To Be With You • Justin Foley

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR

Justin sat with his legs crossed, his back towards the door with his hands resting upon the top of his knees. Harley's body was hidden by the canvas and all you could see were the tips of her shoes, her feet wiggling to the beat of music filling the room while her lose strands of hair flew underneath the fan.

For the past three and a half hours, Justin had been stowed away in the attic with Harley; not that he minded of course but sitting in one spot for a length of time without a one break exception to empty his bladder was beginning to exhaust him. Stretching his legs before him, he leaned back against the wooden door, his eyes squinting as if he could see through his canvas to the work splattered upon the white material.

Bon Iver played quietly in the room while Harley's fingers glided the paint brush across the canvas, leaving trails of colors beneath its wave. Her fingertips were and palms were covered in dried paint, matching the art in front of her. Harley smiled ear to ear, her gaze flickering between Justin and her work, slightly giggling as he rolled his eyes in irritation from his lack of patience.

Justin groaned and rubbed his hands over his face, pulling his bottom lids down to make a funny face. "Har, are you done yet?" he groaned, hoisting himself from the ground and stalking to his girlfriend. Harley hummed with the paintbrush in between her teeth as she sealed her pains. His hands cupped the top of the canvas while he pressed his cheek to the side, "done?"

His eyes glanced to his right side as if he could peer at the artwork but Harley was quick to distract him by tapping his nose with the tip of her brush. Justin scrunched his nose and inhaled the metallic scent, glancing at the light blue color in contrast to his skin. Harley bit her lip to suppress her own giggles and Justin muttered under his breath, using his sleeve to wipe his nose.

"I want to see what you painted," he said to which Harley dipped her brush in an opened paint and swatch it across his forehead. "Well," she said crossing her arms over her chest, admiring her handy work, "I just painted you."

Justin reached for the open pain but Harley was quick to shove the lid on, sticking her tongue out at her boyfriend as if she had won the fight that could have taken place.

"You painted my nose and forehead," he state and she shook her head, tossing a wet wipe at his face. Justin began cleaning his skin as Harley placed her materials on her desk then reached for his wrist. She pulled his body towards hers so he was now facing the canvas, "No, I painted you."

Justin's brows were furrowed in confusion until he focused upon the paint portrait. "You painted me," he repeated, his voice monotone as his eyes lingered from the top strands of his hair to his waist.

"That's what I look like," he stated, wrapping his arms around her, his chin placed atop of her head. Harley nodded and tilted her head so she could look up at Justin, "even down to the three wrinkles that form here," her hands lightly patted the center of his forehead while giggling to herself. Justin smiled and pressed his lips to her temple.

A sigh left Harley's lips and her eyes fluttered shut, her back molding into his chest. "You're a piece of art, Justin Foley, and you don't even know it."