Chapter 229: The Castle
When it came to painting, home was actually pretty chill, and I liked to paint in a quiet spot. But the house was kinda cramped, and there was no room for a big easel, so I couldn't really work on larger pieces.
Ever since I was a kid, I've dreamed of having a big, bright, and decked-out art studio. For a bunch of reasons, that dream hadn't come true yet.
But then, the place Adam brought me to totally nailed all my studio fantasies in a different way.
The space here was huge, with easels and boards of all sizes, and it didn't feel cramped at all. It was perfect for my painting needs.
This was a sweet surprise for me.
Adam, he totally won me over with a glass house.
This just goes to show, there's no one in this world who can't be persuaded, and nothing that can't be done. It's all about how you do it and if you really hit their sweet spot.
Adam totally hit mine.
I was all in for the glass house, no questions asked.
"Hey, this place is so awesome, let's give it a name. How about we call it Crystal House?" That afternoon, Adam made a bunch of trips between my place and Crystal House, moving all my painting stuff and setting up a workspace for me in the sunniest spot, which I was super happy with.
With an art studio, I started going there early every day to paint. Since it wasn't far from home, I could stay late, usually heading back after 8 PM.
With such a comfy setup, my mood was great, and my creative progress took off.
Oh, and I checked out the new materials from FutureVision. No big changes, just some tweaks that didn't mess with the overall plan and layout.
Maybe 'cause it was summer break, not many people came to Crystal House to paint, actually, hardly anyone. Most of the time, it was just Adam and me.
Adam was into oil painting, and his style was totally different from mine, but our take on art had this cool vibe. During breaks, I'd watch him paint and we'd chat about stuff.
In just a few days, Adam and I became good friends through Crystal House and painting.
Every night when I got home, Yancy would have dinner ready, waiting with Mia for me to eat. Whenever I got home, that's when we'd start dinner.
I mentioned a few times that I got back too late, messing up their regular mealtime, and that they shouldn't wait for me, just save me some food.
But Mia insisted on waiting for me, saying that now we were a family, and a family should eat together to feel like a home.
Having someone waiting for you always feels awesome, so I agreed.
Brad's video calls came like clockwork, three times a day, always asking about what I ate, if I was tired, and reminding me to rest, and he never got tired of it.
Brad and I kinda avoided talking about Jenny, 'cause we both knew that once we did, the convo might go sideways. Brad would say there was nothing between him and her and that I should wait for him. And I'd have all sorts of mixed feelings.
How could a guy stay indifferent when facing a girl who liked him for years and even saved his life? His heart wasn't made of stone.
So, I didn't dare to bring it up casually 'cause I was scared it might blow up. It wasn't that I didn't trust Brad; I totally believed in his loyalty to us. But I also knew his character. He'd definitely feel like he owed Jenny big time for saving his life.
The thing that bugged me the most was Jenny herself. I mean, usually, it's the guys saving the girls in a crisis, right? A girl saving a guy? That's rare unless it was a fluke or on purpose. I didn't wanna be a jerk and say Jenny did it just to get Brad's gratitude, but hey, it could happen.
What really messed with my head was that Jenny couldn't move her lower body. As a grown man, how was Brad supposed to take care of her? Bathing, changing clothes, using the bathroom—how involved did he have to get?
Unless I forced myself not to think about it, the second I did, I felt all kinds of uncomfortable, wishing I could just sprout wings and fly over to see if Brad was there, eyes closed, helping her bathe and dress.
Since I found out Jenny was the one who saved Brad, I hadn't had a moment of peace. So many times, I wanted to just go there myself, drag Brad back, and tell him to forget about it.
But I couldn't. Brad was all about responsibility and doing the right thing. He couldn't just ignore what Jenny went through for him.
And I couldn't let Brad be seen as a heartless jerk because of me.
So, I kept telling myself that I was the only one Brad loved, and he wouldn't do anything to hurt me. I believed in him. When Daniel tortured us, Brad never gave up on me for a second, and he wouldn't for Jenny either.
The intense love Brad gave me was my rock.
What I couldn't wrap my head around was, Jenny was so badly hurt that if the treatment didn't go well, she might end up paralyzed. Why hadn't any of her family shown up?
Where was her family? It was impossible that she had no relatives at all.
These questions haunted me every day, making it hard to breathe. I kept telling myself that Brad only loved me, and I believed him. It wasn't that I didn't dare to ask or couldn't ask, but I trusted him, and there was no need to bring it up. But not asking meant no answers, which left me uneasy and frustrated.
I was unhappy and anxious every day. I could only tell myself over and over that it was just 'cause we had been apart for too long and I missed him, nothing else.
That night during our video call, Brad noticed my painting supplies were missing from the table and asked why. I then remembered I forgot to tell him about moving to Crystal House.
I casually sent him a few photos of Crystal House from my album. After looking at them for a while, he seemed a bit unsettled and asked who designed it, saying it looked childish like a little girl's princess house.
I said it was Adam, and then added, "Brad, you're really an unromantic guy. Don't you know that every girl has a princess dream from childhood? Owning a dream castle is every girl's fantasy."
Brad was unusually quiet after hearing that, just staring at me with those deep eyes.
I couldn't stand this vibe, like he was trying to see if I was guilty or something. I glared at him, annoyed. There was nothing going on, so why was he acting all jealous?
Besides, if anyone should be jealous, it should be me. I was completely innocent, while he was with another woman every day. Who knew what might happen?
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