The Dark or The Light? (Chapter 6)

Chapter 6

"Isabell. Isabell." I heard someone whisper. My eyes fluttered open.
"Mum? What is it?"
"Sweetie its almost nine in the morning."
"What?"
"Yeah you slept for at least eighteen hours."
"Wait. Where is-" I cut off remembering that my mum doesn’t know Mark slept in my bed.
"Where’s who hunny?"
"Ah no one. Never mind."
"Oh, well I brought you breakfast. I’m going to be spending the day with your grandmother."
"Seriously?"
"I know I was just as shocked as you but apparently she wants to get to know me."
"Well that will be interesting."
"Yeah I’ll try not to tell her about how I went on a dating website." She joked.
"Bi mum."
"Bi baby." She kissed me on the forehead then left.

I grabbed the tray and found all my favorites. Blueberry Danishes, chocolate croissants and chocolate chip pancakes.
After I finished with them I walked into the bathroom to have a shower. The water was so nice and warm. I realized that I was cold. I didn’t really have any blankets on me. The only thing keeping me warm was Mark. I kept on thinking about how nice his body felt against mine. How his arms felt when they pulled me into him…Stop! I yelled at myself. I can’t think like this. I can’t like another guy. Not now. Its to soon. Isn’t it?
I got out of the shower quickly. I decided to where a white spaghetti top and a bright yellow skirt that finished just above my knees.
I opened my bedroom door to find a note stuck to it. What is with people and notes?
It was from Jeremiah. He wanted him to meet me downstairs when I was finished.
I followed the notes instructions and walked out to the back of the house. I saw Jeremiah sitting on a mat, on the pavement.

"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Meditating."
"Why?"
"Because it helps me to relax. Clear my mind."
"Oh…I don’t have to mediate do I?"
"No. But you were taking a long time so.."
"I wasn’t that long." He chuckled.
"I want to take you somewhere."
"Its not another waterfall is it?"
"No I assure you its not another waterfall." He said with a laugh. "Come on."

Instead of walking out towards the forest like he normally did we walked down the side of the house. We walked for what felt like forever until we finally reached a little house. Almost like a cottage. It was old and dusty but it had a hominess ora about it. I walked up to the front of door.

"Are you ready?"
"Should I be?" He rolled his eyes.

Then he opened the door. I walked inside first and gasped. It was beautiful. There were vines with different flowers that hung on the ceiling. There was a small little fireplace in the corner and the whole southern end of the house was glass. It showed a beautiful view of the stream and the forest. It only looked like it had one room. The things that caught my eye though was the paint boards that surrounded it as well as every kind of paint you could imagine.

"Who’s place is this?" I asked.
"It was your grandmothers. Apparently she used to sit in here everyday and paint. She told me that your grandfather used to miss her so that’s why she moved all her things back into the house. When I told her that you painted she told me that I could give this place to you. She has created a lot of master pieces in this room and she hopes that you can do the same."
"Jeremiah. This is sweet and all but I haven’t painted in a long time."
"Well, start now."
"Not yet. I want to talk first."
"Okay. What about?" He said gesturing towards the two seats near the fireplace.
"Okay. Well…I was wondering if…if I could ever…like someone again."
"Of course you can Isabell."
"I didn’t mean in the future. I meant now."
"Oh."
"Not that I do. I just keep thinking that if I do like someone now will it be too early? Or will I just end up hurting them?"
"Only you can know that Izzy. I believe that your not ready. Not yet but you will be. Your progress is amazing but your not fully recovered and if something were to happen it might just take you back to the beginning."
"Yeah, yeah your right."
"Who is he anyway? The only person I have seen you with is…Mark." I didn’t make eye contact with him. "Come to think of it, he didn’t come down from your room after he carried you up there."
"Isabell, what did you do?"
"Nothing. Honestly. I just didn’t want to be alone."
"Izzy.."
"I know it was stupid but he made me feel whole for the first time in a long time."
"We can talk about this later but right now…I want you to paint."
"Jeremiah I can’t. I haven’t painted something since Lucus."
"You have to start getting into you old rhythm again Izzy and we are going to start with painting."

I got up unwillingly and walked over to the stool. It had a large rectangular paint board on an easel. It faced the lushest green forest. Paint. Just paint. I can do this. I can paint easy. Its just what I’m going to paint that always stumps me.

"I don’t even know what to paint."
"Paint something that makes you happy."
"Makes me happy. Right. Yeah, yeah I can do that."
"Well I’m going to go. I’ll be coming back soon. I expect to see some form of a picture." I rolled my eyes.

