Painted Memories (20 page)

“It's so beautiful,” I whispered, as if my voice would tarnish its beauty. Drew walked around me and stood between the tree and me, peering up into the branches. “I'm going to have a backyard like this someday.”

“Oh? Is that right?” He grinned, leaning his back against the trunk of the tree.

“Yeah, I am. My dream house has always looked similar to this in my mind, minus all the ponds. I'll find an old house, one with big trees and create my own private haven. You know a fixer-upper kind of place?”

“I know the type. And who's going to do all the work? Those projects take time.”

“Hey,” I said with my hand on my hip. “I might be a girl, but I'm sure not scared to learn
or
get my hands dirty.”

He laughed and pulled me against him. “Maybe you should start taking applications now, you know, to make sure you find the right person to make all of that happen.”

“Maybe I should.”

“I hear it's hard to find a good man these days,” he said, holding my waist between his hands. I watched his lips as he spoke and felt a sudden rush flow through me.

“Yes, and someone who is skilled and good with their hands would be a must.” The trickling of the small waterfall seemed to drown out the mumbled conversation around us and I could only hear
his
voice when he spoke to me. Our conversation seemed to go from playful banter to something more.

“In that case, you'd better keep your eyes open. I'd hate for you to miss what was right in front of you.” Suddenly, his eyes looked past me for an instant before his grip tightened against my sides and he pulled me closer, kissing me deeply. Drew's tongue forced its way into my mouth with such
haste, I didn't have time to catch my breath before it happened. It was fast and rushed and not what I expected from him. Was he trying to
show
me what I'd be missing? Why like this? Honestly, all he had to do was ask, and I would have told him. I was falling in love with him. I didn't know what he'd think about it if he knew, especially since we hadn't been together that long.

I pushed him away and stared at him like he'd lost his mind. Never had he kissed me like that, and I sure as hell didn't find it attractive. “What the hell was that?” His eyes looked past me and over my shoulder as a sly grin spread across his mouth. I looked over my
shoulder to see what suddenly captured his interest and my eyes widened in shock. Tyler sat two tables away from us with another woman. From the squinted, ugly look he gave me, I'd say he was slightly aggravated to see me with Drew.

“Drew!” I snapped.

His eyes returned to mine in an instant. “Yes?” he said.

“Do not ever do that to me again. I will not allow you to use me to prove a point.”

“I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that.”

I glanced back at Tyler and smiled, letting the grin linger on my lips. A part of me understood Drew's frustration. I couldn't really blame him for wanting to show Tyler that he'd won my heart.  I stepped closer to Drew and slid my hands up his chest until my fingers found the collar of his shirt. “Now I'm going to pretend that didn't happen and break my own rule. Is he still watching us?”

Drew’s gaze flickered over my shoulder and he nodded once with a smirk. “Great. Now kiss me again. This time, show him you really mean it.” I leaned in even closer, my lips inches from his and peered into his eyes. “Show
me
that you really mean it.”

Streetlights whipped by as I sat in the passenger's seat. For a short time, I tried to figure out where Drew was taking me, but when he refused to say a word, I eventually gave up my interrogation. Not that it mattered. I was still high on Cloud Nine from everything that happened, especially the kiss we shared after dinner. For a kiss that was only supposed to piss off Tyler, it ended with Drew and
I gasping and breathless, while more than one pair of eyes stared at us.

Drew spoke first, asking if I thought the kiss did the trick. If he was referring to what I said before the kiss: 
Show me you really mean it.
Then yes, definitely.
In that moment, Tyler was long forgotten. Drew wove his fingers through my hair, cradling the back of my neck in his hand before kissing me, so passionately and intimately that every part of me felt on fire. It was incredible. My attention focused back on my surroundings when I heard the car door shut. Drew walked around the front of the car towards my side and opened my door, extending his hand to mine. I took it and slipped out of the seat, noticing he unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt, exposing some skin. I couldn't resist, and ran the tips of my fingers over his collarbone. The streetlight behind me illuminated his face, and his eyes glowed like emeralds as they stared back at me. I felt giddy around him, exhilarated, and intoxicated by his presence. I wasn't sure it was possible to ever have enough of him. Gazing into his eyes, I couldn't help thinking how much of me had changed in only a couple of short months. I finally felt like life was looking up. Now I was able to have other things on my mind besides the constant reminder of the death I caused years ago. Was it acceptable? Could I be happy?  In a way, I felt I didn't have the right to be happy. Conditioned by my father, I suppose. And now that I thought about it, all of it could come crashing down, once Drew learned the truth. I had no idea what Drew would think about me after he found out.

“Lilly? You okay?” Drew asked as he brushed his thumb over my cheek.

“Of course.” I smiled. “You've given me a lot to think about today.”

“Oh, no.
I hope everything with my dad didn't ruin anything.”

“No.
Definitely not. I really liked him.” He still looked unconvinced. “It's been an amazing night. Probably the best night I've had in like... ever. Thank you.”

“No thanks necessary, I'm the lucky one.”

“So why are we standing outside your studio? Are you going to finally let me inside?”

“Yes!” he said excitedly. “I can't believe I've held out this long. I wanted you to be the first to see it when I finished, but Phillip stopped by unexpectedly the other day. Shall we go in?”

“You don't have to ask me twice,” I said over my shoulder as I slipped between him and the car.

When he turned on the lights overhead, I was transported into a completely different building. Nothing looked the same. I immediately noticed what used to be a concrete floor was now hardwood. The light oak color opened up the room, making it appear twice its original size. The walls were repainted a greyish blue; and his paintings hung all over in different heights, drawing my eyes to wander over the wall’s surface. His work was displayed beautifully, and I was blown away at how fantastic it looked.

