Love Is...

33. Always there

CHAPTER - 33 (not proofread)

LOVE IS... ALWAYS THERE

"It's not about finding someone who won't fight with you or make you sad. It is about finding the person who will still be standing there, wiping the tears away, and holding you in their arms after a fight; the one who will never leave, no matter how hard things get."

As I stared at the picture of Ashton and me in Mike's phone, I couldn't see the tenderness between us or our chemistry, or the way I was looking at him with nothing but awe and want, or the way he was smiling down at me one of his rare smiles and a strange glint in his eyes. No, I couldn't see any of that. The tenderness and the heart touching factors of the picture had diminished into the thin air just within these few minutes. All I could see was the face that had betrayed me earlier by making me believe all along that we hadn't met four months ago on that night and betrayed me yet again by concealing his truth when I had bared it all to him.

Ashton Parker was A. Zaccheus, one of the most famous young artists. He was not 'good for nothing' as he had let everybody believe; as he had let me believe.

In return of the truths, fears, and my past that I had laid down in front of him with complete trust, he had given me nothing... nothing but the deliberate concealment of his truths. He had successfully managed to make a fool out of me.

Slowly, everything came in front of my eyes and things became clearer. The way he was looking at the painting in my room, and he had asked, 'Where did you get this from?'

What were the odds that he would end up finding his own piece of work in my room; his matchmaker's room? Of course, he was shocked to see it there.

'You like it?' he had asked as if it actually meant something to him. No, it didn't. I was sure of that. He just wanted to take the review of his fine piece from its current owner as discreetly as possible. My reply that I loved the painting must have boosted his ego to twice its size and he must have had a good laugh at my back. And this realization made me clench my fists in a death grip.

The painting that hung in his room overshadowed my thoughts. 'Did you paint this?' I had asked him. He could have told me the truth, but he chose to be sarcastic and reply with, 'With my left hand.' My jaw clenched tightly, my heart dropped, I felt heavy as if the weight of the entire world had been shifted on me. Thankfully, I was already seated.

Seeing my expressions of utter distraught and ire, Ivy covered my hand with her's, bringing me back to the place where I was in - Mike's living room. My head snapped up in her direction and with blurred eyes, I watched as she looked towards Mike with a helpless expression on her face. Biting her lips, she told me, "I had no idea that you were talking about this Ashton. And neither did I know about the fact that you had no idea about who he is. I'm really sorry that you had to find out about him like this. Sorry."

Rapidly blinking my eyes, I pushed back the unnecessary tears and smiled at her, amidst the varied feelings I had in my heart. "Oh, don't worry about it. I-I'm just shocked. That's it." I tried to wave it off to the best of my acting prowess, but it was clear from their expressions that I was a failure. A ragged sigh escaped my lips and I stood up, intending to go out and be alone for some time. "I-I... um... should get going," I mumbled. "It's getting late."

"I'm sorry, Liana," Ivy apologized yet again.

My eyes darted towards her and I shook my head at her with a grimace. "Don't be silly, Ivy. I'm perfect... perfectly fine." I grinned a bit to prove my point. My heart ached doing that. "It was lovely meeting you, Ivy. Mike, take good care of her." I picked up my handbag from the couch where I had placed it when I had entered the apartment hours ago. "I'll see you guys soon. Okay?"