Chapter 2

I looked up, crashing straight into Kaelen’s furious eyes.

But as soon as the words left his mouth, he froze.

It was the exact same thing he used to yell at me whenever he got mad, back before we broke up.

Like when I accidentally sliced my finger cutting apples for him.

Or when I worked the fryer at a diner and hot grease splattered across the back of my hand.

He would always snap at me, his voice sharp and heavy, "Elowen, do you just not care about your hands anymore?"

He always said my hands were meant for painting, not for cheap labor.

He treasured my hands. He treasured my art. Just like he treasured me.

After all, we met at an art show.

The annual senior art exhibition.

We were in different majors; he was a senior, a year ahead of me. We had zero connection.

But that day, while the gallery buzzed with people, he stood alone in a quiet corner.

He stared at my painting for a solid hour.

I was thrilled.

I hovered around him, chattering non-stop, explaining my work and asking for his thoughts.

He barely said a word back.

I only found out later that he suffered from severe clinical depression.

That day at the gallery was his first day out after recovering from a suicide attempt.

But that didn't scare me away.

We quickly became friends.

And then... lovers.

He came to my studio every single day to watch me paint.

No matter how much I rambled, he listened to every word.

And slowly, day by day, amidst my endless chatter, a faint smile began to surface in his dark, heavy eyes.

I stayed by his side as he slowly pieced his life back together.

But right before graduation, his wealthy East Coast family stepped in.

They demanded we break up, claiming the status gap between us was too wide.

Kaelen didn't hesitate. He cut ties with his family and ran away with me.

He promised me that no matter how hard it got, he would make sure I became a big artist.

He told me my art saved his life, so I should never feel guilty about what he sacrificed.

I was the sun that pulled him out of the abyss.

But I betrayed him without a second thought.

Because I told him I was sick of waiting.

I told him I couldn't rely on the bloody money he made in underground bare-knuckle fights or the pennies he scrubbed from dirty plates just to fund my dreams.

"Why are you doing this kind of work?"

The memories faded.

Kaelen snapped back to reality and dropped my hand.

"Since when do banquet servers have to scrub floors and pick up trash?"

His voice went flat. He looked just like the emotionless shell I met all those years ago.

"Just trying to make an extra buck," I said awkwardly, hiding my hands behind my back.

I glanced around and let out a quiet sigh of relief.

The other staff had already left. No one was watching us.

"I partied too hard back in the day, blew my money on a bad business deal. Now I’m just picking up odd jobs to pay off my debt."

I crouched down to gather the broken glass, refusing to meet his eyes.

"Good thing I ran into you today. You tip so well..."

He swatted my hand away.

In total silence, Kaelen picked up the jagged shards himself and tossed them into the nearby trash can.

Then he stood up, towering over me.

"Are you still painting?"

I stayed crouched on the floor, my hands empty.

My mind went blank for a second, but I forced myself to look up at him calmly.

"Of course. It's my main career."

He just stared at me without saying a word.

My heart hammered against my ribs.

I was terrified he'd see right through my lie and cancel the wedding gig.

Thankfully, a ringing phone shattered the silence.

"Kaelen, are you almost home? I made some ginger tea for your hangover."

The woman's voice coming through the speaker was soft and sweet.

I took a step back, silently repeating her name in my head.

Cecily Ashford.

The perfect fiancée his friends always talked about.

The ultimate match for his world.

"I'm almost there," Kaelen replied.

He paused. "You've got a cold. You need to rest. Don't wait up for me, just go to sleep."

I kept my head down, but I could feel his heavy gaze burning into me as he spoke to her.

I swallowed the bitter lump in my throat.

While he was still on the line, I slowly backed away, trying to slip out unnoticed.

"Elowen."

The second I turned around, Kaelen hung up the phone.

"You've been hiding for seven years. Is there really any point in running anymore?"

"See you tomorrow."