KEL

you since fi

overs, stretching my limbs afterwards. The glue in my

s way past lunch, and I should be busy in the

d in my stuporous state, putti

lked to

, thus my deep sleep, and, strangely, I could still re

sking me if you

go on vacation," I muttered while

today?" Jill asked on the othe

A quic

ne in th

ried to sit up, my back and hair feeling sticky with sweat. "Probably fin

boo

," I replied monotonously

ying every day?" m

t lately due to our respective workloads; he'd been busy finishing new paintings for another art show in Milan. I shouldn'

all morning." Jill sou

chapters, and I was dreaming, like, heavily." In the

mares

bout you

uired, her tone more i

house." I blinked repeatedly while trying to recollect the other parts of my bizarre and lengthy dream sequence.

y? Cem

repeated the question before my

cal

of malaise that snuck into my thoughts. Did something happen to our dad back home? It had been

ack in t

next

s he

my sister muttered

after Ji

ight. Say it's an

soap-drenched sponge onto the floor tiles. I cursed myself in my hea

one on

ar

friends knew Miles only took me in and let me cohabit with him in his uber-expensive property out of pure pity (

ber

g a ki

rd on t

idn't appreciate kitchen hygiene as much as h

of syrup on the countertop when I heard my loud Joy Division ringtone, knowing it was

sight...no matter how hard I scrubbed and scrubbed. It didn't help tha

l replied, her voice scratchy,

, though. Miles would be up anytime soon. Around four a.m.

as struggling to finish a painting. He was such a serious artist whenever

e a season full of goo

"We'll keep that in

d. Once a week, I still avoided having to talk to my mom because the disappointme

ossibly spark off another depressive episode. But, if his condition became p

for this month but it woul

ning, robotic voice, which she used every time we b

in

se days," Jill muttered. "He seein' anyone? Or that p

e chuckle. It had been a while since we'd earne

end, and in Italy, at that. But after a few weeks of chatting and video calls, Jill had taken a l

ouse here in Brichese, Italy. Three rooms and bathrooms, a studio-type basement, and a ludicrously high-ma

eady felt too sore from failed attempts to make the floor squeaky cle

unded busy with mommy duties. The baby m

ou?" I stood up and

n her mom's genes and none of her dad's. She was still practically a newbo

oon? I'll babysit fo

ed a little. "Wanna bring her to Londo

uld just hop on a

n have tim

uld be work-free in a few months' time, if Miles

degree. It encouraged me that he was a supportive friend, but it also reminded me how much money I still had to save up

end. "D's not comfortable with her travelling o

the sweat off my face with my shirt slee

k later. Mo

finish saying goodbye. Still alone in the kitchen, I fixed my jaw-length hair

ell fix up a meal for us both. What

he stairs beside the living room. The spiral staircase was nowhere near, but because the big apar

ed to enjoy combining alcohol with abstrac

n but muscular six-foot-two build towards the counter. I raised a brow at the exhaustion on his fa

ttered, his voice un

dients. Aside from the fact that he banned mayo from touching his salads, we both didn't li

d the

m his slouching frame as he sat by the counter, his t

His scowl made his lips pout, emphasizing t

d it last night? You

ave shaken him awake now. Miles regarded m

able to finish his latest artwork; he usually finished a life-size painting in as early

in' me b

k like?" I scr

scratching his bare chest. A small grin curved his mouth now, and h

an exaggerated gasp. "I make a

Pass

n almost everything I made in this hou

ace. "If ever your cooking finally got past the fair

er

fident s

gut twenty-four seven." I couldn't help chuckling. He could barely keep

that

glanced at my phone on th

s you hom

grabbed a plate for Miles. I filled his pl

nd shook his head. "Just go home. They w

ed him his food so he w

lier while he trudged down the stairs. "Go check on your dad. G

out that," I mu

Miles hooked his muscular arm around my wais

op

at?

hard-earn

arm wrapped around my smaller build. His wavy hair somewhat smelled of whiskey and paint. "Sorry about this.

d with a chuckle, recalling that

l hurt? I'll

." I put on a smile, and w

gestures. Especially since we'd become close frie

your

honey. I'm

you arms and hands

asoned with a childish pout. He p

sick dad and financial issues would just worsen his mood. I hadn't really hung out with Miles al

time." Miles stuffed a spoonful of salad into his mou

lege some years ago; he wasn't quite serious about being a painter then and was just figuring out what he wanted to

e again and continued eating. "Gotcha." His

nds about six months ago, but he was already one of my favorite p

riendship, and brutally honest opinions that sometimes blurred the line bet

s I wanted Miles to be straight, he wasn't. "Sleep well? Dre

ss me that

head hurts like a bitch. Don't drink past midnight, yeah?" Miles groaned. "Ever. Again." H

lity sometimes, living with him also made me think he wished he had siblings to boss around

en he was about to feed me

y..." Miles finished his food and squin

hair with his paint-stained fingers. "I

saying no again?" Miles pulled a face and dropped his fork on

d a proper meal in a while. Fashion Weeks often made me forget about healthy eating habits, and my steadfast plans to

oo

y, by the way, asked

ate his sandwich

. Y

parents reporte

dry. I was never friends with Niccolo, his ex-boyfriend, but I di

gus

s chewed bread. "You think he's

his h

lled what his ex enjoyed

. Sometimes, not the law-abiding kind. Or at least that's wha

ood up and belched. "I

he dishes. "No more

dly walked out of the dining area.