No Love Allowed

Thirteen

On the day of the next event, Sehun showed up at Suzy's door with shopping bags in his hands and a frown on his face. Having to hide away all the portraits of him in her art room, she stepped aside and let him in. Could anyone say "Here we go again"?

"You're not answering any of my texts," he said, entering the living room and scanning the place.

"Looking for something?" she asked, arms crossed.

"It's so . . . cozy."

She sighed, suspecting the word cozy was code for something less polite. "Chanyeol said the same thing."

He studied the frames above the fireplace until his eyes landed on her sunflower painting hanging on the wall. For several minutes, she observed Sehun staring at her work. He looked hilarious with those shopping bags still in his hands. He looked polished in jeans, a plaid shirt, and boots, but still hilarious.

"You painted this?" He faced her and tipped his head toward the framed canvas.

"A couple years back. I was totally obsessed with Van Gogh. Still am, actually."

"If you hear a voice within you say 'You cannot paint . . . ,' " he said.

Butterflies fluttering in her stomach when she finished, " 'Then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.' That's my favorite quote of his."

"Why aren't you answering my texts?" He faced her fully, expectation in the seriousness in his eyes. "Did you get the art supplies? Chanyeol said he'd given them to you."

"Thank you for those. And you know I'm totally painting you naked, right? Chanyeol approves."

He paled. "Please don't tell me you're serious."

"Oh!" She circled a finger around his face. "Just for that look of horror I'm totally making you do it. And you can't back down because that is my price for all this."

"Suzy -"

"Wait here." She left him in the living room. Let him stew over her evil plans. The guy deserved to squirm. Entering the kitchen, she walked to her room and took the phone from the dresser. When she returned, she found Sehun standing in the exact spot she'd left him. "You actually waited."

His lips twisted. "You said wait. I do know how to follow orders."

Not sure if he'd meant it as a joke, she didn't bother responding. Instead she handed him the phone. I never got any texts. I forgot to grab the charger."

Sehun settled the bags on the floor and took the phone from her as his sexy frown returned.

She shrugged. "To be honest, I don't need one. You can have that back. Anyway, like you said, this is only for the summer. That phone is no better than a paperweight after you leave. No one's paying the bill."

He opened his mouth as if to argue. She waited. Closing his mouth and swallowing, he scratched the back of his head and pocketed the phone. "Fine."

"You know where I lived anyway. It's not like I've got anywhere else to go." She moved to a pad her mom used for notes hanging on the wall by the front door and wrote her home number at the bottom, then tore a piece off. "If you really need to reach me, call the landline."

Taking the paper as he had the phone, he stared at the numbers for a moment, then snorted. "Landline. Haven't heard that word in a while."

"I'm so not getting into another fight with you about being poor," she said.

As if he caught her drift, he picked up the shopping bags and handed them to her. "These are from Chanyeol. He said you agreed for him to shop for you. Today's event is themed."