FOREST

7 - purchases and parties

If there is one thing in the world that everyone hates, it's getting things taken away from them.

Kaden watched as Tamara's small wrist hung loosely from Zoie's shoulder, her fingers gently tapping against the soft skin on Zoie's arm. Tamara's eyes held intensity, while Zoie's didn't, yet they still managed to drive Kaden out of his mind.

"I'm buying that one."

Tamara's eyes widened as the words repeated in her head.

"What?" Zoie looked confused as she followed Kaden's finger to the picture he was pointing to. It was one of her personal favorites, a small picture of a hand holding a shiny black gun.

"I'm buying it."

Zoie's eyes looked somewhat concerned as they stared into Kaden's.

"I can't-" she started whispering, but he stopped her.

"I'm buying it," he repeated with more confidence.

Tamara stared at him warningly, but without an option to do anything about it. She looked like a cat looking at a cage with a rat in it, or even better, a cat in a cage looking at a rat outside of it cage.

 Zoie realized that there was no way of changing his mind, so she led him to a small room in the back of the gallery. She looked a bit nervous, her bottom lip between her teeth.

"I don't know if this is a good idea Kaden..."

"Am I not allowed to buy a photograph I like at an exhibition?"

"No, it's not that," she furrowed her eyes, "I just... I don't know how I feel about this."

"About what?"

"You buying my photo."

"Me?" Kaden smirked, "And why is that?"

"It's as if I sold a photo to Spencer.... I don't know," she sighed, ruffling up her hair as he watched her every move, "You know what, I'll just give it to you after this ends."

"Absolutely not."

He leaned onto the table.

"I can't make you pay for it Kaden. It's just a stupid photo."

"It's not stupid and you're letting strangers pay for your photographs, so why is this any different?" he challenged her as she huffed.

"I already told you! You're a friend, I'm not taking money from you!"

A smile rose on his lips, "A friend, huh? Did I become a friend after you slept in my bed or...?"

"Ohmygod," she buried her face in her hands, "Please, let's just walk out of here and forget this."

Zoie tried to walk past him, but he grasped her upper arm, "Or," he whispered against her ear, "You can tell me where to sign and we can walk out of here."

The cold skin under his hand sent chills down his spine.

She took a deep breath, looking at the door, "That's not going to happen."

"Yes, it is," Kaden reassured her, his words slow, his voice low and demanding.

"No," Zoie placed her left hand over the hand that was softly gripping her upper arm, "It's not," she looked at him with a similar amount of confidence.

He let go of her and she smiled a proud smile as she started walking out of the small room.

"Stubborn little thing, aren't you?" he smirked.