First story, be kind, leave feedback, and know that if you like the story I will be posting more. If not, well, not so many will be uploaded.
Enjoy, Hidden Feelings.
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Where do I begin? My life's changed so much that I hardly recognize myself sometimes. So much has transpired in such a short frame of time that I wonder how I survive.
2 years it has been. And despite all that's happened I wouldn't change a thing. Not one iota of my life has been easy, but I still would not change a thing, for all my bitching, someone stood by me for those two years. Someone I can now happily call the love of my life. They gave me advice where I had no idea, they comforted me when I was down, hell, they stopped short of adopting me as their sister. That's why it was so difficult for her. That's right. Her....
Wednesday. The 15th. I remember it so vividly because three things happened in quick succession: My house caught fire, my mom was involved in a car accident and my boyfriend dumped me.
Jaded about the fire, I floated through the day going nowhere in particular, not paying attention to my work or much else for that matter.
I was about to walk into a small Bookshop, for no reason in particular, when Rebecca came up behind me and tapped me on my shoulder. I turned, half expecting to see someone offering me something I dropped from my purse. Yeah, I'm a klutz like that, imagine my surprise when I saw 'Rebecca?'
'Hey Alex, what's up?' she asked, seeing my jaded look and I shook my head 'Grab a seat, maybe some popcorn, because here is the soap opera that is my life' I said and she smiled reassuringly as I told her about the fire in my two bedroom house just on the outskirts of town. She listened intently, eyes never leaving mine. God those eyes, the most startling shade of blue/violet I've ever seen.
'Oh my gosh Allie, I'm so sorry' she said and brushed her hand on my arm gently. I nodded, unaware that her hand lingered longer than it usually did 'Well, that's life, seems it doesn't like me though'
Rebecca smiled 'well it's only because you're gonna kick its ass one day'. I couldn't suppress a chuckle. 'Only as revenge for this' I said and she smirked.'What's the state of the house?' she asked, and I sighed.
'I've lost half my house in the fire, and the insurance companies said they can only reimburse the fire damage and not the contents that were lost'
She smiled again and nodded, then her eyes lit up for a second. 'Do you need a place to stay while they re-build your house?' she asked and I thought for a second, I had hoped to ask someone as it wouldn't be for long, maybe a month or two, so I nodded, albeit sheepishly 'Yeah, just until I can get on my feet, and I can pay rent if you want' I offered but she shook her head almost immediately.
'Nonsense, you're my friend and I'm sure I can manage, my apartment's too big for one person anyway' she said and I smiled 'Thanks Rebecca, I don't know who I would've asked' I admitted and she plastered on that thunderbolt smile again that lit up my day 'Could've asked me' she said and winked and I blushed 'Well, I didn't want to impose'
She sighed 'As I said the place is too big, I mean, it echoes when I speak on the phone for Christ's sake' she said with a coy grin and I laughed again. She glanced at her watch. 'Shoot I have to go, come around tonight to have a look, you know where I live' I nodded as she walked away, and I felt my eyes casually wander down the soft tresses of her auburn hair.
I shook my head. There was a time I thought, well, hoped really.....But, no, those days were gone. I hope.
Not much else happened that day, at least not yet, but I found myself smiling as I usually did when I ran into Rebecca. I wondered what she was doing on this side of town, she worked across the town at a small publishing agency, and she lived even further away than that. I dismissed it as my over-thinking things again, I have a tendency to do that I guess.
Looking idly at my watch, I noticed it was nearly 7pm. The sun began to set over the ocean and I smiled. If I hurried, I could catch the sunset at Rebecca's place. I downed the last of my soy latté very quickly (yes I'm a Soy chugger, what are you gonna do?), and decided to go around to Rebecca's place to have a look around, and when I saw the apartment complex I gasped. I had seen it multiple times before and it provoked the same reaction as always.
It was just so huge, and it was right on the coast, providing a stunning view of the Atlantic Ocean, and when the sun sets, it has the best view in Southern Florida.
I shook my head as I got into the pristine elevator up to the twelfth floor; a floor that offered some of the best views of the woodland surrounding the town and the mountains to the West, as well as the ocean sunsets to the East.
I stepped out of the elevator and knocked on the door and when it was opened, I nearly gasped again. Rebecca was wearing her hair in a ponytail, an errand strand of hair cascaded down her face and she wore a tight blouse over a white tee shirt, both were spattered with paint. The sunset in the background melded with her hair and cast a shadow on her face, although she looked like she was about to tell me to rack off, she looked stunningly beautiful.
She held a paintbrush in her teeth, and when she saw it was me she took it out and pulled me into a hug, her eyes lighting up instantly. 'Hey you, come to see where you'll be living?' she asked and I nodded, unwillingly breaking the warm embrace. It was the closest thing to human interaction I had had since the Insurance Company called me on my cell.
I stepped into her apartment and let out a low whistle when I saw the place; a large, open plan kitchen blended into the living area, leading to large glass doors that opened onto a balcony. She walked past me, brushing herself unnecessarily against me and stepping towards the large doors that led to the balcony. I noticed painting supplies and an easel had been set up, but I couldn't make out the painting yet.
'Make yourself at home roomie' she said with another one of her famous smiles, forcing me to smile back. 'You caught me just as I was painting' She said as she stepped out onto the balcony and brushed her paintbrush across the canvas.
I followed her and leant on the door, letting out another low gasp as I saw her capture the likeness of the sun on her canvas perfectly, then the ocean perfectly still and reflecting the dying glow of the sun.
In a few brushstrokes she captured the very essence of her apartment complex and the people on the beach, it was as if she was in a helicopter and viewing the scene from a distance as she painted a balcony.
I stood there until the sun had gone down and she opened her eyes that I hadn't realized she was shutting, and let out a sigh as a smile parted her lips and she looked at me.
'That's how I paint' she said, and handed me the canvas.
'Still wet' she warned and I gazed in awe at the painting, the people milling about on the beach, some flying kites, some sitting on blankets, the apartment complex and the faint figure standing there with the flowing auburn hair, the setting sun with its orange glow and crimson fire, she had included a few stars as the reds faded to blues and the darkness of night at the edge of the canvas.
I stared at the painting for a while. It was absolutely stunning. I looked back to Rebecca who was standing in the kitchen and turning on the stove.