“Wow, Drew. I can't believe you did all of this so fast. It's amazing. I absolutely love it.”

“Thanks. Yeah, I can't believe I was able to find the contractors to do all of it so soon either. I was fortunate everything worked out. I did save a little on the paint though. I was able to get more cans of the stuff the former tenant left here. It really worked, imbuing the room with a somber mood.”

“Yes, it really does,” I agreed. I turned in a small circle until my eyes landed on the piano in the far corner by the window. My body gravitated towards it, as if on its own, and I looked at Drew in surprise. “You kept this? Why?”

He followed behind me. “You can't throw away a piano, you know. It's too beautiful for that; plus, I knew you loved it. I can't pass up the opportunity of having you play me another song on it someday.”

Pulling out the new bench, I pushed the fall up and revealed the black and white keys. I played something of my own creation and was shocked to hear the crisp, clear notes in perfect pitch. “You had this tuned too?”

“Come on, Lilly, you know me better than that.” he said, sitting down beside me with a sly grin on his face.

“Yeah, but you could have easily gotten a couple thousand dollars for this instead of putting more money into it. You don't even play the piano.”

“I couldn't get rid of it, knowing you love it, and seeing as it won't fit through the door of your apartment, I decided to keep it here. Can't I do something nice for you?” Drew pushed my curly hair behind my shoulder and lightly caressed my shoulder. “I know you haven't been happy for a long time and I thought this could help with that. I love...” He paused a moment and pressed a key on the keyboard. “I just love to see you smile. Is that too much to ask?”

“No, it's not. Thank you. It really means a lot. And you're right, I haven't been happy for a while. I know I’m pretty good at pretending I have it all together, and that everything is great, but some days, it's a real challenge. I think I've gotten better as the years went by, but it's still there. And after the way my father's been through it all, it's hard to think about anything else. That is until I fell in the pond.”

“Oh, I see. It took a near drowning to change your perspective? And here I thought this whole time, it was me who made the difference,” he joked.

“Well, maybe a little. I have heard that painting can be very therapeutic.”

He arched his brow.
“Painting or dating a painter?”

“Maybe both.... more so the dating than the painting though.” I smiled. Drew leaned in closer as he talked to me. I wanted him to kiss me, but I knew if he did, there'd be no more conversation. Not with the looks he'd been giving me all night. I wanted to keep the conversation going before getting caught up in the moment... for now. So I looked toward the far wall at his paintings. “So, which one of these are you offering at the charity event? It must be a hard decision, they're all great.”

“I've been working on a few things, but I'm not sure. I told Phillip to come over sometime this coming week to pick out something. I have a lot in the back that I haven't hung up yet. Either way, he's got an eye for that sort of thing, so I'm sure he'll find something appropriate.”

“I think anyone would be thrilled to own any of these. Really, Drew, you need to give yourself more credit.”

“Yeah, well, I don't brag much when it comes to my art. And I can pick apart any one of them and say it needs more of this or more of that. Phillip thinks I'm a bit anal about it actually. It used to drive him nuts in class.”

“I would have never figured you were a perfectionist. You seem so carefree about most everything. Is Phillip pulling his hair out to pull this event together?”

“Nah, not with this project. He has me helping him invite the right people, the ones who give the big donations, and making sure we get items that generate the big bucks. You know: signed baseballs, basketballs, autographed pictures, exclusive dinner dates. That sort of thing.”

“Oh wow, how many famous people
do
you know?”

Drew shook his head with a laugh. “I know people who know people. Perks of the job, I suppose.”

“That is so cool. Hmm... How many famous people will I get to meet at the charity event? I'm even more excited now,” I teased. “When is it? You still haven't told me.”

“Oh yeah, about that.”
He looked down and lightly brushed his fingers over the ivory keys, light enough as to not make a sound. “It's next Friday.”

“Friday!
  Drew why would you—”

“I know, I know. I didn't even think about it until the actual date hit me. I'm sorry. I understand if you don't want to go.”

I pulled the fall back over the keyboard and looked at him like he was crazy. “What? Why wouldn't I want to go? I would have appreciated you letting me know sooner, but I still want to come. Do you know how long it takes a woman to pick out a dress?”

“Oh, well I thought with the anniversary of your brother's death being that day, and the ritual you were telling me about, you might not want to go.”

I gasped. I nearly forgot. How was that even possible?

It wasn't.

Dad never failed to remind me, which made it impossible to forget. I felt my eyes getting watery, knowing I had almost forgotten Jesse like that. Rather than mourning his death, I always tried to stay positive and do something to honor him. Through the first year after he died, I spent alot of time with the therapist. It was her idea to honor him instead of mourning. It was a way to get me out of the deep depression I had fallen into. From that year on, I did what she suggested on every anniversary of his death. I cooked chocolate cupcakes, his favorite, and watched his favorite movie,
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
.  It was silly and not much, but it was my own little way and it made me feel like he was right there with me.

Drew stood up and repositioned himself with his back against the keyboard. He pulled my hand into his lap, forcing me to abandon my thoughts. His fingers skimmed over my arm and he squinted slightly, making wrinkles appear across his forehead. It was a look I'd come to recognize on him whenever we spoke about Jesse or my dad. He was worried, and I didn't want to bring him down too, especially after the positive night we were having.

“It's okay,” he soothed. “I completely understand. I'm sure there will be other charity events. Phillip seems to love doing this one, so I know it won't be the last.”

I shook my head. “No. I want to go. This is important to you and I want to be there.”