Page 23 of Cruel King
Turning to face me, he smiles, and I question how I could have ever missed how sexy he could be. “Are you okay?”
With a nod, I sigh. “Definitely okay. You okay?”
His smile widens, and he nods in return. “I’m definitely okay too.”
He wraps his arm around my body and pulls me close. Resting my head on his chest, I listen to the sound of his heartbeat, loving the way he feels so strong beneath my cheek. He kisses the top of my head, letting his lips linger for a moment before he tightens his hold around me in a way that makes me feel like the entire world can fall away as long as I’m here with him.
Matthias returns to saying nothing, but now, I’m not concerned about his silence. In a strange way, it comforts me and makes this moment mean more than I could have ever imagined possible.
CHAPTERELEVEN
Matthias
For an hour,Ava and I lie in my bed saying little. I suspect she wishes I would talk about something after our time together, but all I can think of is how perfect this feels with her in my arms. I don’t want to ruin it by saying the wrong thing.
I turn to look out the window and see the snow still falling. I’d forgotten it was even still a blizzard out there. That’s what she does to me. Everything ceases to exist when I’m with her.
Finally, Ava lifts her head up off my chest. A pink blush colors her cheeks, making her even more beautiful than usual. “So, I feel like neither one of us knows what to say now.”
“Do we have to say anything?” I ask, sincerely hoping the answer is no because dissecting what we just did would likely steal all the magic from it.
She thankfully shakes her head and smiles. “No. I just thought someone should break the silence.”
I can’t help but think she’s worried now, but she’d have good reason if she is. My emotions when it comes to her haven’t exactly come off as being even-keeled. I know that’s my fault. She has no idea how hard I had to fight wanting to be with her before I finally surrendered to the reality that I’m crazy about her.
Then an idea comes to me. Maybe if she knows about something I don’t share with most people she’ll see she can trust me not to turn into that dick I’ve been far too often with her.
Reaching around her, I open my nightstand and pull out my sketchbook. Ava looks at it and then at me like she doesn’t understand what’s going on.
“Planning on writing something? Seems like a strange time to do that,” she says with a nervous giggle.
I push myself up as she sits cross-legged next to me. Setting the book on my lap, I open the cover to the first page where there’s a sketch of some trees I drew one day five summers ago. She looks down at it and then lifts her head to look at me again.
“You draw? I didn’t know you drew. This is really good, Matthias,” she says sweetly.
With a nod, I smile, proud of what is actually a pretty basic sketch. “It’s not bad. This was the first drawing I made when I got this sketchbook. I have others full of landscapes and objects I’ve toyed around with.”
She shakes her head in amazement. “I had no idea. How long have you been doing this?”
I think about that question for a moment and shrug. “Ten years? Maybe longer. I don’t know how I even started, to be honest. One day I just found myself doodling like I always did when I was bored, but the doodle turned out to be an actual picture and not just scribbles like usual. My mother saw me, and like she always did whenever she saw one of us get good at something, she ran out and bought me a sketchbook just like this. From that day on, whenever I can, I work on getting better. These trees aren’t very good compared to what I can do now.”
“Can I see more?”
Like always, Ava is eager and sweet, and for one of the first times ever, I don’t hesitate to show off what I’ve drawn. Most people have no idea I do this in my spare time. It’s not something I want to share with the world.
But I want her to see them, so I begin to flip through the pages, narrating what I was doing and when I drew each image as I get to it. She listens intently, like she’s truly interested in everything I have to say, and compliments the ones she likes the most.
It’s the first time sharing my sketches with anyone outside of my brothers and my mother. My father doesn’t have any interest in this hobby of mine, as he likes to call it. Art isn’t going to make me any real money, according to him, so it’s not something I should waste my time on.
“I wish I had a talent like this. I bet this is good when you’re feeling bad, isn’t it?” Ava asks.
With a shrug, I avoid admitting how much it helps having the ability to express myself when I feel like shit and there’s nobody to talk to. Instead, I turn the focus to her talents.
“You have soccer. I know you love that, right?” I say as I turn the page to a picture of a bowl of fruit.
Ava sighs. “Yeah, but I haven’t had that since I graduated. That’s the worst part of taking this year off. No soccer. Nothing to keep me busy or in shape.”
I scowl at her mention of not being in shape. “Trust me. You’re in great shape.”