“Won’t,” Poe adds. “It’s all true, 4.”
“What about you?” TJ wiggles his brows at me.
“What about me?”
“Have you gotten the same vibe from Anton? We hear there’s a history between you two. What’s your endgame here?”
“Teej.” Anton sounds threatening. “Don’t.”
“What?” TJ crosses his impressive arms. “You know we’re gonna look out for you. Not going to let her write some sort of blasphemy.”
“Excellent word choice,” Poe says, pointing at TJ. “Blasphemy.”
TJ doffs a pretend hat. “Learned from the best, my man.”
They both look to me. I flick my eyes to Anton, who looks decidedly uncomfortable, and back to them.
I’m not about to discuss our relationship history with his friends before I discuss it with him. And really, there’s nothing to discuss. The past is the past. Right? Right.
“I respect the way you have Anton’s back. It says a lot about him and about you. I’m not going to publish any type of smear campaign, if that’s what you’re afraid of.”
I hold their stares, shifting only to make eye contact with each of Anton’s friends. I want them to know I have no intention of hurting him. My heart balloons at their care for him. It’s something he never got within his given family, but it seems like he’s found it with his chosen family.
“Alright, then.” Del blinks first. “We good, fellas?”
“I am if you are.” TJ nods, but then he points at Poe. “But I’m slightly terrified of what’s going on over here.”
Poe holds up a blank canvas. “What’s so terrifying about portrait painting?”
20
Picture Perfect
Anton
As it turns out, portrait paintingisterrifying.
“Dude. You’re making Kennedy look like Sasquatch.” TJ clucks his tongue at Del, who’s currently painting Stephen Kennedy, our team’s star wide receiver. He showed up ten minutes after Rose, and now I understand Poe’s thought process. Del is painting Kennedy and vice versa. TJ and Poe are painting each other. Which leaves Rose and me as partners. The six of us are facing each other, two by two at Poe’s dining table. TJ and Del are sitting across from Poe and Kennedy. Rose and I are staring at each other. We’ve got canvases set up on easels and a rainbow of acrylic paint arching between us. Poe has even provided multiple sizes of brushes.
As if that would help our cause.
I stare at my portrait of her. How am I ever supposed to capture her essence with acrylic paint? How can I possibly do her justice? I don’t know, but I’m giving it my best effort. For the first time in my entire life, I’m grateful my mom made me take private art classes as a kid.
I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time trying to paint her mouth. Probably because I can’t stop thinking about kissing that smile off her lips. She told us we should carry on and forget that she’s even here. Fat chance. I’m hyperaware of her. Every shift in the chair. Every intake of her breath. The way she tips her chin when she’s concentrating. The subtle smell of rose water that’s always been hersignature scent.
“Am not!” Del huffs, glancing across the table at Kennedy. “Don’t listen to him, K-man. You look bomb.”
“Guys.” Poe dips his brush in some black paint and swipes it across the top of his canvas. I think he’s trying to paint TJ’s hair, but I can’t be sure it’s not some sort of impressionist snake or something. “Quit it. We’re supposed to be vibing.”
I glance to my left, where Kennedy is attempting to paint Del. “If it makes you feel any better, it’s giving Abominable Snowman over here.”
“I resent that,” Kennedy says with a scowl.
Rose snickers from where she’s sitting across from me. She taps the bottom of her paint brush against her chin, bobbing her gaze up at me and then down at her canvas. A lock of hair falls over her cheek, and I want to reach out and tuck it behind her ear.
“Hey.” Poe lightly punches my shoulder, drawing my attention. “Don’t give anything away. The grand reveal at the end is the best part.”
“Says who? Have you had painting parties with people other than us?” Del pouts. “If you say yes, I’m going to be jealous.”
