𝙄𝙙𝙞𝙤𝙩 || 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙮 & 𝘿𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙤 𝙈𝙖𝙡𝙛𝙤𝙮

CH #3

Draco's POV:

My heart skipped a beat when I looked at Holly. If she knew I enjoyed painting, she would never let it go.

I quickly turned my attention back to the shelf full of paints, hoping she didn't notice the fear I just felt, but I could tell she did. The tension between us was palpable, and I tried to study my breathing as I pretended to study a jar of deep green paint.

The thing about Holly was that she had this way of seeing through everything and everyone, of knowing exactly what was going through your head without you even saying a word. It was the thing I hated most about Holly, though there was a long list.

"Draco," she said, her body turning to face him again. "Do you always sneak around paint shops?" She asked, her lips pressing down into a curious smile. She usually gave up by now, but she knew she had the upper hand now.

I have a tight smile. "I'm not sneaking around. Like I said before, I'm looking for a gift." My voice sounded more defensive than I intended. The words came out almost like a challenge, and I hated that Holly had this ability to make me feel like I was being interrogated.

"Really?" Holly raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "I don't think any painting could brighten up the dullness of your house."

"It's not for me." I reminded, as Holly stepped closer. Her eyes narrowing up to meet mine in that way that made me feel like she could see straight through me. "If you say so," she said with a little shrug. "But it's a little hard to believe your father would be so interested in art. Isn't it a bit beneath your family? You know, considering art is all about feelings, and your family doesn't prioritize that."

I clenched my jaw, the words stinging more than I wanted to admit. Was it so hard to believe that I might have a softer side? That I might need to escape with art? No...no, I didn't want her to know that. I wasn't sure why I was defensive about it, but something about Holly always made me feel vulnerable, and I hated it.

"My family is not beneath anything," I shot back, my voice a little sharper than I intended. Then Holly's gaze softened, and I almost wished it hadn't. I knew I messed up. It was like she reading was reading into me too much, like she was burning down the walls I'd built around myself.

I wanted to deny everything she believed. I wanted to tell her that there was nothing more, that I was exactly what everyone thought I was. But the words didn't come. Instead, I just stood there, silently cursing myself for even letting her get that far.

"I guess we all have our secrets," she continued, as my stomach twisted. "I don't have any secrets," I said quickly, the words slipping out before I could stop them. "There's nothing special about me, nothing you haven't already seen."

Holly looked at me for a moment, her eyes full of curiosity, before she shrugged again. "If you say so."