Status: prewritten 12 chapters and counting.
Painting Flowers
Chapter 8
I turned and Zack was standing in the doorway to the living room on the connecting balcony. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to--” ‘It’s fine,” I waved it off. “Nathan’s just…protective.” I chose my words carefully. “Sounds jealous.” It wasn’t a judgment, it was merely an innocent observation.
“He hasn’t a right to be jealous, nor a reason. He’s just afraid I’m going to get hurt.” I caught myself about to add the word ‘again’ to the end of that, and decided it was time to change the subject. “You guys ready to go?” I asked, sliding my phone in my back pocket.
“Yeah.” He smiled, reading my expression. Somehow, I knew this was going to be kept between the two of us. When we walked back in, I noticed everyone was ready to go but Sam, who was still half asleep on the couch.
“Good morning gorgeous.” I grinned. “You not coming?”
“I’m supposed to have lunch with Will today. Then we’re going to Washington.” She said pointedly. “Oh,” I felt Jack’s eyes on me. “Let him know I’ll be there tomorrow, then? You can get ready here if you want, just lock up when you leave.”
“Mhmm.” She stifled a yawn. I laughed and grabbed my purse & a scarf and headed for the door, four of my most adorable boys on the planet in tow. The boys gathered their ID’s from Andrew and we walked about three blocks and stopped at a Au Bon Pain for breakfast. They kept me laughing the entire time, I had almost forgot about the conversation between Nathan and I, that is until the devil himself walked in the doors.
“Nathan.” I said softly. “Hey.” He looked at the boys behind me and nodded a hello. “What are you doing here?”
“Coffee.” He said with a smirk.
“Don’t be a smartass. I thought you had work today?” He laughed.
“I do in like forty minutes.” He ran his hands through his hair. “You showing them Union?”
“Yeah, Zack wants pictures.” I glanced over and Zack was already turning knobs and fixing settings on his Nikon.
“You didn’t bring your camera? I’m surprised.”
“I want her in the pictures, not taking them.” Zack grinned, making me smile.
“They spent the entire walk up here using all forms of bullshit, I mean flattery, on me.” I rolled my eyes.
“So you’re going to be the model.” Nathan said with a look of amusement playing on his face.
“They tricked me.”
“We did no such thing!” Jack grabbed me around my waist and started tickling me. For a split second, I swear I saw a look of pain on Nathans face, but it was gone as fast as it came.
“I better let you guys go then.” He stepped aside to let us pass. I wrapped my arms around him in a tight hug. He was warm and smelled like the Abercrombie cologne I got him for his birthday. “Call me later.” He whispered, before stepping gracefully out of the hug and walking away to order. I hadn’t noticed the boys absence until now. I could see now that they were outside, Zack taking picture after picture, having what looked like a serious conversation with Alex while Rian gave Jack a piggy back ride in circles. I couldn’t help but smile as I walked towards the door.
We had no sooner stepped into Union Square when it started to snow. I looked up at the sky and smiled. I heard a small click that I would recognize anywhere. At least he was getting pictures of genuine smiles. I looked at him and shook my head. Jack picked me up and spun me around. I shrieked and wrapped my arms around his neck tightly. His laugh was intoxicating. Zack directed all of us around for a while, allowing all four of us to participate in what had to be the best photo shoot I’ve ever done. I took the camera away for a few minutes, forcing him to get in some new pictures of the band. The more I saw their actions together, the more it hit me that they really were, more than anything else, a family; four brothers doing what they loved together. Zack and Alex finally got me to get back on the other side of the camera after about 20 minutes and Jack started twirling me around, the snow falling harder now.
“Kiss her!” I hear Alex shout, making me stop in my tracks.
“What?” I half squeak.
“You heard me!” He laughed, making me bury my head in Jacks chest.
“You guys really know how to put a girl on the spot!” My voice was muffled. I felt a gloved hand under my chin tilt my head up and I bit my lip. This was not happening. I looked into Jacks warm eyes and it was like at that moment, my senses went into overdrive. I felt every individual snowflake touching me, I felt his chest moving with every breath he took, I felt his heartbeat that I swear was beating just as fast as mine. Then I felt his lips touch mine softly. I was shocked, but I kissed back. I could hear the clicks of the camera, the cheers and laughter from Alex and Rian. When we broke apart, my face was still red, but now I couldn’t just blame the cold weather.
