12 | a distraction

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CHAPTER 12

"Hey guys, I need your help." I texted the groupchat made up of me, Lucy, Danny and Gabriel that had been formed a few days ago.

"Sure, what with?" Lucy replied instantly, her generosity and constant willingness to help on full display.

"If Lucy's down then I'm down." Danny messaged moments later, earning a soft laugh from me.

He really couldn't have been any more obsessed with her.

Gabriel clearly agreed with me, typing "Bro, you're so whipped," about 5 minutes after Danny's text.

"But I'd be happy to help, gorgeous." He added in response to my first message.

"That's rich coming from you, gorgeous." Danny said in a text addressed to Gabriel, mocking him for his earlier claim.

"Are any of you busy right now?" I typed. "Because I think this would be easier to explain in person."

After they confirmed that they were free and okay with coming over, I texted my address to the three members of the chat.

A soft pounding of the door alerted me to somebody's arrival, most likely Lucy's since she didn't live particularly far away.

With this thought in my head I went to open the door, paying no mind to what I was wearing.

I found that casual clothing was the best for painting, so on days like today when I had been in front of a canvas, I just wore shorts and an old t-shirt about 3 sizes too big for me.

A shadow was cast over me as I craned my neck to look at the man crouching to fit into my entry way.

Gabriel stepped into light, revealing the eyes that I could've recognised from anywhere and a wide grin.

I watched curiously as his smile slowly faded and his throat moved with a gulp, his gaze trailing down my attire.

Clearing his throat and shaking his head almost imperceptibly, he moved his eyes back up to my face.

"Candyfloss." He greeted, showcasing his dimples.

"Uh... hey." I replied, distracted by the way they hollowed into his cheeks perfectly.

"You gonna let me in?" He questioned with amusement in his voice, drawing my attention to the fact that I had been blocking him from entering with my body, the distance between us minimal.

I was so close that I had finally figured out what it was that he smelt like. Both vanilla and leather. Unusual, but it somehow fit him to a T.

I wasn't supposed to be noticing these things.

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry." I said with widened eyes, moving aside to avoid him brushing against me.

I didn't trust myself not to react if he did.

The living room of my apartment was cluttered with various art supplies and the occasional unfinished painting.

Just as I was preparing to apologise for the mess, I was cut off by the sound of him quietly drawing in his breath.

His eyes panned around the room slowly, absorbing every detail with clear interest.

"Woah." He murmured. "When you told me you were an artist, this isn't what I was expecting."

"What were you expecting?" I asked with a laugh.

"Not this." He said seriously, meeting my eyes.

I could feel my face heating up at the compliment. "Thanks."

"Could you make one for me?" He asked, eyebrows pulling together slightly.

I stared at him, convinced that I had misunderstood.

"A painting." He elaborated. "Would you be able to make one for me?"

My eyebrows rose slightly in surprise at the fact that I hadn't misunderstood after all. "Sure." I replied. "You just have to tell me what you want in it."

"Anything. I trust your judgement." He said.

"And I don't mind waiting. That's how I know it's worth it." He finished, eyes boring into mine in a way that suggested he wasn't just talking about the painting anymore.

A silence formed, hazy with unspoken words, until a knock on the door broke through it.

"I should probably go get that." I said, thumbing in the direction of the noise.

He nodded, still wearing the same intense look.

"Sorry we're late." Lucy and Danny said at the same time with matching guilty expressions.

It didn't take a genius to figure out the reason for their delayed arrival since they both looked disheveled and breathless, Lucy's blonde locks more resembling a lion's mane and Danny's hair spiked up and tousled.

I glanced at Gabriel who appeared to be holding in laughter, so I knew that he had come to the same conclusion.

"Don't worry about it." I reassured them, doing my best to hide my amusement.

"So... what did you need help with?" Danny asked, reminding me why I had called them here in the first place.

"Oh, yeah. My sister Ivy arrived in London yesterday." I began. "She's a doctor so she barely gets any time off, and I need to make this visit as good as possible for her. I know how much she loves a party so I want to throw one for her, with your help."

Gabriel and Danny shared a look that I couldn't decipher.

That is, until Gabriel explained. "Danny has a tendency to go a little overboard with any party he throws."

"He's overreacting." Danny defended.