I sat there staring at the board. Willing it to produce some picture so I didn’t have to paint it but it didn’t, unfortunately. Something that makes me happy. I could always go for the obvious, rainbows, butterflies, the sun ect, ect. But I knew that Jeremiah wanted me to paint something that actually makes me happy. Just then I heard the door open. I whipped my head around to see Mark.

"Hey." I said.
"Hey." I saw him blush a little. "I’m sorry about barging in here I just thought that I should come and talk to you. About last night." I nodded my head and he entered. He sat on the stool next to me.
"Look I know that you asked me to stay but I shouldn’t have said yes. It was completely my fault and I won’t let it happen again."
"I want it to happen again."
"What?" He leaned in closer. He eyes had shock written all over them.
"I like you a lot Mark. I know I said I wasn’t ready but I can’t help it. Last night you made me feel whole for the first time ever. I don’t want to lose that."
"But Jeremiah-"
"I know what Jeremiah said and yes he is right but I still want you." A saw a huge smile spread across his face. His eyes started to sparkle. He leaned forward, for a split second I was a little scared he was going to kiss me but then he kissed me on the cheek.
"Don’t worry Isabell I’m not going to rush you. When your ready I’ll be here." I smiled at him. "I better let you get back to your painting." He got up and walked out the door.

Something that makes me happy? I think I got the perfect picture. I smiled and began painting.
Two hours later Jeremiah came through the door.

"I hope you have something for me." He walked straight up to me and then stopped.
He came face to face with my creation…his brother.
"Isabell."
"Look I know you said that I wasn’t ready but you also said paint something that makes me happy. I’m sorry but he is what makes me happy."
"No that’s not what I was…Isabell its beautiful. Your amazing."
"Thanks. I wanted to capture his green eyes the most so that’s why I painted it all black and white and only painted his eyes green." After a minute of looking at it he turned to me.
"He really makes you happy?"
"Yeah."
"Okay but Izzy I want you to take it slow okay."
"Okay."
"No I mean as in so slow a snail could probably out run you." I giggled at that.
"Okay. I will. I promise."
"Well. Your grandfather wants to see you."
"Oh. Well are you coming?" I said while getting up.
"Yeah I’ll be up in a sec."

I turned and began the walk back to the house. When I eventually got there I walked up the back stairs and into the house. I was just about to walk upstairs when I saw Mr.Bradly come to my side.

"Excuse me Ms. But your grandfather would like you to meet him in the library."
"Oh. Where is that?"
"It’s up the stairs to the right and third door on the right."
"Thank you."

I followed the directions and came to a big brown door. I knocked several times.

"Come in." I heard my grandfather call. I opened the door and walked in.
It was amazing. It looked like the room out of the beauty and the beast (well smaller of course). There were books upon books. They all looked very old.
"Isabell, please come and sit." I did as he said and sat down on the chair opposite his desk.
"I wanted to talk to you Isabell. Get to know you."
"What would you like to know?"
"Anything. Tell me about yourself."
"Well…um…I like to paint. A lot. Jeremiah told me about Grandma. How she used to paint as well."
"Yes. It was how I met he actually. She was an amazing painter and she still is. Sometimes she would get up in the middle of the night and start painting." He laughed at that memory and I smiled. I could see the love he had for her. It made me think about Lucus. I never seen that look on his face nor on mine.
"What are your favorite painters?"
"I love Klimt’s painting the kiss."
"Oh right. That is a very famous painting."
We then went into an in depth conversation about art, philosophy, English even history. He was surprised at how much I knew. He made me laugh several times with the stories he told about him and my grandmother. My mother actually came in later and sat down next to us. Sometimes she would jump into the debates that we were having. I would always catch stealing a line off a show on the history channel or something but I never told anyone. When we had finished it was almost dinner so we decided to make our way downstairs.

"You have raised one amazing daughter Meg." My grandfather said before hugging her. I smiled. We made our way downstairs.
When we got there, dinner was already on the table and my grandmother was already seated as well as Jeremiah. But Mark wasn’t there.

"Where’s Mark?" I whispered to Jeremiah. He didn’t say anything. He just looked at me. "Jeremiah?"
"What is that dear?" My grandmother asked. I looked up at her.
"Do you know where Mark is?"
"Oh he said he couldn’t make it to dinner. He is on a date or something with a girl named…ah…Margret…May…ah"
"Mary?"
"Yes that’s it Mary. Although if you ask me she seems a little…uh…"
"Stupid?"
"Well I wouldn’t put it as straight forward as that but yes."