“He hasn’t a right to be jealous, nor a reason. He’s just afraid I’m going to get hurt.” I caught myself about to add the word ‘again’ to the end of that, and decided it was time to change the subject. “You guys ready to go?” I asked, sliding my phone in my back pocket.
“Yeah.” He smiled, reading my expression. Somehow, I knew this was going to be kept between the two of us. When we walked back in, I noticed everyone was ready to go but Sam, who was still half asleep on the couch.
“Good morning gorgeous.” I grinned. “You not coming?”
“I’m supposed to have lunch with Will today. Then we’re going to Washington.” She said pointedly. “Oh,” I felt Jack’s eyes on me. “Let him know I’ll be there tomorrow, then? You can get ready here if you want, just lock up when you leave.”
“Mhmm.” She stifled a yawn. I laughed and grabbed my purse & a scarf and headed for the door, four of my most adorable boys on the planet in tow. The boys gathered their ID’s from Andrew and we walked about three blocks and stopped at a Au Bon Pain for breakfast. They kept me laughing the entire time, I had almost forgot about the conversation between Nathan and I, that is until the devil himself walked in the doors.
“Nathan.” I said softly. “Hey.” He looked at the boys behind me and nodded a hello. “What are you doing here?”
“Coffee.” He said with a smirk.
“Don’t be a smartass. I thought you had work today?” He laughed.
“I do in like forty minutes.” He ran his hands through his hair. “You showing them Union?”
“Yeah, Zack wants pictures.” I glanced over and Zack was already turning knobs and fixing settings on his Nikon.
“You didn’t bring your camera? I’m surprised.”
“I want her in the pictures, not taking them.” Zack grinned, making me smile.
“They spent the entire walk up here using all forms of bullshit, I mean flattery, on me.” I rolled my eyes.
“So you’re going to be the model.” Nathan said with a look of amusement playing on his face.
“They tricked me.”
“We did no such thing!” Jack grabbed me around my waist and started tickling me. For a split second, I swear I saw a look of pain on Nathans face, but it was gone as fast as it came.
“I better let you guys go then.” He stepped aside to let us pass. I wrapped my arms around him in a tight hug. He was warm and smelled like the Abercrombie cologne I got him for his birthday. “Call me later.” He whispered, before stepping gracefully out of the hug and walking away to order. I hadn’t noticed the boys absence until now. I could see now that they were outside, Zack taking picture after picture, having what looked like a serious conversation with Alex while Rian gave Jack a piggy back ride in circles. I couldn’t help but smile as I walked towards the door.
We had no sooner stepped into Union Square when it started to snow. I looked up at the sky and smiled. I heard a small click that I would recognize anywhere. At least he was getting pictures of genuine smiles. I looked at him and shook my head. Jack picked me up and spun me around. I shrieked and wrapped my arms around his neck tightly. His laugh was intoxicating. Zack directed all of us around for a while, allowing all four of us to participate in what had to be the best photo shoot I’ve ever done. I took the camera away for a few minutes, forcing him to get in some new pictures of the band. The more I saw their actions together, the more it hit me that they really were, more than anything else, a family; four brothers doing what they loved together. Zack and Alex finally got me to get back on the other side of the camera after about 20 minutes and Jack started twirling me around, the snow falling harder now.
“Kiss her!” I hear Alex shout, making me stop in my tracks.
“What?” I half squeak.
“You heard me!” He laughed, making me bury my head in Jacks chest.
“You guys really know how to put a girl on the spot!” My voice was muffled. I felt a gloved hand under my chin tilt my head up and I bit my lip. This was not happening. I looked into Jacks warm eyes and it was like at that moment, my senses went into overdrive. I felt every individual snowflake touching me, I felt his chest moving with every breath he took, I felt his heartbeat that I swear was beating just as fast as mine. Then I felt his lips touch mine softly. I was shocked, but I kissed back. I could hear the clicks of the camera, the cheers and laughter from Alex and Rian. When we broke apart, my face was still red, but now I couldn’t just blame the cold weather.