The Artist's Amour (BWWM) ✓

Chapter 1: Introduction

"Flight 416 will be boarding soon. Gate 6." The lady on the intercom announced as I wove my way through the crowded lanes of the airport.

416... Guess this is it, I thought to myself as I rolled my one carry on with me through the check in of Gate 6. I entered the growing line as I waited to be boarded. My mind traveled back to a couple hours ago, the incident that instigated this mayhem.

"Do you, Jake Tulley, take Aria Lane to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do."

"And do you, Aria Lane, take Jake Tulley to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"Nope." I whispered barely audible to myself as I yanked my hand out from Jakes embrace.

"W-what?!" Jake asked, taken back by my reply.

"Fuck this," I replied quickly, rushing from the alter.

So I went straight home... Or more so Jakes home, and began to pack. Pack for what? Well that was exactly what my mother asked me as soon as she barged in directly behind me.

"What the HELL were you thinking?! God, you can't finish anything, can you?" My mom yelled frantically at me as I began to slip out of the dress I was sure cost more than my mothers house. "Go back out there and finish this or so help me god..."

My mother got quiet as she watched me pull out a pre packed suitcase from under our bed.

"Y-you were planning this?" My mother asked quietly, glancing back between the suitcase on the bed and me.

"This has been packed for years." I replied honestly to my mother for the first time in god knows how long as I hauled the suitcase out of our bedroom towards the front door.

"Honey?" Jake asked as he entered the front door, suit and all. His hair was slicked back neatly, suit tailored to every being of his body.

"I'm leaving." I deadpanned, nodding my head towards him in acknowledgment as I pulled the suitcase out the front door.

"You're- you're what?" Jake asked, following me to my car.

"Leaving. Leaving you. Leaving this," I explained, waving my hands dramatically towards the house, "leaving everything." I replied, popping open the trunk of my Aztec Pontiac. Jake reached out to grab my hand as I closed the back door. I froze, glancing back between his hand and him. He removed his hand immediately as if my skin had suddenly burned him.

"Please, Aria, be rational." Jake pleaded.

"Rational?" I scoffed, slamming the passenger door before walking around and opening up the drivers door, "Au revoir, Jake. See ya on the flip side." I replied, sliding into the drivers seat, shutting the door, and pushing the gear into reverse.

"Where are you even going?" My mother called from the driveway hysterically as my immediate family gathered on the tarmac for the send off of the century. I backed out of the driveway and slid the gear into drive, heading towards the airport.

And here I was. 7 hours later. 9 o'clock at night. Heading towards Portland, Maine.

"Window seat, row 115." The check in lady nodded to me, as I grabbed my ticket and rolled my suitcase through the tunnel of the airport. The seat was further down the isle but it helped to be one of the first people on board. I slid my carry on into the top compartment and shuffled into the window seat, sliding my earbuds back into my ears as the flight from Los Angeles California, to Portland Maine took off.

~

"I'm sorry, but there's no room here." The lady at the motel spoke to me as I played with the handle of my suitcase a bit aggressively. I had just endured a 4 hour flight through a beautifully violent rain storm before touching down at 1:30 am, drove 15 minutes using a beat down rental to the nearest Motel, only to find out they had no spare rooms.

"I-" I began, taking a sharp inhale before continuing, "We are in the middle of bloodyhell nowhere. How are you completely booked? This towns population is 2. That's right. 2. Me and you. This is it. So please, enlighten me on how you don't have one freaking room available?!" I snapped, accidentally yanking the airport tag off my luggage.

"I'm sorry lady," the woman replied, completely uncaring, "but we don't have a room. Now, you can rent a home from us if you'd like but that's further in, about a 20 minute drive into Portland."

"Fuck it, I'll take it." I replied quickly, yanking out an envelope of money I had saved from selling my art on the side. It was a job Jake wouldn't have approved of, it was a job Jake didn't know about.

"Wonderful!" The woman quirked up, frightening me slightly. "Rent will be about $120 a week." I sighed to myself, realizing just how much less money I actually had in retrospect. I would need to find a job soon. Like tomorrow soon.

I slid out some 20's and placed them on the table before she slid me the key to the home. "You can do whatever you'd like to the home, as long as it's well kept." The lady informed me as I grabbed the key and picked up my suitcase.  I jerked my head her way in a stiff nod before I headed back out through the glass doors. Throwing my suitcase into the backseat, I turned the engine over and reversed out of there, heading back onto the main road as I drove toward the address she had quickly written on a post-it note and attached to the key.

The roads were empty, void of any life as I continued to drive down until I reached a more wooded area. A large home came into view and as I pulled the rental off to the side of the road and my jaw literally dropped. This house looked ancient, the windows boarded up as the wood showed wear from the years.

"Oh hell no." I whispered to myself as I stepped out and carefully walked up the creaking stairs. "I'm going to die here."

I slid the key into the lock and turned the handle to enter the door before being greeted with a strangely well furnished living room. I went to flick the light to give me a better view but the lights flickered then cut as sparks flew places. I jumped back with my suitcase in hand before carefully walking through the living room.

"Okay... No lights. Got it." I nodded to myself as I made my way up the questionable stairs towards what I hoped was my bedroom. I pushed the heavy door open as I rolled my suitcase in. The bed was large and lit by the light of the moon shining bright through the window. The window was quite literally the size of the wall. There was a large balcony that overlooked the forest. I would of explored even more of the house if the remaining energy hadn't left my tired body at that point.

My hair was still done up from the wedding, and my nails were still manicured. But in that moment, I couldn't care less as I kicked off my boots and jumped into the ready made bed in my leggings and large knit sweater.

Sleep found me quickly that night.

••

Authors Note:
An update!
I just dropped my website.
Go check out NoSpellCheck.com if you're interested in reading more edited exclusive work.

And as always,
thank you.
xoxo