Remi Never Smiles ✔️

Chapter 6

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I'm rushing in a small town||I forgot to call you||Running low on know how||This beat's made for two||'Cause I remember that I like you||No matter what I found

Heart Out ~ The 1975

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We walked back into his house, his arm protectively around my waist.

His mom looked up at us. "Hey, I thought you lef-... Um, Luke?"

"Can we make an exception to the 'no girls staying overnight' rule? Just in case."

"Of course."

We made our way upstairs to his room and I sat on his bed, throwing my bag on the floor next to an easel.

Adonis walked by his room and stopped when she saw me, making me put my head down.

Luke looked up at her. "Can you get her an ice pack, A?"

"Is she okay?" she whispered.

"Ice pack. Please."

She nodded and walked off.

Luke turned his attention back to me, tilting my chin up so he could get a better look.

"Jesus," he mumbled. He moved my hair out of my face and wiped a tear. He gently touched my eye and I winced. "Sorry. Your dad?"

I wish I didn't have to say it. "Yeah. I walked into the line of fire trying to tell my dad to back off and my mom to go into her room. I had a bag packed on standby.

"Where's your brother?"

"Nick's."

"Do you want me to take you there?"

I shook my head. "I'd rather not explain to my brother and best friend how this happened."

Adonis came back into his room with a paper towel-wrapped ice pack.

"Thanks," I mumbled.

"No problem." She walked back out as I pressed the cold object to my face.

I sat back against a pillow and looked up at the ceiling. Every single crack in the trees and blades of grass and veins on every leaf was painted to perfection. No mistakes to be seen by any observer. I knew from Nick's mom and dad that when an artist paints, they always find something to get annoyed by, though. Something that completely throws everything off to them.

"You okay?"

"No."

Silence filled the room. He didn't know what to say. I didn't either. I noticed him sit at a stool in front of the easel. He picked up the brush and started painting. Greens, yellows, and blues.

I watched him trace over a line six times to perfection before moving on. Paint splattered on his white shirt as he swapped brushes. His hand twitched, creating each intricate detail.

Luke reminded me of a person I never thought could exist. Kind-hearted, smart, caring, cute, and creative all at the same time. Not a single bad bone in his body. Simple and perfect. Too pure for this world.

"Thank you," I whispered.

He didn't turn his head from the painting. "For what?"

"For not driving off. For being nice to me... Everything."

He shrugged and paused, contemplating which paint and brush to use next. Blue and a flat, wide brush. "I just did what any decent human being would do. It's no big deal."