Taint Me More ☑️

Aaron

Nicotine in my bloodstream as I painted on a canvas the one picture in my mind that I couldn't get out, no matter how hard I tried.

I hated to seem like a love-struck puppy, but I would be anything for Aria. I would do anything to have her. I don't think I'd ever been in love, because I'd never felt this way ever. In my life.

I stroked my brush around the canvas of the incomplete painting of Aria. I'd spent so much time trying to nail the hues of her beautiful hair and eyes. I could spend weeks on this painting and I wouldn't mind. My apartment was a mess, there was ash from cigarettes and wadded up papers of sketches scattered around the floor.

I hadn't drank or smoked this much since the time my mother died. I was now having alcohol for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Cigarettes were my desserts and appetisers. My head felt woozy, but I didn't care. The buzz was what I needed.

I hadn't really participated in much in the past few days. Gonzalo had called a few times to tell me about the kids at the paint bar. I know I should feel unproductive and terrible for ditching what I loved most, but I needed to refuel my mind before I would be able to engage again.

"It reeks in here." My father's voice drew my attention to my front door as he walked in behind Andrea, and I wondered why I hadn't locked my door.

In a way, I was expecting this visit. I still didn't know what Brian had gone to the museum to discuss with Andrea, but I had a few ideas.
If she was here with my father, it meant they were here to discuss the things that went down a couple of days back.

The sound of Andrea's sobs met my ears and I turned to look at her. She was red from crying and her hair was a mess. She was clutching an envelope in her hands.

I pinched the bridge of my nose with my paint stained fingers, not sure I was ready for this drama again, even though I'd been expecting it all along.

My father paced around the space of my studio, he was clearly irritated.

"You know, one thing I always respected about you, Aaron is the fact that you used to be honorable. You always stood unshaken, and in as much as I respected that attribute of yours, knowing you obviously got it from me, it's starting to become a vexing attribute on you." He came up to where I stood and pinned me with a look. "When I told you a few weeks ago that I didn't want to hear anymore whining about the arrangement, I meant it, so now, if you think you can crawl your way out of this by breaking Andrea's heart and fucking any whore you come across, then you're wrong!" His voice boomed.

The fog in my head started to clear out little by little at the reference he made about Aria. My jaw tightened and I dropped the paint brush in my hand.

My body jerked off the stool and went up in his face, challenging him to insult Aria again.

He stared me down, both of us quiet with words but loud with our breathing.

"And to think that I took her as my friend. The slut has been fucking my man!" Andrea sobbed louder.

"I'll let it slide." My father said, breaking our staring contest and turning away. "Just this one time, I'll let it slide. You've had enough fun as a bachelor, and I shouldn't care much about who you bring to your bed, but I'll give you one advice, just one." He waved his index finger in gesticulation. "Once you're under the bonds of matrimony, it's best to respect your wife and respect what you stand for as a man. Either way, son, the arrangement still stands. You both should be married before the end of the year."

I took in a deep breath as I clenched my fist beside me, opening my mouth to say the one word I hadn't been able to speak to him for years. I was done with his goddamned rules and controlling attitude.

"No."

He halted his step, standing still and then cocking his head to the side, still not facing me.

My breathing got faster, Andrea sobbed louder and my heart couldn't exactly grasp a steady rhythm. But little by little, the heavy weight started to lift off of my shoulders.

"No." I repeated with a head shake. "There will be no wedding, I sign out from the arrangement, you can have the museum, do with it whatever you wish."

The response I got was from Andrea. She lunged toward me and grabbed the canvas with the painting of Aria from behind me and threw it on the floor with a scream. She started attacking the painting, doing all she could to destroy it. She poked at it and stepped on it with her heels, creating holes on it.

It pained me to watch the masterpiece go to shit, it was making me angry.

"That's enough!" I yelled at her and grabbed her, pulling her away from the mess she was making.

"That bitch, she'll pay. She'll pay for everything she's taken from me." She screamed, pulling at her hair.

I'd never seen this side of her before now. She threw the envelope she had with her on the floor, at my feet and stormed out of my apartment, leaving me alone with my seething father.

He started to chuckle, he chuckled and then it turned into a full belly laugh. There was nothing humorous about the laugh, because as quickly as the laugh started, it died down and he lunged at me with his fist, hitting me square on the jaw. He pulled back and lunged at me again, getting my temple this time. I felt my skin cutting open with every impact.

He punched me a few more times and I let him. I didn't throw any punches at him, no retaliation. Nothing. This was his way of letting out of his system the risen steam between us. He knew I wasn't going back on my word.

So I let him hit me.

I just let him, because I knew it would be the last time we would go head to head.

After he was done and his knuckles were feeling too painful to continue, he stopped, let out a sigh, eyed me and walked away, slamming my door on his way out.

I sat on the floor in the middle of my studio, my eyes almost blurry from the blood that was getting into them. I stared at the destroyed canvas that was once a painting of Aria and I clenched my hurting jaw.

Alcohol.

I needed more alcohol.