Chapter 15: Suffocating Tension
JULIA
The silence between us was suffocating.
It was a good thing that Heather’s commotion from the kitchen cut through the silence. Some pots clanged, drawers opened and slammed shut, and her voice was muttering frantically with a forced cheer.
“Oops! I think I burned them! I’ll be back in a minute!” she called out.
Her absence, though, made the room feel lighter. I still have to thank those brownies because they stopped me from seeing the obvious public display of affection that the two were portraying.
With that, I gripped the pencil tightly in my hand and focused on the smooth canvas in front of me. The outline was there, and I couldn’t help but think that hyperrealism really wasn’t Heather’s strongest feat.
I shook my head and grabbed the eraser to tweak her outline. Her drawing looked like a handsome man, didn’t look like Evan at all.
but it
As I did this, I could feel Evan’s gaze burning on my forehead. Of course, I chose to ignore it and just pressed the pencil against the canvas to begin sketching. The scratch of the graphite against the paper became the only sound in the heavy silence, along with my occasional sighs, of course.
“I’m a professional,” I whispered. I was here to finish the project and nothing else.
However, Evan didn’t make it easy.
“Julia,” he said, breaking the silence.
I paused, the pencil hovering just above the canvas. I didn’t look up.
“What?”
“You’re not looking at me,” he deadpanned.
My fingers tightened around the pencil. I lifted my head and met his sharp gaze. “Of course, I’m not.
His eyebrows rose, and his lips curved into that infuriating smirk. “How do you plan on drawing me if you’re not looking at me?”
My cheeks burned. The truth–that I didn’t need to look because I had memorized every detail of his face long before this moment–was something I couldn’t admit, not even to myself.
Was this muscle memory or something? If so, then I wanted to lose it.
However, I couldn’t really admit that because I didn’t want to inflate his already huge ego,
Instead, I muttered, “You move too much. It’s hard to focus when you can’t stay still.”
His smirk deepened, and the teasing glint in his eyes made my stomach twist. “Then guide me.”
The way he said it, low and challenging, sent a shiver down my spine.
I hesitated, the air between us growing heavier by the second. His gaze didn’t waver, and for a moment, I felt like I was back in high school–before we even started dating, standing under his scrutiny, unsure whether to push him away or pull him closer.
It had always been like this with Evan when we weren’t dating just yet. There were a lot of mixed signals. Heck, I didn’t even know if he liked me or not! He only started becoming more expressive when we started dating.
+25 BONUS
Chapter 15: Suffocating TensionN
With a sharp exhale, I stood and walked over to hlm. Suppose he wanted guidance, fine. I would give it to him. It wasn’t like there would be any malice, right?
“Sit up straighter,” I said, my voice steady despite the hammering in my chest.
He obeyed, his posture shifting slightly as I moved closer.
“Relax your shoulders. They’re too tense.”
He rolled them back, his eyes never leaving mine.
“A subject is best drawn in his natural environment–in the candid moments that we fail to capture from time to time. Although, this is definitely not natural because you’re posing for us,” I softly said.
“However, we can come close to it. Don’t think of it as posing so that you’ll feel less stiff.”
I reached out without thinking, my hand brushing against his arm as I adjusted the angle of his wrist. His skin was warm under my touch, and I immediately regretted the decision.
Our eyes locked.
It was only for a second, maybe two, but it felt like the world stopped spinning. The air around us became hotter, filled with something neither of us dared to name.
His gaze flickered, dropping to my lips for the briefest moment before snapping back to my eyes.
He definitely looked better up close. However, the spark in his eyes was still missing.
I swallowed hard, and my throat suddenly dried. “There. That’s better.”
“Is it?” His voice was softer now. I couldn’t help but glance at his lips, too, and that was my breaking point. How could they look so soft?
So…kissable?
There goes bad Julia again!
At that point, I knew it wasn’t safe anymore.
So, I nodded, stepping back quickly, before going back to the canvas that stood between us like a barrier. My heart was racing, my hands trembling as I gripped the pencil again.
He didn’t say anything else, but I could feel his gaze on me as I worked.
In the distance, Heather’s voice rang out again, cheerful and oblivious. “Almost done! Just give me another minute!”
I exhaled slowly, trying to ignore the heat lingering in the room.
But when I looked up again, he was still watching me.
And I wasn’t sure I could ignore it anymore.
