TIANA
Blue...
Chartreuse...
The colors spread around the canvas and my head involuntarily tilted to the side trying to decipher just what the artist was attempting to exhibit in the zigzag like pattern they painted.
The sound of a deep chuckle caused me to snap my head to find Luis observing me.
"What?"
"It's fascinating to see you so engrossed in that painting."
"Don't get me wrong it's nice. But the one that really got me was at this shop that sells antiques and other items," I mumbled sauntering over to another painting that hung on the wall.
"I remember that place," he chuckled rubbing his chin," I was pissed at you."
I smiled at him taking note of the light that flashed across his face," I wasn't planning on ever apologizing."
"It's okay, your gratitude is more satisfying," he smirked as I rolled my eyes.
"If only I could turn back time."
"You don't mean that," he responded moving towards a particular painting that portrayed a dark, dilapidated house surrounded by a dense forest whose tall trees towered menacingly over it.
"Looks like you've found a piece that speaks to you," I remarked, unlike all the other paintings we saw, this one seemed to call out to him given the way he placed all of his focus onto it.
"The darkness surrounding it . . ." I glanced at his downturned lips realizing he was growing upset the longer he looked at it," kind of reminds me of my childhood." If I hadn't been paying so much attention to the concentration on his face, I probably would have missed the statement that came out in a whisper.
My eyes widened in surprise, I was convinced he was joking, but deep down I felt he wasn't and his neutral expression confirmed that," It couldn't have been that bad?"
He eyed me quietly for a few seconds to let me know he was by all means being serious." Like I said, I had a pretty shitty time growing up. The environment was far from ideal. Truth is I grew up surrounded by hate, was force fed things that no one ever should. . ."
"And now?"
"I've been doing everything in my power to bury that old life."
"But it made you who you are," I pointed out.
He turned and moved his eyes all over my face in deep thought it seemed, "It showed me what I shouldn't be," he brushed past me leaving me to decipher his words. And I followed quietly behind him, whilst gazing at the other paintings that sat on display in the art gallery
"What kind of painting were you looking at in that shop anyways?"
I grinned hard at the memory of that beautiful piece," You should have seen it. I've never had a taste for art but that painting was an exception. It was a waterfall surrounded by this vast green forest, whilst being slowly baked by the colours of a sunset. I felt like I was there, you know?" Even now I felt breathless just thinking about it, I could only wonder how dazed I looked.
"May be one day you'll be in a place like that," he murmured smiling small at me and I don't know why but when he said that it somehow made me at ease. Like a part of me just knew that it was true.
"May be one day you'll learn to face your past, instead of burying it."
He scoffed, "I doubt it, there's no need to face those demons."
"Not a healthy way to live, Luis," I sang lightly.
He closed the distance between us," And you would know?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked defensively narrowing my eyes on him.
"Do you want to be the kettle or the pot here, baby?"
I broke eye contact feeling the blush creep in on my mahogany cheeks at the endearment, I knew he was only joking but the feeling never dwindled. I cleared my throat and took a step backwards to give myself a second to put on my best poker face," Are you judging me now?"
"No, but I find it funny how you're quick to point out something you're doing yourself."
"It's not fair, you know?" I replied widening my posture to give him an accusatory look at the way he was making these judgements on my life. He raised a brow and I could only wonder what was swimming in his head.
"What's not fair?"
"You've been in my space, seen all that's to know about me without giving me much of a choice in whether I want you to."
"And yet I still want to know more about you."
"I don't even know anything about you," I pointed out, only to have my obvious frustration be met with him giving me a lop-sided grin.
"I didn't think you'd want to know anything about me, given how we started off."
"You've literally and," I stressed," figuratively pushed your way into my life. The human in me feels obliged to figure you out. I want to know whether your tendencies to disrupt stranger's lives has always been apart of you or you've only picked it up recently."
His shoulders shook as he laughed silently, although I secretly wanted to hear him snort again. He eventually realized that in my silence I was waiting to hear what his response would be.
