( Lira's Bedroom – Saturday Afternoon)
Mood: Stressy. Messy. Sweats on. Music blasting.
Goal: Paint something normal. Chill. Harmless.
Reality: Emotional bloodbath via brushstroke.
I was trying to distract myself.
You know—after Hoodie War and the accidental fashion tug-of-war between two emotionally repressed boys??
So I did what I always do when my brain is melting.
I painted.
And it started okay.
Background: soft dusk sky.
Brushstrokes: calm, pretty, peaceful.
Then the shape of a face emerged.
Strong jawline. Sharp cheekbones. Dark messy hair.
Okay. Must be Aeron.
But then—
A glint of mischief in the eyes. A softer smirk. Slight wave to the hair.
Wait. That's... Damian?
Hold on—WHY DOES THIS FACE LOOK LIKE BOTH OF THEM COMBINED.
I backed away from the easel like it was haunted.
"WHAT IN THE ROMANTIC VOLDEMORT IS THIS."
30 Minutes Later – FaceTiming Mina
Me: shows her the painting
Mina: screams like a banshee
"YOU MADE A LOVECHILD WITH YOUR BRAIN."
Me: "It was supposed to be a vibe painting."
Mina: "Well the vibe said: 'You're emotionally doomed, girl.'"
I stared at it again.
It wasn't one of them.
It was... both.
The eyes: broody like Aeron, but warmer like Damian.
The mouth: that crooked, teasing smirk I swore I hated.
The jawline: sharp. Aeron.
The tilt of the head: cocky. Damian.
The energy? Mine. Chaotic, confused, soft.
I wanted to scream into a paint bucket.
Mina (still yelling):
"LIRA. You don't paint lies. Your art is your diary and your crushes just leaked out of your BRUSH."
Me: "I—I'm gonna burn it."
Mina: "NO YOU WON'T, YOU ART GOBLIN. Frame it. Analyze it. Cry about it. THEN maybe burn it."
That Night – Looking at the Painting Again
The worst part?
I liked it.
It was beautiful. Raw.
It captured how they both made me feel.
Safe. Seen. Nervous. Excited. Scared.
What did that say about me?
What did it say about them?
What if I didn't want to pick a side yet?
What if I wasn't ready?
I signed the bottom corner:
"Unknown."
Because that's what this was.
Unknown. Complicated. Beautiful.
Just like how I felt.
End of Chapter 23