Neptune

Chapter 35 | The Girl

L U K E

Seven years ago

My eyes were still locked on her when she stopped twirling, looking at me with confusion crossing her expression.

"So, you're not going to swim?" she asked with a cute pout on her face. "Fine, then. I'll just go." With that said, she turned on her heels, swaying as she walked off.

Weird girl. But then again, she wasn't sober, so I couldn't blame her.

I rolled my eyes, throwing my gaze back to the lake even though my mind wasn't there anymore. I snapped my head back toward the girl, who was walking slowly, the sound of her hiccups fading out.

Right. I didn't have to think about how she was going to walk alone to God knows where in her current drunken state in the middle of the night.

I could care less about her. She might indeed be crazy even if she were sober. I mean, why would a young girl walk alone unconsciously in a random country during a freezing night like this?

Judging by her accent when she'd spoken before, she was an American.

I looked away again. A few seconds of silence filled my mind before I cursed under my breath.

Shit.

I rushed to follow her. Such trouble. Did she think that she could just walk away while still disturbing my mind like this?

Such a stupid girl might only invite stupid men to do stupid things to her.

Just as I expected, a few steps ahead, two guys who were walking down the street holding beers spotted her and looked at each other with a knowing look.

They followed her, and my jaw tightened as I quickened my pace. Before they could step farther to get close to her, I threw them a menacing glare that made them abruptly stop in their tracks.

They backed off, and only after they turned on their heels did I turn to the girl again. She hummed, swaying as she walked farther, having no idea what was happening around her.

Quietly, I resumed my steps to follow her.

She walked until she stopped in front of a building. I looked up to find what seemed to be a cheap motel. She got inside, and I pushed through the door too, still following her.

The owner of the motel stared at me with suspicion, while my eyes followed the girl until she reached her room on the ground floor. She opened it, and once I heard her lock the door, I sighed in relief.

Ignoring the stare from the motel owner who might have been thinking that I was some kind of creepy stalker, I walked off.

While I was heading back to the house Victor had bought to stay in almost every winter, I couldn't help but curse under my breath again.

What a stupid and troublesome girl. I hoped that I wouldn't encounter her again.

*

The day after, the weather was different. The air was still a bit cool, but the sky was bright and blue. The sun warmed the town as it cast its rays.

I didn't know what the hell I was doing, but I must have been crazy, because right at that very moment, I was arranging Victor's equipment to paint the lake and mountain view before me, joining real artists who were making their masterpieces in this public space.

I placed the wooden table easel in front of me, put the canvas in place and sat on the stool.

Wait. Since when could I paint? Was I not a terrible painter?