of cockiness and sits down next to me, handing over a terribly wrapped box.
