Paint Me Saved ✓ Book 1

26. Peace was the hardest to bargain

Leonardo

Children were fascinated by everything. Or at least that is what I heard.

As a child, Antonio was fascinated with colors. He had a coloring book worth his weight on which he ran wild with his imagination. When pages and canvasses ran short, he moved onto the walls.

I, on the other hand, was creatively dud. My fascination was limited to one weird little black slab that remained stuck on the fridge. 

I had spent uncountable days, experimenting on newer places where the slab could stick - glass, wood, spoon, Anto's head. It took me a few more years and a science class to learn the concept of magnetism, of the attraction that magnets had towards opposite poles or objects laden with iron.

It was also then that I had my first crush and thought of it to be love. I considered the connection that Jessica and I had to be strong like the black slab on my fridge. Little did I know, she was magnetized to the soccer vice-captain. 

Still, it rendered a useful insight - magnetism, attraction and everything in between was only momentary. Things would fade, eventually.

Every second I spent away from Zemira was proving that theory wrong. I morphed into that black slab and she became the door of the fridge. Whenever situations pulled me away, I waddled hard, trying everything in my power to reach back. To re-attach.

My mind was consumed with the thoughts of racing home as soon as I was done with the meeting. It even planned shortcuts that would make me reach faster.

Every minute away from her felt like a century, dragged out in the course of another one. I was well aware of acting like a teenager but even teenage Leo never had this issue. He was a dick who used girls like they were tissues. 

It was the adult me - struck with conscience, who knew what feelings meant and what craving for someone felt like.

When Antonio shook hands with our client, I shut my laptop flap, rushing out of the meeting room.

"Leo," he called out but by then I was already in my office, packing.

"Leo, is everything alright?" Antonio walked in and stared as I tossed the last of my belongings into my bag.

"Yes. Everything's fine, why won't it be?"

"Because you didn't say a word at the meeting. And now you are leaving like you'd miss your flight." Anto eyed me with suspicion. His stare burned the question - What's going on?

If only my sweet, innocent brother understood what I suffered was nothing compared to the pang of missing a transport. What I felt aligned more like losing the vital life-giving shade. My need to reach home had never been this urgent.

After a very long time, I was imbibed with a sense of home. Home, not the four walls and a roof but a person.

"I've to get back. Zem is waiting-"

"Since when has Zem Zem become Zem?" Another intonated set of words and piercing stares questioned me.

Since our time at the hotel, I wanted to revert. Since then, and every day after, Zemira Ford was kept at bay with minimal interactions. Yet, she managed to hold the reins of my life carriage, steering it the way she wanted.

"Since she started staying with me," I said, trotting towards the door.

Antonio blocked my path. "Are you sleeping with her?"

My peaceful thoughts melted, rebound with a sense of possessiveness. He was talking about my fiancée. My Zemira.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd respect our boundaries and not talk stuff like this anymore."