Desolate Love

Chapter 12: Please

Vaughn POV

I awoke with, what felt like, my brain bashing against my skull. I attempted to sit up yet that only worsened the banging sensation, causing me to fall back down immediately.

It felt like hours, yet was most likely only a few minutes, before my head calmed and I was able to check the time.

8:53 AM

I bolted straight up - I had to be at work by 9:15 AM and still had to get ready and commute to work.

The day had only just started and I was already wondering if this day get any worse.

***

"Jaden!" My breath hitched at my 'name' being called from down the hall, "What time do you call this?"

The temptation to call back '9:26' was tempting, however, I decided to settle with a simple "I'm sorry, my car broke down on the way here. It will not happen again."

Besides, a little lying never hurt anyone.

Mr.Park, the security who called my name, simply sighed before walking off muttering curses about me under his breathe. The more I stayed in this damned town, the more of the, very little, respect I had for it disappears.

It didn't take me long to find my way towards the 'office' that I was using temporarily, which seemed more like a tiny storage room than anything but who was I to complain?

I stared at my unfinished work, any adoration I had for it was now gone - my perfectionism now kicking back in at full swing and overanalysing every brush stroke. It all felt wrong, like the stroke was too thin or two thick, too pointed or too blunt, nothing felt right. The man's hair was way more puffy than the photo and his face was slightly disproportionate, nothing felt like it matched. The nose seemed to be at close to a 45 degree angle wrong for fucks sake!

Checking the time and date, matching with the other portraits I was commissioned to do, I would be able to finish with redoing the photo if I did an extra 30 minutes to an hour overtime every day, which for the money and my lack of friends, seemed like a fair time. I quickly tossed the canvas and got to redoing the painting.

***

The time was now 12:38PM and I was yet to eat and I had only finished the black outline, which would take at least another hour to dry. It was annoying to have so little done, but with nothing else to do it seemed reasonable to take my break now.

Yet, I only got a metres down the hall before being called by my favourite, not, Alec.

"Vann- Vaughn!"

I kept walking.

"Vaughn please wait up, even for just a second!" He called our after me, "I only want to give you this, I promise. No small talk!"

I stopped in my tracks, giving him time to catch up as I turn to face him, "give me what?"

"This." He smiled while handing me a piece of paper, "I promise, that's it. I'll be going now, please don't rip it up!" and with that, he turned and returned to his, much nicer, office.

I returned to walking towards the lunch hall as I debated on whether to throw away the paper or not - however my curiosity soon got the best of me as I, quite aggressively, opened the letter.

"Meet me at X. We have to talk."