How to Love You

20

October 11

The door into your art studio was calling my name, begging for visitors to paint, draw, and color beautiful sketches inside. To cease the poor room's ravaging loneliness, I just happened to wander inside; it appeared vacant and completely untouched in ages. I remember the days where you would spend hours in here, sprawled out on the floor as you doodled extraordinary images onto paper. Watching you do your artistic magic was captivating; you were always so focused with determination written all over our face. I paced the room now, admiring your entire collection of art strung up onto the walls and messily laid out onto the floor in a huge array of vibrant colors.

All the pieces were beautiful, but it was a particular one that caught my attention. It was a painting of a bowling alley with a young pair standing in front of it, holding one another. It was us, I was sure of it.

You must've painted this right before the accident, when we were still together and living our perfect life as a couple, because the paint was still slightly tacky and wet. I could just imagine you creating this masterpiece, the way you bite your lip in anguish every time you messed up and your frail body spread out onto the floor in wild positions.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I quickly turned around at the sound of your voice behind me. You were leaned against the doorframe, smirking at me adorably with a quizzical expression.

In the back of my mind, I heard the art studio door rejoicing at the return of the artistic, Danielle Harper.

"Just looking at these paintings." You approached me slowly, and took the painting I was holding from my hands. Your fingertips brushed mine for a second, and that familiar spark surged through my body. Clearly though, you weren't phased by it, because you just continued to stare at the picture before you.

"Where did you get this? It's beautiful." You looked up at me, taking my breath away with those big stormy eyes.

"You actually painted that a while ago." You furrowed your eyebrows in both confusion and shock. Your tiny fingers traced the outline of the bowling alley and then, were brought down to the young pair, us.

"That's us, I'm assuming." You said, smiling up at me with those cute dimples indented in your cheeks.

"Yeah, it is." Suddenly, you wrapped your arms around me in a tight hug, dropping the painting onto the floor in an eruption of clatter. It took me a second to register what was happening, before I reciprocated your warm embrace.

"I'm sorry I haven't been a good friend recently. It's just hard with everything going on." I hoped you didn't hear how fast my heart was beating right now, as your head was rested against my loud thumping chest.

"It's okay, Dani." You nestled closer into me, your grip tightening around my waist.

"We should hang out one night. I'm going out with Matt tonight, but maybe tomorrow." With those dreadful words, I forced myself to separate from you and return to my cold spot in the center of the studio. Matt, so the other nights hookup has a name I presume. 

"Excuse me, I have to go." I said, guiding myself passed you and out the door to your art studio, resisting the temptation to turn around to face you again.

For a slight second there, you tricked me, Dani. I truly thought you were coming back to me; I guess I'm just being delusional now.