The Art of Letting Go - ENGLOT

Chapter 9

Ensley's POV:

The next day, As Celestine walked into my studio, wearing a pink sweater that compements her skin tone perfectly, my heart skipped a beat. I couldn't help but feel a flutter in my chest every time she was near. I don't know what it was about her, but I was completely captivated by her presence. This crush is becoming hard to control.

"Hey Celestine," I greeted with a smile.

"Hi, Ensley!" Celestine responded, staring at me with a cute, lopsided grin.

I winked at her playfully and gestured for her to take a seat as I welcome the other students.

As I was setting up for the class, I suddenly remembered that I needed help with a demonstration for the day's lesson. I looked over at Celestine, and I went over to her and asked, "Hey, Celestine. I was wondering if you could help me with a demonstration today?"

She smiled brightly at me and replied, "Of course, Ensley! What do you need me to do?"

I explained that I needed her to be the model for my demonstration of shading techniques. I wanted to show the class how to add texture and depth to their sketches. Celestine agreed and soon, we were standing in front of the class.

As I demonstrated on her drawing, I couldn't help but steal glances at her. The way she furrowed her brows in concentration, the way her cheeks flushed when she made a mistake, and the way her lips parted when she breathed in deeply...it was all too much for me to handle.

Suddenly, I realized I was staring too intently, and I forced myself to look away. But then, before I knew it, I was staring again, caught up in her beauty.

At one point, I accidentally bumped into her shoulder, and she turned to me with a cute, quizzical look on her face. We locked eyes for a moment, and I felt my heart skip a beat. And then, suddenly, she reached out and lightly brushed her hand against my cheek, saying "You have a little something there."

I blushed, embarrassed that she had seen me staring at her. But as we continued with the class, I couldn't help but feel like there was something between us. Maybe...just maybe she felt something too.

As we wrapped up the demonstration, Celestine glanced up at me with a shy smile.

"How was that? Did I do okay?" she asked.

I smiled back at her, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. "You did great," I said, unable to hide the admiration in my voice.

As the class came to a close, I couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness. I didn't want to say goodbye to Celestine just yet.

But to my surprise, she asked to stay behind and stay with me again after class. I tried to play it cool, jokingly telling her that she should pay extra for a private lesson. But deep down, I was thrilled at the opportunity to spend more time with her.

We set up on a quiet corner and Celestine started painting in silence, while I started sketching, each of us lost in our own thoughts and creativity. But eventually, we started talking and laughing, sharing stories and ideas. It felt natural and easy, like we had known each other for years.

Eventually, I found myself struggling to focus. I couldn't help but steal glances at Celestine, admiring the way she was completely absorbed in her work. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and she had a slight furrow in her brow as she concentrated.

I opened my mouth to say something, but the words caught in my throat. I opened and closed my mouth for a few times until eventually Celestine spoke up.

"Just say it Ens." She said, with a smirk, continuing her painting and not sparing me a glance.

"Can I draw you?" I blurted out.