Ch.3
No matter how many times I came here, I would always be fascinated by Andrew's manor. The elegant marble statues depicting various men and women of great importance. The towering archways that loomed over me connected to high ceilings painted with ornate murals that seemed to reflect the night sky itself. The constellations each ornately mapped and traced in such a way in that it almost seemed natural. The floors were covered in some sort of forest green marble that reflected the lights above. On each side of the hall were paintings framed by detailed designs of flowers and harsh curls and designs that reminded me much of wind.
The thing is, it all felt so empty, so incredibly cold. Makes me wonder if Andrew gets lonely sometimes. This house is pretty big after all. Andrew thinks I wasn't awake in the limo earlier, but in reality, I was very much awake. He seemed so stiff and uncomfortable with everything. He seemed as robotic as when we'd first met the night I went to the fountain. I've been noticing that happening a lot in our recent talks. I've been noticing a lot of things recently that seemed off. His fingers twitch when he's lying, his eyes move from place to place when he's nervous. What scares me is that I hadn't noticed any of this happening until a few months ago. Now don't get me wrong, he's always been cold and stoic in my opinion, A right Cynic in my opinion, but the bottom line is that he was acting abnormally grouchy and reserved. He wouldn't even talk to me about it when I brought it up with him when we got here.
Then he simply left me here…alone. All in one day I was Proposed to out of necessity, then my Fiancé kidnaps me in the middle of school, then he just up and leaves me in this gigantic mansion alone! Oh, I'd scream and curse so loud right now if my mother's voice wasn't currently in the back of my head berating me. So, with nothing else to do, I wandered the halls of this mansion. My steps echoed through the silent hall, and my eyes scanned the walls as I passed each painting. All of them had something unique about them whether it be the colours or the brush strokes. The one that struck me most though was one at the end of the hall.
This painting had a bit brighter colours than the others, who by contrast were darker and much more formal. In the painting sat a woman, her hair a dark and striking brown and put up in a messy bun, her skin pale as a pearl looking soft as a flower. Her face held the brightest of smiles that shown a feeling of comfort. In her hand rested a small book with a red cover, her thumb marking the page she had been on. All the while a fireplace roared in the background.
It seemed to be the only point of welcome or warmth in this entire mansion. I found myself lost in these warm feelings for a time as I stared at it. So much so that I was surprised when a voice spoke from behind me. "Do you like it?" the voice asked causing me to jump and turn my whole body to them. Andrew stood there, he wore black slacks, and a white dress shirt. All of this paired off with a loose fitting green tie. In short, he looked like he just got back from a hard day at work and wanted a backrub. I could only pray I would not be expected to do that. "it's a painting of my mother my father had commissioned when I was eight. He wanted to get rid of it after she…" He paused, he seemed to speak fondly of his mother. Now that I thought of it, I should've been able to guess they were related in some way or another. They looked to similar not to be.
"She's beautiful" I spoke in an attempt to lighten the mood though receiving minimal results. The corner of Andrew's lip turned upward slightly. "I know, she really was something."
The rest of the time was spent in silence, simply staring at the painting. When we did talk, it was often rigid, cold, or distant. Then again, I suppose it would be for a while. With things going as they were it was bound be awkward. I just hoped that, if we're going to make this work, that it would end soon. The fact that he took my hand as we stood there was a good start though.
(Author's note: Firstly, I'd like to apologize for the long wait. I have no excuse other than the fact that I am a lazy piece of Garbage. Also, I'd like to apologize if this chapter drags on as I have to push myself to write more than a few paragraphs. So, some descriptions may either be cliché, or long winded as a result. I would also like to state that I release every chapter unedited as I have no will to go back and fix things. Lastly, I would like to state that I will be raising the rating of each of my stories dependent upon the content of the newest chapter and my own paranoia. Thank you for being patient and have a nice day.)