I'm not in love with you... Right?

Good and Bad, Day and Night

Daphne
I created a splash of tangerine against the purplish blue, depicting the sunset. I stepped back and admired my work.
He'd been in my head all day, all night even, especially after that encounter with my parents. They'd left this morning, with a message delivered by William, our butler. We've decided that we don't care about what you do with yourself or your romantic life, though you truly have bad taste. However, you are not to let this stupid phase interfere with your school work, that is where we'd have a problem. And... Don't get pregnant. I'd painted at least 6 pictures of him about 3 of just his face, 2 of his face to his torso and 1 of his entire body. His gorgeous gold-flecked Emerald eyes seemed to be staring intently at my. The one of his full body was my favorite. I didn't bother with his clothes, revealing his perfectly sculpted torso, one I'd seen to many times after Matteo and his friends would finish training. His hands were through his hair, ruffling his hair in an irresistibly sexy way. The one I just finished though... It was of both of us, on the grassy field, lying down, holding hands. On my half of the canvas the sunset we'd watched and his half held the calm, beautiful night sky and where we held hands, being where the two skies met, a blend of both. What we were. My half a mess of energy, dreams and emotion that you could easily readand his half a calm serene place of rest and beauty that you'll always find mysterious, but safe.
I hadn't been able to get a wink of sleep, I got up in the middle of the night, changed into my painting overalls and tied my hair in a messy bun. I finished the work I started before trying to sleep and jumped to another.
My door creaked open and somebody whistled.

" One would think you're obsessed with me " my cheeks stained with rose as I said

" Please " rolling my eyes " Why did no one tell me you were coming "

" Your butler thought you'd invited me, and seeing as my visits are becoming frequent, he installed my fingerprint "

" He what?! "

" You paint? " he asked, ignoring my question and I suddenly became awfully aware of the paint stained, cyan overalls and the blotches and splashes of paint on my face.

" No, because I'm standing in paint stained overalls with a brush and pallet and many freshly painted canvases for nothing," I said sarcastically. He chuckled and said

" You're really good at it, it's like I'm staring in a mirror "

" Stop flattering me "

" No I'm serious " I was kind of shocked, but I concealed it. He moved to a picture of just his face, of his perfectly outlined jawline and black, silky hair and perfectly shaped, full brows. I'd depicted his beautiful eyes as an aurora.

" Wow... " he said so low I could barely hear it, he seemed taken away. " Why don't you show people your art, they're beautiful "

" They can't be. It's you I painted " he chuckled and said

" Good one " I cracked a grin

" And I can't. Shy nerd remember "

" You don't seem shy to me "

" It's like you don't remember how I was like to you before the fake dating stuff "

" What changed? "

" We became friends. I warmed up to you and grew to know and love you "

" D-Don't say it like that " he said his face becoming a bit red.

" Are you blushing? " I asked with a smirk.

" N-no "

" You're cute when you blush, " I said, making his face even more red.

" Th-thanks- wait no- I'm-I'm not blushing and I'm not cute! I'm-I'm hot " he stuttered, throwing himself into a frenzy. He really was cute when he was blushing.

" That, you are " I said giggling, his face was hot. I moved closer to him then booped the tip of his nose with my index finger and after a second or two of processing what just happened, his eyes widened and he ran into my closet and locked the door leaving me giggling. After he cooled down, he stepped out of the closet, still refusing to look me in the eye, save for the occasional glances he'd sneak.

" Why are you here, anyway? "

" Government? " I scoffed, rolled my eyes and said

" Please, don't lie to me. Since when do you like studying? "

" Since you taught? " I gave him a bland stare and he sighed and finally answered truthfully " To get away " I wanted so bad to ask what he wanted to get away from, but the barely noticeable tinge of sadness in those emerald eyes stopped me from pressing. The image burned in my mind and I painted his sad face, vowing to never make him look that way ever. I handed him a canvas along with some paint and brushes.

" I don't paint " he said

" Well, you do now. There's a first time for everything " I said tossing him a black overall. I painted one last picture of him, of that sad face of his.

I laid them out on the outside balcony to dry, and we passed the time by studying government. After they all dried, I packed them and headed to my personal gallery. A hidden room, one I'd never shown anyone before, not even my parents.

" Woah, " He said as we stepped in

" What is it? " I placed my new works on a fresh shelf.

" they're... " He said, staring at me in awe, before it shifted to confusion. " What happened to your face " my cheeked stinged in remembrance of last night's events.

" N-Nothing. A mosquito was on my face and I slapped my cheek a bit too hard to kill it " his eyes darkened, the flecks vanishing before his eyes lit up with rage. He took a step too close and before I could step back, he stared deep into my eyes and held my wrist, not enough to hurt me, but enough to keep me in place.

" Don't lie to me. Who hurt you "he said angrily " Was it Britney? A bully at school? Tell me, I'll make them wish they were- "

" MY MOTHER!!! " I admitted at the brink of tears. I regretted telling him, the moment I said it as I met those pitiful green eyes.

" Why would your own mother do that to you? " But despite regretting telling him, I kinda wanted to. He already knew and it'll be unfair to not tell him. And it felt like a big burden

" Cuz she's not my mother " I sucked in a deep breath. " I'm all just part of a stupid contract. My father gets the inheritance and the company if he provides a smart, intelligent, capable heir to inherit it after him, one with an IQ of at least 350, that graduates Harvard with honors. He had a woman he loved dearly, my mother, but she was infertile, incapable of producing a child, so they adopted one that looked exactly like them. Burnt the documents and I was just a kid, I didn't know. When I did find out, they'd already done a surgery on me, one that mixed my parents genes with mine. That's why I'm pale and don't grow normal. Yesterday, my parents came home after I came back from our walk. They asked me to break up with you, that you were only a distraction, they think it's real, they didn't even give me a chance to explain, I doubt anything would change if they knew, though. They said they'd send me back to the orphanage, but I refused " I explained, leaving out the part where they threatened to revoke his wait-list, I didn't want him worrying.

" Why would you do that?! You're certainly not a fool "

" ... I don't know, Matt. Wants are stupid. And I guess... I guess I want you by my side always. Believe it or not, the time I've spent with you has been the happiest I've been in my life. Thank you, Matteo "

He just stared at me with confusion and a twinge of sadness and pity, then he hugged me, breathing in the scent of my hair and even though I didn't want to, a hint of rose reached my cheeks. Then he said " You've got it backwards, Paige. I should be thanking you... " We stood there for a while, our presence comforting each other, I didn't really want this moment to stop, and it seemed he felt the same way. So we just stood there, hugging each other, because it felt right ght, nothing more, nothing less.