I was painting Theo, I realized. Or at least, the version of him I’d glimpsed behind the mask. The one who had taken a chance on me, who had trusted me completely for one magical night.
“Shit,” I whispered, setting down my brush. This was exactly what Professor Aurelia told me I needed to do. To allow my feelings creep into my work. Into mylife.
I hated it when the professors were right.
But as I stared at the half-finished figure on my canvas, I couldn’t bring myself to paint over it. Instead, I picked up my brush again and continued, adding more detail, more life. If this was all I could have of Theo, then so be it. A painting, unlike the man himself, posed no danger to me.
And if I could finish it in time, maybe I’d hang it in the Junior Art Exhibition.
Chapter 13
Teddy
The moment I stepped into the Burrow Gallery, I knew I’d overdressed for the occasion. By afucking mile.
Going to exhibitions with my parents was a suit and tie affair. There was always champagne, hors d’oeuvre, schmoozing, and no small amount of money flying out of people’s checkbooks. But when I stepped into the student gallery, I realized I was wearing a tie while surrounded by nothing but jeans and hoodies.
I immediately stepped right back out of the room and took off my tie and blazer, stuffing both of them onto a hanger in the unused coat closet. Then I unbuttoned three buttons, ruffled my hair a bit, and hoped nobody noticed that I looked like I worked at an insurance agency before heading back inside.
The gallery was already filling with students, faculty, and a few alumni donors who’d come to see the latest batch of artistic talent. I scanned the room, trying not to seem too obvious about searching for a specific redhead. My palms were sweating, and I could feel my heart hammering against my ribs. This was a terrible idea. I wasn’t ready to face him. To face what had happened between us. But I couldn’t force myself to leave either. Not when I could be so close to figuring out who he was.
I grabbed a plastic cup of cheap wine from a table near the entrance and took a large gulp, grimacing at the acidic taste. It was nothing like the vintages my father served at his gallery events. It was gas station wine at best.
“First time at a student exhibition?” asked a voice beside me.
I turned to find a woman with silver-streaked hair and intelligent eyes studying me. Her name tag identified her as Professor Aurelia.
“That obvious?” I replied, trying to sound casual.
“You have thatdeer-in-headlightslook,” she said with a gentle smile. “Are you here to support a friend or just curious?”
“Kinda both, I guess,” I mumbled, taking another sip of terrible wine. “I’m just browsing, really.”
She nodded knowingly. “Well, don’t miss the seascapes in the north corner. We have a particularly talented painter this year who captures the ocean like no one I’ve seen in decades.”
My interest piqued instantly. “Seascapes?”
“Indeed. Follow the wall to your right and you can’t miss them.”
I thanked her and began making my way through the crowd, my heart beating faster with each step. Seascapes. It had to be him. Neptune, or whatever his real name was. The mysterious redhead who’d taken my virginity and disappeared by morning.
I moved slowly through the gallery, pausing occasionally to examine a piece so as not to seem too eager. There was impressive work all around. There was magical photography that shifted perspectives as you walked past, sculptures that hummed with contained energy, and even a tapestry woven from enchanted thread that changed colors with the viewer’s mood.
But I barely registered any of it as I made my way toward the north corner.
When I finally reached the collection of ocean paintings, I stopped dead in my tracks. There were five of them, arranged ina semicircle, each more breathtaking than the last. Storms and waves captured with such precision I could almost feel the spray on my face. The artist had a way of making water seem alive and dangerous, yet beautiful.
And then I saw it, the centerpiece of the collection. A ship battling a ferocious storm, but with sunlight breaking through on the horizon. And standing at the bow of the ship, facing the light, was…
Was thatme?!
I moved closer, unable to believe my eyes. The figure was unmistakable. He had my build, my stance, and even the golden hair that seemed to glow in the painted sunlight. But maybe I was making it up, projecting myself onto a painting in the hopes that it was the work of my mysterious lover. However, the more I stared, the more I couldn’t help believing that I was right. It reallywasme standing on the bow of that ship.
“Do you like it?”
The voice behind me sent a jolt down my spine. I knew that voice. I’d heard it whisper filthy encouragements in my ear as its owner fucked me senseless. I’d heard it praise me as I took his cock in my mouth for the first time.
I turned slowly, and there he was.Neptune. My mysterious redhead. He was wearing dark jeans and a blue sweater that made his eyes seem impossibly brighter. Without the mask, I could finally see his full face. The high cheekbones, full lips, and those strange, luminous blue eyes that seemed to shift like the sea itself.