“Oh? So you knew he was a bad guy and you got into his car anyway?”
Her fist balled up as she glared at me. “Why did you even come outside then?”
“Excuse me? I live here! I can come outside if I like. You’re the one who disappeared for five hours.”
“You’re the one that left me!”
“Did I not say to call when you were done?”
“No!”
I paused as I realized I hadn’t. “Well, I meant to. Here, take some of these.” I outstretched my hand for her to take half her shit back. But she just stared. “Equality. I have half, you have half.”
“You’re every girl’s dream, aren’t you?”
“I don’t need every girl, just one.” We’d been going back and forth but the moment I said it I saw her eyes widen. “Not you—”
“You have a long lost love? Is that why your books always end tragically? For some reason it didn’t work out and so now your characters can never be happy? Is that why this new book is so hard for you to write?”
Return to sender. I wanted to stamp it on her forehead and ship her off.
“Give me your other hand,” I told her.
As she lifted her other arm with a confused look on her face as I placed the rings of the bags over it causing her hand to drop under their weight. Reaching into my back pocket I then pulled out a key which I placed into one of the bags.
“The guest house is around back. What you do with your day is your business. Just let me know. I don’t like people wandering around my house. Goodnight.”
“What happened to equality?!”
“This is equality. I came with nothing I’m leaving with nothing.”
“That’s justice, not equality.”
“Huh…” I nodded slowly. “That’s true. Goodnight.” I turned back around and walked up the stairs to the house.
“Oh, everyone is right! You are a massive jerk!”
“And you’re my number one fan!” I replied slamming the door behind me and the moment I was alone everything I’d just done came flooding back to me. Why was I acting like such a child?
Alfred. His name flashed through my mind. I was acting this way because if she’d gotten
herself lost or hurt again he’d come here personally to talk me to death.
That was the reason.
Heading back to my room I took off my jacket and tossed it onto the bed and turned back to the painting. Kicking off my shoes I sat in front of it and picked up the paintbrush. Dipping the bristles into the gold paint, I touched it lightly to the canvas, creating a thin streak that became her golden nose ring. Her hazel brown eyes sparkled too.
I don’t need every girl just one…Just one who apparently looked differently each time, I thought as I glanced from the painting to my bedroom window, watching as Klutzarella herself heaved all the bags she’d bought onto the deck of the guest house before collapsing there for a moment. The winds blew strands of her hair around her face and she muttered what had to be a curse at me though I didn’t know why. She had her own private place overlooking the water completely rent free because I was just that nice a guy. If she didn’t like it she could leave.
“Ah—” I hissed reaching up to my eye as the paintbrush dropped from my hand.
No. Not again.
“AH!” I slipped as I tried to make for my bed but fell just short of it.
1599 Ogrohayon (November) – Lahore, capital of Hindustan, the Mughal Empire.
“My son! Another victory—”