Another Adrian story. I just really enjoyed writing the last one. This one is much sweeter and deals with probably my favourite pairing in these books.
Spoilers: Some slight spoilers for developments in Bloodlines, but nothing major. Warning: Some implication of depression.
Lily
Sometimes the thought of her weighed down on him, like a weight tied around his waist that was pulling him under water. When she was there, right smack in the center of his thoughts he could do nothing more then feel sorry for himself and feel all those little dark feelings that made him hate himself.
Then of course he would feel sorry for Jill, who would also experience those feelings since they seeped through the bond. Then he'd hate himself for being so weak and pathetic. Then he'd think of her again.
It was a vicious circle.
But lately ... lately it was different. Better. It was like he could just forget about her sometimes and then when he did think about her, it didn't quite hurt as much.
It must be the painting, he told himself. Didn't therapists recommended painting to their fucked up patients? Probably, who knew, he had never really listened to the therapists who tried to do something to fix him.
Adrian took a sip of his Red Bull, one of the only vices he could still enjoy without feeling guilty, and glanced at his latest Masterpiece. God, he was good, at least in his own mind. Hey, nobody had ever accused Adrian Ivashkov of not being smug and full of himself. Maybe he could sell a few of them, get some more money and then, who knew, maybe he could get himself some wheels. The thought alone made him smile.
And yet ... he couldn't sell his latest painting, could he? His eyes flickered back to the painting. No of course not, because ...
He quickly took another sip and switched on the television, before he could over think it. Adrian tried to focus on the mindless daytime soap.
Yeah, it was definitely just the painting that made him feel this way. Just some good old artistic therapy.
And the reason he couldn't sell his last painting ... well he shouldn't overrun the market with his work. That would lower the value and then he would never get a car. Yes, that was definitely it. A perfectly sound and reasonable reason.
It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that it was a painting of a lily.