Through Her Eyes by Red L. Jameson

Author:Red L. Jameson [Jameson, Red L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Red L. Jameson

twenty-two

Luke

* * *

After dinner, in the parking lot of Shenanigans, Max insists she clean up the mess at the house, heavily hinting that Lucas and I have some time alone. Jo pouts with a full-blown, bottom-lip-sticking-out sulk, but Meg distracts her with some much-needed attention from her big sis. I worry Max’s temper might return when alone with the girls, but Meg says she will clean up the mess too, which means that Jo happily volunteers as well. Max kisses the top of Meg’s head, looking proud. And for a moment, I don’t worry about Max’s anger. For tonight, I don’t feel the need to.

I drive Lucas back to Book Cents, where his car is parked, feeling like I’ve been knocked out of a tornado—overwhelming relief that my sister did nothing to humiliate me but without the ever-present anxiety, I feel weak. I walk Lucas to his car, the ground or my legs unsteady. There are patches of ice, so I’ll blame the concrete etched in frost that Lucas can draw in under five minutes and so realistically I’d shuddered. He reaches out to steady me, and immediately I’m strong.

“It is icy,” he says, holding my hand and glancing down at the one area of bare concrete where I stand.

I keep holding onto Lucas because he makes me strong and stable, resilient. I’m not talking, which I know is weird, and by now he has to have noticed there’s no ice under my feet. But he gets a little closer, smiles a little wider.

“I had such a good night,” I say.

He nods.

“You were amazing with the girls. Shenanigans wanted to keep all your caribou drawings and frame them.”

“Nah.” He glances down at the space between us. “They were just saying that.”

I shake my head. “You’re an amazing artist.” I know I’m going to sound like a flabbergasted fan but I can’t help it. “You’re the best artist I’ve ever met. Hell, the best artist I’ve ever seen.”

“Now I know you’re fibbing.”

He either can’t handle a compliment or has no clue how talented he is. So I try again, clutching his hand a little tighter. “No, you don’t understand. I know I haven’t seen a lot of art and am maybe not the best at judging, but that could make me perfect to tell you that you’re, seriously, hands down, the best artist I’ve ever met. And I would be so, very honored to write a poem comic—comic poem? Whatever way you say it—with you. No pressure, of course. But if you’re up for that sort of thing… Yeah, your art is the best…ever.” I sound a little like Meg, a tad more juvenile than I meant. But actually, I mean the words I’m uttering.

He shrugs and can’t quite meet me in the eye. “I guess there was one caribou that was pretty good.”

With my free hand, I playfully smack him. “Pretty good? Listen, you don’t have to be humble here. You’re the best, the best I’ve ever—”

He swoops down, his eyes closing before impact.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.