step into the sun || c.m

chapter ten

She loved the back paint. She woke up the next morning without having moved. She remembered that Connor had painted on her back, and was instantly relieved that she hadn't tossed and turned in her sleep, which resulted in the masterpiece on her back being smudged or ruined. She attempted to look at her back, but she only saw some purple and navy shades out of the corner of her eye. Almost desperate to get a good look at the masterpiece on her back, she kicked Connor awake, since he had fallen asleep next to her.

"Connor!" She hissed, rather loudly in attempts to jostle him awake. He grumbled and turned.

"Fuck off, Cierra. It's Sunday I don't need to get up." He took the pillow he had gotten from off of her bed and pushed it over his head, so he could block out the sound. Cierra let out a sigh, moving over as far as she could and yanked the pillow from his hands without revealing anything, which was incredibly difficult.

"Take a photo of my back, jackass." She hit him lightly with a pillow, because if she were to hit him even slightly hard she would flash him.

"I did last night, jackass." He turned his head and looked at her, and the second he layed eyes on her, a smile crept onto his face. "I'll um.. I'll go get it." He quickly threw the blanket he was using at his feet and then grabbed the polaroid photo and threw it at her, landing in front of her. She picked it up hungrily and looked at it. Her jaw dropped wide open, taking in the masterpiece that was on her back. She instantly grew sad at the fact she wouldn't be able to see it in person.

"Connor it's.." She gasped. "It's absolutely beautiful." She could barely breathe, thinking back to feeling the brush strokes on her back. Connor's face flushed a bright red, and he tried to rub it away. He could barely take that she loved his work so much.

"It's um... It's nothing. You asked for the galaxy... I gave you the galaxy." He wanted to beat himself up just for saying that to her. It was disgusting. Something you'd see on a relationship tumblr account. He basically made himself sick.

"Con?" She looked back at him, her hair falling out of the messy bun she had put in last night. His heart felt as if it would beat straight out of his chest.

"Yeah?" He realized his mouth was incredibly dry.

"I love you and I love this and all...." He started to panic. Did she find something yesterday? Did he say something? "But can you step out so I can like... put some clothes on?" She laughed a little. The lump in Connor's throat got smaller.

"Oh God.. Oh yeah sure." Without another word he left the room and shut the door. His heart didn't stop beating a million miles a minute. He crossed his arms over his bare chest, since he didn't quite think through her mother liked to keep the air incredibly cold. He didn't really mind all that much. He was in her house. He heard a door swing open, and he started to panic. He had come in contact with her mother numerous times, even carried on full conversations. But she was usually drunk when he was over later at night, so she barely remembered him, and it's always strange seeing some random tall guy half naked standing in her hallway. She emerged from her room, her hair that looked just like Cierra's pulled up on top of her head, and a robe over her body. She saw Connor, gave him a very uninterested, non-smile, realized that he was some random boy in her hallway and instantly turned around, eyes widened.

"Did you screw my daughter last night?" She sighed. Now it was his turn for his eyes to widen.

"Oh no I um.. I painted her." He instantly regretted what he said. It sounded like some fancy way of saying he screwed her, and he knew she'd get offended.

"Yanno, you can just say ya screwed her. It's not like I care if she wants to do that let her." She laughed, taking another step out of her room. After only a few steps, she stopped and turned around. "Wait you're that kid she's always talking about. Pretty sure I've seen you here a few times, Connor right?" She furrowed her eyebrows, as if she really wasn't sure if he was who she thought he was.

"Yeah, I'm Connor. We've met a couple of times before." He nodded. He really hated this conversation so much, wanting more than anything for her to go back downstairs.

"Yeah, right." She nodded, obviously pretending to remember who he was. She turned right back around and made her way down the hall and seemingly down the stairs. He felt goosebumps run over his skin, mainly due to the color air. He physically couldn't take standing out in this hallway for another minute.

"Hey you can come back in." He jumped a little, not having heard the door open. He turned back and he saw her face, her beautiful face. Her makeup was smudged across her cheeks, like it always was, but he barely noticed due to the smile plastered across her face, showing no teeth, as per usual. She let out a tiny laugh, almost a giggle, but he knew very well she was not the giggle type by any means at all. He looked down her body, seeing she was wearing one of his sweatshirts he had left there from ages ago most likely, it went down to her midthigh.

"Yeah, okay." He mumbled, almost ashamed walking back into her room. "So um... I gotta go." He did have to go. He felt like he needed a day break, to really slow down. "Thanks so much for having me over." He smiled. She furrowed her eyebrows, just as her mother had done only moments previous.

"Um okay?" She laughed. "Your clothes are over there." She pointed to the floor, where his pants and shirt lied. He quickly grabbed them and pulled his shoes on his feet as fast as he possibly could. He didn't feel the need to change into dress clothes, so he just stayed in the pajama pants. "Gonna drive home without a shirt on?" She scoffed, looking him up and down.

"Yep." He shrugged, leaving her room. It was kind of rude what he did, but she'd get over it. He averted past her mother, and into his truck. His hands pressed onto the steering wheel, and after a moment he pressed his forehead against the wheel as well.

Last night was too much. He loved her too much to have nights like those. Nights that were dates but they weren't and he gave her galaxies. He couldn't take those. He couldn't handle her being so close yet so far out of reach. He groaned and put the key in the ignition, backing out of the driveway. He felt his heart grow emptier and emptier every foot he was farther away from her.

author's note// i deadass haven't written in eighty four years but hey bitches here's a short + shitty filler chapeter nobody needed or wanated !!! has anyone realized i do not give a shit abt my grammar or spelling in these outhers notes??? cause i ahve