Attraction

58.

"Are you nervous?"

"A little bit." A light chuckle leaves my lips as Paul follows behind me in the art studio. My hands reach for the light switch causing the room to illuminate.
Paul follows me until we reach my dry finished canvas that's covered with a sheet.

"Well, aren't you going to show it to me?" He asks me with a crooked smile. My heart beat picks up it's pace as I return a shy smile.

"Yes... I was just waiting."

"For it to be perfect?" He smirks teasingly. I roll my eyes at him and shake my head.

"I've been working on this for months and you're the first person who's seeing it." I respond quietly, Paul's warm eyes peer into mine tenderly.

"So let's see it." He responds and crosses his arms over his chest.

My hands grab the thin white sheet as I carefully remove it from being draped over the large canvas. As I reveal my painting, I look over to see Paul who's lips are now slightly parted. He stares at the painting with adoration filled in his eyes before looking at me. While my heart pounds roughly in my chest, I feel a small smile beginning to peer onto my lips. He's speechless, I didn't know my work would do that to him. The portrait of the familiar wolf's face that I remember so well, those warm and friendly eyes, the tender face he would give me as we would look at one another— All painted on a canvas. It was him.

"Is—Is that me?" His voice is but a hushed whisper, our eyes meet as I nod my head softly. "You painted—me?" Paul breathes out softly.

"You were my inspiration." I respond to him as I feel my cheeks beginning to warm up as the seconds go by. He turns to face me as a charming smile begins to form on his lips, our eyes connecting yet again.

"No one has ever painted me before."

"Is that a bad thing, or a good thing?" My voice remains soft. Paul gently takes my hand as he places it in his own, the warmth of his skin making me feel so serene. His eyes gaze down lovingly into my own as I look up at him.

"A good thing. I love it. It's perfect."
His eyes glance down toward my lips for a moment before he brings them back up to meet my gaze.
I want to tell him I love him, I want to kiss him, I want him to kiss me. But I don't know what we are, not yet anyway.
After so long it feels like we've been pushing one another away for different unknown reasons. But that doesn't matter to me now because Paul continues to make me so happy, he brings out a side to me that I want to keep close. Even after all of the fights, the nights of laying in bed crying, or the anger that came with Paul suddenly breaking off our relationship, I can say that I still love him.
I cover up the painting back up with the sheet as Paul follows me to turn off the light switch in the art studio. We walk in a comfortable silence as we go toward the door.

"Willow." Paul's voice fills my ears, I turn around to face him but it's hard to see his face given how dark it is in here.

"Yes?" My voice sounds uncertain and soft in this moment.

Paul doesn't say anything, but I can feel him as his hands entangle with my own. The warmth of his skin gently pressing against my body as my back is pressed against a wall. I can smell is invigorating scent, I've missed it so much.
As I bring my head up to look in his direction, I feel his hand come underneath my chin holding my gazing face. His cool breath against my lips sends my heart into palpitations as my chest rises and falls at a rapid pace. I can feel his lips gently graze my own as I close my eyes and try to savor every second of this feeling. He hesitates for a moment before pressing his lips against my own as he brings his hand up to cup my cheek.
While our lips begin to feel one another, I can't believe how fast my heart is still pounding. Maybe it's because Paul and I haven't kissed in so long, maybe it's because this feels so perfect, or maybe I've just missed him that badly. Our lips soon part as I get my breathing under control, Paul let's his hand go back at his side as I move from being pressed against the wall.