WANDERLUST: Romance in F Minor

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2

WHEN KADE WOKE up, he was still on the sofa in the guest room. The difference was he now had a quilt covering his body and a pillow underneath his head. He knew without thinking that it was Xanthie and he also knew that Xanthie was probably already on his way home to Montréal.

Pushing himself up, he threw the quilt and the pillow onto the bed, then left the guest room. He hadn't eaten since yesterday, so he dragged himself toward the kitchen to prepare himself a simple breakfast before he started painting.

However, when he got there and was opening the fridge to see if he had any decent ingredients left, he saw a note stuck to the refrigerator's door with Xanthie's handwriting on it.

'Food in the fridge. Just reheat it.'

Kade plucked away the note and sighed while reading Xanthie's handwriting a few times.

"What am I going to do when you're like this..." Kade muttered under his breath before he pocketed Xanthie's note and followed his instructions.

There were some pancakes and a few strips of bacon in the fridge, and he reheated them.

That's how his day started.

Breakfast. Medicine. Studio. Paint. Lunch. Paint. Order takeout at dinner. Medicine again. Then his endless struggle to sleep. And then repeat. It became a cycle until Andrew Daniel, his agent, visited.

"You look like shit." Those were Andrew's words the moment he saw Kade. "Have you even taken a bath?" 

"... I'm not feeling it," Kade replied with his focus on the canvas in front of him. "What are you doing here? I told you I'll call once I'm done."

Andrew leaned against the side of the door. He was only two years older than Kade, but Kade looking like shit made Andrew look younger. "I'm here to do a wellness check. You're welcome."

Kade's brush stroke continued. His movement was elegant and refined. As if he was not painting a grotesque bloody hand. "What wellness check?"

"Xanthie Lorenz sent me." Andrew said, and Kade's hand holding the brush stopped. "He called and asked me to check-up on you from time to time. So as your amazing, very dedicated and loving agent, here I am. In the flesh."

Kade's hand went back to the painting. "I'm fine."

Andrew sighed and became serious. "Kade, you need rest. As your agent, I'm happy with your paintings, but as a friend, your art exhibit can wait. Just get some sleep and have some fun. Go fuck around or something. You look like shit. Really."

"I will rest when I want to."

Andrew clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Always stubborn."

"I want my exhibit to happen before Xanthie's wedding. I'll rest after that."

Andrew decided to let Kade be until he heard Kade's next words, which made him freeze.

"Can you find me a lawyer? I want to write a will."

Lots of questions entered Andrew's mind, but he calmed his thoughts and stared at Kade before replying as his agent. The bastard won't listen to him, anyway. "Sure. When do you want to meet a lawyer?"

"After the exhibit."

"Okay."

"Look for a buyer for this house as well. I'm selling it."

Andrew couldn't stop himself anymore. "Sell it? Where are you gonna live?"

"Doesn't matter." Kade responded as if it was only a minor decision. "After the exhibit, I plan to rest until Xanthie's wedding. I don't know when I will paint again, so can you find me a storage unit where I can store my art tools?"