Taint Me More ☑️

Aaron.

There was something called ascribed honour and it could fuck you over hardcore. If I was smart enough, I'd have never accepted the arrangement of the so called marriage my father forced on me. If I was smart enough, I'd have never taken my father's selfish offer of becoming co-CEO of S&L. If I was smart enough, I'd have not been sitting across a table at a fancy restaurant with Andrea, watching her lips move as I zoned out after she spoke the words 'wedding is being shifted back'. If I was fucking smart enough, I'd have made it clear to Andrea from the onset that I could never love her like she had always imagined.

Both our families were built on lies and left for me, I'd have been long gone, far away from them. But I'd started building something for myself here already and one day, I wouldn't have to leave.

"... it's finally gonna be in the spring of next year and mother is ecstatic about it" she trailed off and her brows bumped together in a scowl. "Aaron!" She snapped her fingers in my face. "Are you even listening to me?"

"I'm sorry, I... I have a lot on my mind" I blinked and sighed and her shoulders dropped.

"Aw...I understand, babe. With work and the wedding, you must be really stressed out" she pouted and I wanted so badly to scream that I didn't care about no fucking wedding but I held my tongue.

"Yeah, sure" I dismissed and tapped around my pockets for my wallet to pay the bill. "Speaking of, I have some things to take care of, I'll drop you off at the museum."

"B-but babe?" She frowned and started to protest. "I thought you were coming with me to pick out a dress."

I racked my brain to remember when we had any arrangement of sort and I narrowed my eyes, "you want me to come pick out your wedding dress?" I asked.

"Wha- No! Of course not. I don't mean a dress for the wedding, silly" she chuckled and smacked my arm. "I meant a dress for daddy's hotel's grand opening next week" she clarified and drilled me with a look, "don't tell me you forgot"

"Oh that. Andrea, can't we go for your dress some other time or you could just go without me, besides, the opening isn't until the weekend. I have really important things to do" I said, while maintaining a straight face.

Her brows dipped further into a frown, "oh? Tell me what's more important than me, Aaron" she drew out my name and folded her arms across her chest.

"A lot of things" I waved her off and stood up. I knew I shouldn't be too rude and cold with her but I was a guy who wasn't good at hiding his feelings and I could never fake a love that wasn't there. I looked down at her and sighed, "look Andrea, I promised the kids at the paint bar a tour at the Metropolitan museum of art and I can't break that promise, they're kids and they take your word really seriously. So please, can we go for your dress some other time?" I finished and I managed to control my tone.

She bowed her head in defeat and nodded, "fine" she said and stood up.

"I'll drop you off at work" I said again and headed for the door.

Aria.

Aria.

Aria. The name had been like a chant in my head for weeks. The name creeped its way into my mind every minute of every day. While painting, while having a conversation with anybody, while I was eating, or even while I was asleep.

Her face. I'd be lying if I said I couldn't paint her by memory. I'd studied every line, every crinkle and crease, down to the last freckle on her neck, she didn't need to be in front of me for me to paint her as she was.

Her hair. God her hair would be the death of me. The fiery strands that changed hue with every lighting. I was ecstatic to find out she had stopped concealing her natural colour.