I felt my heart stop. I’m glad I didn’t let him kiss me or anything. He deserved someone who isn’t complicated or have any problems. A girl who is as uncomplicated as Mary. Even though she is kind of a bitch. Okay scratch the kind of. She’s just a bitch. I avoided Jeremiah’s eye contact through out the whole dinner. I finished before anyone else did.

"Can I be excused please?"
"Sure sweetie but where are you going?"
"I want to go to the cottage. Finish my painting. If that’s okay?"
"Of course it is. You remind me so much of your grandmother." My grandfather said. I smiled at him and walked out the back door. I heard footsteps behind me. I didn’t need to turn to look to see who’s it was.
"I really don’t need a I-told-you-so so can you just leave it please."
"Okay. But I’m still coming with you."
"Why?"
"Because it gets so boring sitting in there and having to make conversation about stock or whatever." I laughed a little.
"Okay fine. But I still don’t need an I-told-you-so okay?"
"Izzy like I would say that. What kind of therapist would I be?" I rolled my eyes. When we got there I noticed firewood outside the house. Jeremiah grabbed some and brought it in with us. There were matches on top of the fireplace so after throwing the firewood in the fireplace he lit the match.
It made the whole place glow and it made my stupid picture look even better. I went and sat in front of it. Contemplating whether I would ruin it or not. I picked up a paintbrush but I couldn’t make my fingers move. Its like they didn’t want to paint him out.
"Do you want my advice?"
"Aren’t you going to give it to me anyway?" He rolled his eyes.
"Hear his side of the story." I was about to argue but he cut me off. "I am not saying this as his brother. I am saying this as a therapist. Just hear him out."
I nodded my head knowing he was right. Smug bastard.
"Fine."

About an hour later there was a knock on the door. I still hadn’t done anything to the painting but I haven’t put down the paintbrush either. Jeremiah was mediating so I didn’t even know he was there. I heard the door open.

"Hey." Mark said. I stood up quickly and guarded my painting. He was so not going to see it.
"Wow is it me or did it just get really hot in here? I think I might go outside to cool down." Jeremiah said in a attempt to be discreet. I rolled my eyes. When he left Mark turned to me.
"What was that about?"
"I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me about your date?" I saw him freeze.
"It was nothing."
"Place holder!"
"Not you to." I shot him a look. "It wasn’t a date."
"Really then what was it?"
"Mary and I we had sort of…been going out. She invited me to dinner with our friends tonight and I completely forgot about till today. I should have told you I’m sorry but I had to go and see her. I told her it was over for good and that I like someone else."
"Did you tell her it was me?"
"Yeah and she actually accused me of being a gold digger." I burst out laughing at that. "Shut up! Its not that funny!" I couldn’t help it. The look on his face was priceless. I was laughing so hard I had to bend over.
"Hey what’s that?" Suddenly it hit me the painting. I shot back up again.
"Nothing."
"Placeholder."
"Really its nothing." He smirked and started to walk over towards me. He tried to get around me but I kept on moving from side to side. Blocking his view. Finally he stopped.
"Well if that’s how you want to play it." He bent over and threw me over his shoulder.
"NO! Mark put me down!" When he didn’t say anything I started to freak. "Mark? Mark say something?"
"You did this?"
"Yes. If you don’t like it it’s okay. I can through it out-"
"Don’t! Its beautiful and I’m not saying because it’s a picture of me. It is amazing."
"I’m glad you like but can you like…put me down."
"Oh yeah. Sorry." I giggled. When he put me down I got a clear view of his eyes. They looked so full of life. I hadn’t seen that in a while. Right then I knew he was going to kiss me.
"Isabell? Isabell?" He whispered.
But it was okay. We both knew what was going to happen and it was okay. I reached up on my toes and leaned in towards his lips. He closed the distance. His lips were so soft against mine. It was a completely different kiss. It was like Lucus’s. I felt something completely different. It felt like the whole world had stopped. Like everything I knew didn’t matter. Like what had happened to me didn’t matter. The whole could have gone into world war III and we wouldn’t have known or even cared. When I pulled back I saw something in his eyes that proved to me I wasn’t the only one who felt it, His eyes also showed that this was way past like as well.
"Isabell.."
"I know. I felt it to."

He pressed his forehead to mine. We heard the door open and when I saw Jeremiah there Lucus popped into my head. For some reason it felt like me liking Mark or maybe even loving him was somehow betraying Lucus. I wasn’t ready for this yet and by the look in Jeremiah’s eyes he knew this as well.