Chapter 309 Finished
When lunchtime rolled around, Daniel said he had some stuff to handle at school and asked Rachel if she wanted to tag along.
Rachel rubbed her belly and, without a second thought, hopped into a taxi with Daniel. Before she got in, she turned to me, and I gave her a thumbs-up. She grinned and nodded seriously at me.
I hoped Rachel's pure heart and sunny vibes could pull Daniel out of his dark place.
I shook my head and sighed, making Brad shoot me a knowing smile. "C'mon, let's grab some grub. What are you in the mood for?"
"Whatever, I'm not very hungry."
Brad picked out this small but clean-looking joint. The waiter found us a pretty chill spot.
Brad and I sat across from each other, waiting for our food.
I realized I hadn't told Helen I wouldn't be coming back, so I pulled out my phone. Just as I was figuring out how to break it to her, Brad said he already gave my folks a heads-up.
"What did they say? Bet they weren't too happy."
"They were a bit miffed, but they didn't make a big deal out of it. They just asked me to look after you and said they felt better knowing you were with me."
"Brad, you're gonna spoil me rotten." I thought about what Zoe said. At home, my parents pampered me, and during these years of studying, Brad spoiled me. I barely had to lift a finger.
"Spoiling you is the plan. I'll spoil you so much you won't be able to take care of yourself, and you'll have to stick with me forever. Sounds perfect, right?"
"But I'll feel like such a slacker," I said, half-leaning on the table.
Thinking of Lillian and the others, they all handled most things themselves, and I felt they were pretty badass.
Actually, Zoe's words had kinda gotten to me.
Brad pinched my chin. "Cut the crap. Your artwork is killer, your grades are killer, and even your guitar skills are killer. How could you be useless? Don't sell yourself short."
I tilted my head, thinking for a sec. He had a point, but growing up was a must. I couldn't just coast along without giving back. "My parents are getting older, and you're way older than me. You'll definitely need someone to look after you down the line. I should learn how to take care of people. Right now, you take care of me, and when you're old, I'll take care of you. Don't worry, I'll learn how to make soup."
Brad was exasperated by my words and pinched my cheek in a mock-threatening way. His tone was fierce, but he only pinched lightly, "How dare you call me old."
I felt wronged. I didn't mean it like that. I just wanted to tell him I'd be there for him in the future.
Just as Brad and I were goofing around, someone burst into the restaurant. Seeing Brad, he rushed over to our table. "Mr. Pitt, please don't put your phone on silent. I've been looking for you for over an hour. I'm wiped out."
The boy still had a bit of a baby face, clearly a freshman.
I couldn't help but laugh, and even Brad's usually serious face had a hint of a smile. He pulled out his phone and saw over a dozen missed calls and a bunch of messages on Facebook.
"I must've hit the silent button by accident. My bad. What's the emergency?" Brad said, covering his smile with his left hand.
The young guy eyed the two dishes on the table and swallowed hard. "Mr. Pitt, can we talk over some food? I've been hunting you down for over an hour, and I'm starving."
His humor cracked us up, and Brad asked the waiter for an extra set of utensils.
Turned out, it was about a new project the school was working on. The client decided to drop by for an inspection that afternoon, and as the project lead, Brad had to be there. Plus, there were some prep tasks that needed his attention.
So, our little trip was officially toast.
I knew it. Going back to Sunhaven was never gonna be that easy.
I was bummed out, big time.
After lunch, Brad called a car to take me home before heading to school. But since no one was home and I wasn't in the mood to be alone, I decided to hit up Crystal House to paint, so I tagged along back to school with him.
Before I got out of the car, Brad ruffled my hair and told me to behave. He reminded me to steer clear of anything sketchy and to stay sharp in case of any trouble.
Seriously, couldn't he see my broken heart? He was all about his own stuff. Could he think about my feelings for once?
I forced a smile and said goodbye. Brad's eyes were locked on me, full of warning. Only after I promised him a million times that I got it did he finally get out of the car and leave.
I hadn't been to Crystal House or touched a paintbrush in days. Walking in today, I realized how much I missed it.
Guess I was stuck with my paintbrush for life.
Inside Crystal House, it was just Adam and some girl I didn't know.
The girl was sitting in front of an easel, brush in her left hand, pointing at a part of the painting with her right, saying something. Adam was standing next to her, listening patiently.
When he saw me come in, Adam paused, then quickly straightened up and awkwardly scratched his head, smiling at me. "Hey, what brings you here? Everything sorted out over there?"
At some point, Adam's attitude towards me had gotten super respectful.
It was kinda weird but also kinda nice.
"Yeah, everything's sorted. How's the prep for the competition going? Need any help?"
"Everything's pretty much ready. If anything comes up, I'll let you know. By the way, do you wanna co-sign for this competition? If you do, I'll add your name."
I hadn't signed up for this competition. The works were theirs, and I was just helping out as a consultant. I hadn't done much, so any good results would be thanks to them, not me.
In this situation, how could I ask to co-sign? So I said, "Since I don't have any works, no need to add my name. I'll be over there. Holler if you need anything."
After taking a few steps, I heard the girl whisper to Adam, "Adam, is she the one you like?"
Adam was quiet for a moment, then said, "Everyone in the art department likes her."
"She's got such a great figure, and she looks so cool when she talks. She's gorgeous. Does she have a boyfriend?"
"Yeah, her boyfriend's a pretty big deal in the art department." I could hear a bit of reluctance in Adam's voice.
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