Mature

Elliot never expected an art internship to change his life.

At seventeen, he's quiet, observant, and used to blending into the background. The gallery is supposed to be simple-hang paintings, organize displays, learn a little about the art world before graduation.

Then there's Adrian Vale.

Confident, intelligent, and effortlessly composed, Adrian owns the gallery Elliot interns at. He sees things in Elliot that no one else seems to notice-his eye for composition, his quiet understanding of art, his potential.

At first, it feels harmless. Encouraging, even.

Adrian gives Elliot more responsibility than the other interns. He introduces him to collectors. He treats him like someone who matters.

But as the months pass, Elliot finds himself thinking about Adrian more than he should.

Replay­ing conversations.

Looking for him first when he walks into the gallery.

Waiting for the next message on his phone.

To Elliot, it feels like mentorship. Maybe even friendship.

From the outside, it looks like something else entirely.

And the closer Elliot gets to Adrian's world, the harder it becomes to tell the difference between admiration, attention... and something far more complicated.

Because sometimes the people who see you the clearest are the hardest ones to walk away from.