― you can’t stop anyone from loving you
His smile fell, but he raised both his eyebrows to prompt me. He wants to hear more but as I think of how I should start, I felt so heavy from within. I felt like being strangled. I swallowed hard and pushed myself down the stool. His gentle arms support me.
“It was way back in high school. We were at Grade 10.”
I moved on the stool facing the easel. I continued the unfinished canvas, absentmindedly putting a darker shade on the sides. On my peripheral view, he moved on my right, making sure not to block the sunlight coming from the left where he had pulled the blinds open.
I’ve never had an audience while I paint, especially not here in this place. I’ve had Ian as my drawing buddy before, but while I draw, he’s busy working with his own. Th
