Chapter 37 - Can i paint you?

Janine.

“So you’re happy?” She stabbed a finger on my chest. “You want me to watch you being this happy Janine? That should have been me!” She shouted at me.

I took a few steps backward and gripped my lunchbox tightly, she ripped it out of my hand and tossed it aside.

I gasped and blinked my eyes at her. “You stole my life, you took everything from me!” Her hands were on my shoulders and she shook me vigorously.

“You should have rejected Kaden. You shouldn’t have accepted me, do you expect me to be happy that you’re with him? Everyone knew about our engagement, and you ruined it. I should have been his mate

and not you!” She pushed me.

I staggered backward, and a hand supported me and pulled me back on my feet to gain my balance, he didn’t let go of his hand on my back.

“You’re being too cruel, Stephane. Janine did nothing to you.”

I spun around and saw Calus beside me.

“Who are you to get involved?” She barked at him.

“Janine’s friend.” He retorted sharply.

“To think that she’s your sister and you’re doing this to her. What did you want? That she reject her mate because of you? Who the fuck do you think you are?” He asked, took his hand away from my back, and stepped in front of me.

Stephane glared at him. “This has nothing to do with you.”

“Everyone is staring at you, Stephane if you didn’t notice, everyone has seen how you treated Janine just now, you’re her biggest bully.”

“What do you mean? I never bullied her.” Stephane sputtered and glanced around the hallway, and found everyone staring at her while murmuring under their breath.

“I didn’t do anything to her.” She tried to defend herself and went to Fanny to take her side, but Fanny withdrew herself from Stephane.

“I don’t want to get on Kaden’s bad side not like you’re gonna help when he chooses to come for us. He’s the Alpha now, not just the basketball player.” Fanny grumbled, she walked to pick up my lunchbox and gave it to Calus. “This is hers.”

Calus grasped her hand. “You think you can just run away, don’t you have anything to say to Janine?”

Fanny looked up at me, and over his shoulders, her eyes met mine, and she averted her gaze almost immediately. “I have...I...” She stuttered.

“Let me go, Calus.” She wriggled free from his grip and tried to run, Amira stuck out her feet, and Fanny fell on her face without looking.

Amira held back a smile.

Fanny picked herself up and ran out of the hallway.

“Fanny!” Stephane shouted.

She glanced at me. “You’re happy?”

“Fanny!” She stormed her feet on the ground angrily, and sent a withering glare my way, she marched out of the hallway.

Amira clicked her tongue and strolled towards me. “Here. It’s a note I made for the project, all you have to do is study it and get prepared for our presentation. Kaden...” she slapped her mouth. “Alpha Kaden will inform you about the others, we should meet later for our study group.” She rubbed her hand down my arm. “See you in class!” She waved and left.

“I guess I’m not the only friend you have,” Calus muttered and touched my shoulders. “Are you okay?” He asked with concern in his eyes.

Kaden wanted me to stay away from him but I couldn’t even push him away when I didn’t see any hate in his eyes when he looked at me.

Why was he trying to act tough in front of Kaden?

I nodded and took the lunch box from his hand, I ran towards my locker, opened it, and dropped my bag in it.

He ran after me, I could hear him laughing behind me.

What was wrong with him?

Why was he following me?

I climbed the stairs cautiously towards the art room, I remember how I fell and tried to be careful each time I was on the stairs. I was scared of being pushed.

I went into the art room and he came with me.

I frowned.

He chuckled and walked around the room. “Is this where you paint?” He asked and glanced around. “What are you painting?”

I rushed towards my latest painting and hid it, I didn’t want him to see it. I wasn’t ready to show anyone about it yet but he has already seen it.

He pulled me aside gently and stared at the painting. “You made painted this? Who is she?” He asked, he stared at the painting and then at me.

I kept my lunchbox on my chair and pressed a finger on my chest as if embracing it or cradling it.

He didn’t seem to get it, so I tucked my thumb under my fingers creating a M shape.

“M?” He blinked his eyes at me. “...as in mom, your mother?”

I nodded.

“Why are you painting her?”

I moved my hand downward with a flickering motion as if something was falling or disappearing.

Calus sighed and turned away from me. “She’s your birth mom isn’t she?”

I nodded again and swallowed the lump I felt in my throat.

“It seems like you’re almost done with the painting.” He noticed, and I watched him trail his hands along the write-up in the painting. I wanted to stop him because it wasn’t dried yet but decided to let him be. He remained silent and didn’t say a word. “I can see the pain in which you paint her, gruesome yet beautiful.” He stated when he lifted his hand. “Those words, was that what she said? “I will love you even when I couldn’t.” She said those words.”

I nodded.

Calus took two long strides towards me and wiped the tears out of the corner of my eyes.

I want to take the paint home with me, I hid them here because Monica wouldn’t let me paint in the house when it was the only thing that brought me comfort.

I have never painted anyone before, mother was the first, I didn’t even know her name.

If I ever want to paint anyone again.

It will be Kaden.