Chapter 1

  "You're late. Where were you?" She's such a buzz kill, always giving out to me for being even the tiniest bit late.
  "Edith, I  was painting. My project is due soon." I pulled off my coat and hung it up on the multicolored coat-rack -Edith had a love for quirky furniture hidden behind her need for order. "I'll be home earlier next time, okay? Not like there's many people in town now anyways. Not even during the day are there people willing to sit for me for about twenty minutes, it's ridiculous. I mean, hasn't anybody heard of a portrait artist?"
  "Probably because it's pouring rain, Isla. That's another reason why I tell you to wear a coat with a hood." Her voice was softer now, her motherly instincts kicking in "Do you want a hot chocolate? The boys should be home in about fifteen minutes. Why don't you go and take a shower first? By the time you're out and they're back I'd have made cookies and a hot chocolate for each of us, sound okay with you?"
  "Yeah, sounds perfect. Sorry for making a puddle ,by the way." It had started raining quite badly a while ago, I'm lucky I live in the city center, it's easier to run from the weather that way.
I live in a small apartment complex in  central NYC. My sister, Edith and her family live in the apartment across the hall from me. I basically live in their house though, I'm only ever at my place to study, sleep or shower.
  "Take your coat with you, you always dump your things everywhere." Edith was a neat freak and I was pretty sloppy. She'd stopped coming to my house a few months ago since she couldn't stand the mess.
  "Yes Ma'am." I grabbed my soaked coat -which had left a puddle under the coat-rack - and I headed out the door.
   It was the same as walking into another room except you needed a key to get in. Compared to my sister's prim and perfect apartment, mine was a dump. There were paints and brushes in the kitchen sink and blank canvases on the dinner table. Every inch of the walls were covered in sketches, photographs, posters, paintings, pages from novels and letters from family. Joannie- my nephew- decided to stick some comic strips to my floor making a path to my bedroom like those in children's playgrounds. To anyone else it would all seem quite unorganized but that's the thing, I know exactly where everything is in my little store house.
  "Hey Homer" Homer was the family cat and had been with us since I was a little kid. He was fluffy and fat, his once glossy black coat a dull grey. He had a few missing patches of fur from old wounds and a couple of surgeries. Homer always looked angry since his left canine poked out his lips. He meowed and padded out behind me sliding through the cat-flap into Edith's house.
  I followed the little comic path to my room, flicking the lights on and dumping my coat on the radiator to dry off. I began undressing myself, starting off by getting rid of all my jewelry; that's about twenty-two bracelets, five necklaces, two rings and six earrings. I'd already spent ten minutes just getting them off so I messaged Rick -Edith's husband- that I was gonna be late. I turned up the radio, switched my phone on silent and went in for a shower singing along to 'When the sun goes down' by the Arctic Monkeys. 

Prologue

We fell on the grass, laughing like crazy. It was so nice, being able to hang out with him like this; laughing and smiling. He propped himself up on one arm and tried to compose himself. I wonder what he thinks about? I know barely anything about him, all I know is that being around him makes me happy. He'd stopped laughing and was just staring at me.

   "Ha, what? Is there grass in my hair or something?" I shook my head like a dog just out of the bath and looked back at his staring face, "Is it gone?". He didn't reply, he was acting odd;  I'm not too sure whether that's good or not.
  "Can you do me a favour?" He said it quite slowly, a slanted smile on his face and a slightly mischievous look in his eyes. I averted my gaze and began plucking at the grass, paying close attention to a stubborn weed that was refusing to be pulled out.
  "Yeah, sure. What's up?" I wonder what it is he wants? He never asks for favours, maybe he needed a painting for someone, though he's pretty decent at art himself.
  "Isla" His voice was soft and melted in the air. He sounded different too, his voice had gone all husky and he sounded serious but in a playful manner. He tilted my chin towards his face and looked me straight in the eyes. They seemed darker, his eyes that is. Usually they were a pale greenish amber like dying grass unlike the emerald shade that twinkled in his eyes. I was frozen, his warm fingers had slid behind my neck and I couldn't move. No, I didn't want to move. Something about him seemed different ,the way he looked at me seemed stronger too. He leaned close, his face only inches from mine. I could feel his warm breath on my skin and my cheeks began to heat up as the blood rushed to my face, my stomach was warm too and my heart was racing. What's wrong with me? Why am I suddenly so flustered?
 "Will you let me kiss you?"