"Okay," he sighed shaking his head," come on." He swiftly turned on his feet.
"Where?"
He halted his pursuit to the door, giving me a full view of that same smile," To the place that made me see past what the surface showed."
That statement had me intrigued, it wasn't the usual, straightforward answer most expected and at that point I realized that with Luis something unexpected was always bound to happen with him. I was never going to fully predict his moves or answers even if I wanted to.
***
"Is it bad I secretly hoped you'd take me to a graveyard," I taunted lightly as we stood in front of a moderate brick house. It was beautiful: with its vast structure I felt inclined to keep my eyes trained on the beauty languidly moving over the house. The garden worked well in enhancing the environment with flowers that seemed to have been dipped in a rainbow.
All in all, the home had a welcoming atmosphere. The whole drive had been quiet, I was mostly entranced by the scenery outside, intrigued at the landscape that I had never seen nor walked on.
When we stopped outside the house, I turned to him in confusion but he insisted, so here we were waiting patiently outside in the deep orange glow as the sun slowly laid to rest. I began bouncing on the balls of my feet after he rang the doorbell for a second time.
Like I said before, I never anticipated we'd be here in a quiet, serene environment and I certainly didn't anticipate the door to swing open and reveal the beaming face of a beautiful woman. I froze as her blue eyes widened in shock, she was a bit shorter than the average woman, armed with a petite frame. It's only upon further inspection of her face that I saw a bit of a resemblance between herself and Luis.
"Well isn't this a surprise," she chuckled enveloping Luis in a hug, it was comical seeing the way he bent down to hug her and as they separated she quickly smacked his cheek catching us both off guard.
It was official, I liked her.
I quickly covered my mouth holding back the laugh ready to break loose from its chain to erupt inside me as he groaned lightly.
"Aunt Jeane," he whined rubbing his cheek as she frowned at him.
"Don't even bother whining at me. You've been back home for weeks and yet it's only NOW you come to see me. Don't!" she raised her hand interrupting his fumbling explanation," don't even bother giving me that bullshit of you being busy with work. Your sister manages to come by more than you and she's got a demanding job so you better come up with a better exc-" she stopped mid-rant once her eyes landed on me.
If I wasn't dying to laugh so hard I would have seen her arms wrapping themselves around my body. I tensed up at the unforeseen gesture. Luis watched on and although his cheek was still tainted in pink, he had stopped rubbing it to watch on with amusement at the way I slowly put my arms around her.
She let me go wearing a smile that was oddly contagious, I couldn't help but reciprocate. Although it took me time to grow warm towards new people, something about this woman made me composed if not breathe easily than I would with most strangers.
"I'm still pissed about you not visiting as much, but since you've brought a girl home, I'll forgive you," she glared at Luis who raised his arms in surrender at the heated look whilst I found my mouth gaping at her remark.
"W-We aren't together," I stated quickly feeling flustered. The last thing I'd want was for her to get things twisted.
There was nothing, absolutely nothing going on between us.
She frowned slightly at what I said and briefly glanced towards Luis who seemed too quiet for my liking. I could tell she was unconvinced when I heard her mumble lowly under her breath," It'll only be a matter of time."
I'm sure she thought I hadn't heard her, but I had heard her, loud and clear.
"This is Tiana," he came and stood by my side, I gave a little wave as she continued to look between us quietly wearing a grin." And this firecracker," he joked lightly making her roll her eyes," is my Aunt Jeane."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."
"Please, just call me Aunt Jeane. All that ma'am shit is the last thing I need to remind me of my age," she chuckled, ushering us in to be washed over by a pleasant smell radiating off of the faces of the walls marked with pictures that told stories all on their own.
"Welcome to the place that makes me tick," he whispered leaving me to bite the inside of my cheeks to hide the smile I wanted to reveal as I stepped further into the house, whilst unknowingly stepping deeper into his world.