EPISODE 21

LUCA

“Do you like it?” Eliana gasps and steps away from the portrait. She turns on her heel to face me. She's been staring at a painting on the wall for a while now.

She nods, looking back at it. “I thought it was pretty and it's very calming to look at.”

It's a painting of a landscape. The sky is a deep blue, and the trees are a vivid green. There's a sense of peace and stillness in the painting. I see why she likes it but it was an utterly simple painting, I didn't understand what she was drawn to about it but she seemed to want it more than anything else on the walls.

“Do you want it?” She flips back around to look up at me. Then she shakes her head, her curls bouncing around her face.

“I was just looking...” She responds, lowering her gaze. She wanted it. I could tell because she's always been an open book to me, the want in her eyes were prominent.

I placed a hand against the wall, caging her in and closing the space between us. I grab her by the chin, tilting her head backw