"I doubt that." I said with humour in my voice. "Well, can we keep it small? I don't want it to be overwhelming."

"Small..." Danny trailed off. "Got it."

The smirk on his face said otherwise, but I was choosing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"We can invite our friend Jake and a couple of other guys." Gabriel said.

"And I'll get Alicia, Zoe and Gina to come." Lucy added, naming other girls who worked at the cafe.

"I'll get the alcohol." Danny added, grinning mischievously.

My face stretched to accommodate a beaming smile. "That's perfect. Thank you all so much."

"No problem."

"Of course."

"Anytime, gorgeous."

The last statement was said by Gabriel who, when I looked up, wasn't even trying to hide the fact that he had been staring at me.

"Where is Ivy, anyway?" Danny asked, stealing my attention.

"She's been out for a while doing some sightseeing. She should be home soon." I replied.

"We should probably head out before she gets here then." Lucy said.

With a wave and final reminder that we'd be having the small - I emphasised looking at Danny - get together this Saturday, they left the apartment.

- - - -

"Which one should I wear?" Ivy asked, holding up two dresses.

"Definitely the blue one." I replied, gesturing to the strapless cornflower blue dress she was clutching in her left hand.

Although the party was originally supposed to have been a surprise, Ivy had a knack for being able to tell when I was keeping something from her, and managed to squeeze it out of me.

Hence why we were here, getting ready together.

My eyes drifted away from her dress and onto my wall, honing in on the calendar that was hanging from it.

Today was Saturday, and the numbers swimming in my vision were only serving as an unwelcome reminder that her stay would soon be coming to an end.

The past 4 days had been spent unintentionally recreating the best parts of our childhood, from the tub of mint chocolate chip icecream we devoured together while binging reruns of Brooklyn 99, to the minutes she spent sitting cross-legged with her hands under her chin, watching me paint.

Even today, when the conversation was minimal but the silence between us still somehow welcome and comfortable, was forcing me to realise what I'd been missing out on for so long.

For the most part, I thought that distancing myself from my family was the best decision I could've possibly made.

It's just times like this that had me reconsidering.

Picking up a dress for myself, a simple yet flattering ribbed green number, I put it on and glanced at myself in the mirror.

The girl smiling back at me was radiant, all sun-kissed brown skin, rosy cheeks and dimples.

I thought back to the time when my reflection essentially showed me the opposite, deciding on the spot that running away from my graduation had done far more good than bad.

My mood picked up just in time for the first knock of the night.

Gabriel, Lucy and Danny stood at the door, each carrying various alcoholic beverages.

"You guys are lifesavers!" I exclaimed, knowing that I wouldn't have been able to get them myself. I spent the entire week working back to back shifts at the cafe or spending time with Ivy.

People began to arrive, either milling around or forming groups and introducing themselves.

I recognised about half of them, but the others were complete strangers. I was grateful for the size of my apartment since it somehow managed to accommodate everyone.

Walking around to look for Ivy, I found her on the couch with a guy that I had never seen before.

He leaned down to whisper something in her ear and I watched her flush slightly.

Although I knew that Ivy wouldn't do anything with him - she wasn't a cheater - I smiled at the fact that I had been successful in taking her mind off Owen, and turned around to head back in the direction I came.

I bumped into somebody, rubbing my forehead and letting my gaze travel upwards until I reached the face it belonged to.

"Careful there." Gabriel said, the corners of his mouth curving upwards.

"Sorry." I laughed.

We fell into step alongside each other, both heading towards the kitchen.

I poured myself a drink, taking a sip while he watched intently.

"Thank you for helping me do this." I said, referring to the party.

He smiled. "Of course."

Our eyes met and the same intense silence from the last time we were left in a room alone fell around us.

It lasted for what felt like a lifetime before the husky tone of his voice interrupted it.

"The other day, when you showed me your paintings, it felt like you had trusted me with a piece of you." He said.

I cocked my head to the side slightly, trying to understand where he was going with this.

"I thought that it would only be fair if I returned the favour." He smiled.

My confusion only grew, and I'm sure it was reflected in my facial expression since the smirk on his face became a fully fledged grin.

With his dimples on display and his eyes gleaming, he spoke. "How good are you on a basketball court?"

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