Midnight Memories

Chapter 21: I'll Be Your Shield

Update: I am always wondering how you guys find "Midnight Memories" and what makes you stop and read it, so please do share your stories with me! As a fellow bookworm I almost always have a story connected to a book, so I'm really dying to hear your "Midnight Memories" story. Much love!

***

I can't sleep and it has nothing to do with the light, that's still on, but everything to do with the guy painting in the other corner of the room.

I thought he'd drive off without me, but he didn't.

I gave him a moment, before making my way to the car and then inside. As I opened my mouth to apologize, he stopped me, and then started the car. The whole drive to here was dead silent. We didn't talk, didn't turn the radio on, and it felt like we were not even breathing. I definitely was not.

Kai stopped the car in front of a one-story building in the middle of an almost empty neighborhood. There were not many houses around and the one we stopped in front of was quite far from them.

He got out, taking our bags out of the backseat, and started to make his way toward the front door. He opened it with his keys and after I watched him enter, I got out too and followed him silently.

As I got inside, my mouth hung open in astonishment. There were no rooms inside except the two doors at the very end. They must be bathrooms because everything else was in this one room. The whole place was a huge square studio room with high walls that were drawn on with black, grey, and dark red, and from floor to the ceiling windows, most parts covered with dark curtains.

As I looked around the room, I noticed the one painting-the blonde girl with pigtails, that I saw at his apartment, but bigger now. I wanted to ask if that painting meant something to him. I wanted to ask if he was okay if he needed me to do anything to make him feel better if he wanted me to leave... I said nothing.

There was a bed in one corner of the room, which stood higher than the rest of the space here, with two nightstands next to it. On the far end of the room, there was a small aisle, with stools, a huge fridge, an oven, and some pieces of furniture.

My attention was caught by the painting easels and canvases that were everywhere in the room. There were also numerous painting supplies - different pallets with different colors, different types of brushes, and paints. This was an artist's space and Kai was the artist. I was in his head.

"It's late," Kai told me, dropping the bags next to the bed. "You should get some sleep. Take the bed, I will not be sleeping anyway."

"Kai, why don_"

"Just, please," he cut me off, his voice half cold, half pleading. "Go to sleep. When I am here, I usually just paint the whole night in silence, so it's okay."

I nodded, making my way to the bed guiltily. I heard Kai lock the front door, then take off his shoes and denim jacket, throwing it on a kitchen stool, but I never turned to look at him. I was ashamed of myself and what I did. I should have considered all my options. I haven't even given his gift to him. What if he hates me for that too?

I took off my shoes and coat as well, putting it over the begs. I heard Kai move the stuff around barefoot, as I sat on the bed, my back to him. I took my jeans off carefully and quickly pulled on my PJ pants. I took my top off next, and since I was wearing a t-shirt underneath, I was okay.

I got into bed and leaned my back against the headboard, watching Kai move around his place purposefully.

He was moving some paintings inside one of the rooms at the end and bringing new canvases from there. I realized it was probably some sort of a storage room for his paintings.