Untouchable

“What do you think of this one?” Kellan held a shade of red up for Emma to examine. The duo had been searching through various shades of wall paint for Selena’s room. The shattered mirror and bloody carpet had become a horrific reminder of the “suicide” scene. Selena would be coming home from the hospital the next day and they only had a few hours to finish up the almost completed masterpiece.

Emma grimaced at the piece of paper. “It reminds me of blood.”

Kellan stuffed the shade back into the correct section. “You’re right.” He leaned against the wall. “Maybe I shouldn’t be helping you do this. Selena told me that she didn’t want me around.”

“Are you sure she said that? That doesn’t sound like her.”

He rolled his eyes. “Technically, she didn’t tell me to my face, but I know what she must’ve been thinking. I mean, am I really that…I don’t know: repulsive?”

Emma sighed and strode around Kellan, shuffling through the shelves. “I don’t know, Kellan. You’re attractive among other things, I guess.”

“Attractive among other things? What does that mean?” He raised his eyebrows in wonder.

Emma pulled two paint shades from the shelves and up to eye level. She muttered, “I don’t know. Pink or purple?”

“Purple; she hates pink, especially that shade of it,” he replied. Emma tilted her head to the side and pushed the pink back in its slot. Kellan waited for a few seconds. “Are you going to answer my question or just leave me pondering your meaning?”

“The first one.”

“Emma.”

“What? What do you need?”

“You realize you just told me you were going to give me an answer to my question and yet you still haven’t?” Kellan watched as Emma handed over the satin-finish paint can and the shade card to the person behind the counter.

Emma whipped her head toward him, “You’re not Taylor.”

“Thank you, Captain Obvious.” He scoffed, feeling somewhat quizzical. “But what does that have to do with anything?”

“I can’t answer your question because—”
“—you only have eyes for Taylor.”

Emma weighed his second half to her sentence and nodded. “For lack of better terms, yes. And now, I think I’ve made our conversation even more awkward than before.” Kellan nodded from the corner of her eye. “Don’t worry. She’ll come around as soon as she gets over the whole suicide attempt thing, which I totally don’t buy.” She muttered the last part of her sentence.

“I don’t either, Emma. You’re her best friend. Can’t you figure out what really happened?”

Emma bit her lip intensely. Taylor had filled her in on parts of the story, but she couldn’t tell Kellan. She felt guilty that she and her boyfriend knew what really happened, and he didn’t. She had no other choice but to lie. “Nope, I can’t. Taylor’s been in the hospital with Selena for a week, watching her every move. Besides, don’t you enjoy our ever-so valuable bonding time together?”

“Oh, very much so, m’lady.” He smiled casually. “So…we should probably go finish the room, shouldn’t we?”

Emma checked her phone for the time. “Damn, we only have until tomorrow morning. We’d have to stay up all night to finish.”

“I’m up for it if you are. But I prefer to have my cash up front.” Emma slapped him on the arm and he laughed. “I’m just kidding. You can pay me after,” he joked.

She handed the money to the worker and grabbed the paint can. “It’s a good thing we already primed the walls. We’ll have to get Taylor to stall until we’re finished.” She glanced at him, mocking Kellan’s remark from earlier. “You’re his best friend. Can’t you figure out a way to get him to stall?”

“Hey! Those were my words last time I checked.”

“Yeah, well, now they’re mine,” Emma smirked.

Kellan held the door open for her as she stepped outside into the parking lot. “You know that I could’ve carried that for you, right?”

“I’m a big girl; I can do it.” Emma’s heel hit a rock and she dropped the paint can while trying to regain her balance. “Crap!” Before she could catch it, a pale hand grasped it. “Oh God, thank you,” Emma gave the stranger a tight hug of gratitude. “You basically just saved my best friend’s room’s…life?” She laughed nervously at herself.

The brunette cutie smiled crookedly. “I’m glad I could be of assistance. I guess good reflexes do pay off.” He stared into her green eyes. “Especially if I get to meet a pretty girl.”

“Thank—wait, you’re Logan, right?”

“That’s what they named me at birth,” Logan grinned. “Let me take this to your car for you.”

Emma smiled. “Thanks, but, uh, my car’s actually right here.”

“And so is her boyfriend,” Kellan pulled Emma into a side hug and took the can from Logan. “Is this guy hitting on you, baby?”

Emma wiggled out of his grasp. “No, sweetie. He was just being a gentlemen, unlike some people.” She smiled at Logan. “I have to go. My…boyfriend and I have certain things we have to do.”

“It’s okay; I have a feeling I’ll be seeing you soon,” Logan half-waved and retreated to his own vehicle. Emma stood with her forehead knitted in confusion.

Kellan snuck up behind her. “Nice moves, Em. Maybe next time we can invite Taylor and he can watch you flirt with another guy in front of his back.”

“I was not flirting! I was being courteous after he saved this very expensive and valuable paint. I paid a whole…thirty-five bucks for it.” Emma frowned. “Can we just not talk about this?”

“You were flirting enough for me to have to pretend to be your boyfriend.” Kellan took a deep breath. “Fine, Em. You get a free ‘get of jail’ card for now. But we will talk about this later. And I mean that. I love you like a sister, but I won’t let you hurt Taylor.”

Emma and Kellan lay sprawled on the cream carpet of Selena’s room, literally watching the paint dry. It had taken them five hours to paint the entire room (leisure time included) and another two to put up the wall decors and bring the furniture back in.

“Do you think she’ll like it,” Emma asked.

“I think she’ll love anything that comes from you,” Kellan replied, rising from the floor.

Emma sat up. “Where are you going?”

“Home. If Selena comes home and finds me here, she’ll probably land herself back in the hospital. Do me a favor and don’t tell her I had anything to do with this. If having me out of her life is what makes her happy, then so be it.”

“Come on, Kellan. I’m sure that’s not what she meant.”

“Promise me, Emma, that you won’t see that Logan guy again. I don’t know what kind of spell he has you under, but I have to protect my best friend just like you have to protect yours.”

“I…promise you.”