Chapter 12

TWELVE

Clarissa

Clarissa stared at the forest of Bearton, barely paying attention to the view or the students in her class. Her thoughts had been all over the place ever since she made the big mistake of kissing Dee. She didn't know what had come over her but regretted it after seeing the spooked look on Dee's face. As expected, she hadn't shown up for the outdoor painting class today.

"Idiot," Clarissa muttered to herself.

"What's that, dear?" Gerard asked from a few feet away.

Her face flushed hot. "Nothing, just lost in thought." She checked her phone, realising the class should've ended fifteen minutes ago but she hadn't been keeping track.

She got up from her foldable chair and clapped her hands. "That's it for today, good work, all."

Everyone packed up their easels and Clarissa made sure they weren't leaving any rubbish behind. Bork helpfully brought a brush that had fallen on the ground to her, carrying it proudly like it was a great possession.

She scratched his chin. "You're a good boy."

On the way back to the campervan, she wondered what would happen next time she ran into Dee. Would it be a meeting at the craft store next week or would multiple years pass again?

She didn't know and she wasn't sure it mattered. No matter how much or little time would pass, it was likely going to be awkward.

Bork let out an excited bark and charged ahead. Clarissa quickened her pace, curious to what was causing this reaction.

Another bark mingled with Bork's and her pulse quickened. Could it be...?

To Clarissa's utter surprise, she spotted Dee standing by her van with Bork begging her for attention, much to Millie's frustration.

Of all the ways she expected to meet, this wasn't one of them. She bit her lip, patiently waiting for everyone else to disperse before she made her way over to Dee. The conversation they were about to have was likely going to be awkward and she didn't want any witnesses for that.

"Hey. You're late, class is over," Clarissa said, hoping a little joke would set her at ease.

Dee let out a chuckle. "I gathered. I am capable of telling time."

"That makes one of us," Clarissa muttered under her breath. She leaned down to pat Millie's head, mostly just stalling for time. "So what brings you here?"

"Just giving the dog a stretch," Dee said with a shrug.

That was so clearly a lie. They were all the way in Bearton and she conveniently happened to be waiting at the van at the end of class. It certainly looked like she'd been waiting but Clarissa wasn't going to question it, not yet. She wasn't ready to hear the answer, which was likely to be a rejection.

Clarissa leaned down to fuss Millie's spotted head, just so she had something to do. Millie basked in the affection and let out a happy yip.

"Can I see your studio?" Dee asked quite suddenly.

"Sure?" Clarissa gestured to the van. "There's not much to see."

Dee stuck her head in, taking stock of everything inside with a keen and knowledgeable eye. She would no doubt have all sorts of critiques and suggestions on how to improve the set-up, not that Clarissa minded.

"Nice," Dee commented.

"Nice?" Clarissa chuckled in disbelief. "That's all you have to say? No remarks about my brush station or the brand of paint thinner I use or the layout of my paints?"

"No, it's a cool set-up."

Clarissa regretted the kiss even more now that the other woman was no longer capable of being her unfiltered honest self. Her studio was a van, for god's sake. It was a miracle she even managed to create some half-decent paintings out of it and it likely paled in comparison to whatever fancy studio Dee owned.

Bork barked and hopped into the van, clearly wondering what was going on. He almost whacked his tail into a wet painting before he curled up in his bed. His eyes closed into happy lines and he let out a long sigh like he'd just come back from work.

With a sigh, she turned to face Dee. "Why are you really here?"

"Well..." The hesitation on Dee's face didn't look good. She tickled Bork behind his ear while she thought. "I just wanted to make sure that, umm, that kiss wasn't going to make things weird."

"It's making things weird right now," Clarissa pointed out.

"A little. It didn't mean anything, okay?"

Clarissa felt herself frown and she leaned against her campervan for support. "You came all the way to Bearton to tell me the kiss didn't mean anything? Why?"

"I hoped you wouldn't ask that. This is going to sound kind of pathetic but I don't really have many people who would understand the whole painter's block thing and I enjoyed hanging out with you and I'd like to keep doing that. So, yeah, there." Dee pinched her nose. "I am making things weird. Just forget I came, okay?"

"No, no." Clarissa chased after her, almost grabbing her hand but thinking better of it. "I liked spending time with you too and I shouldn't have kissed you, it's my mistake."

Dee let out a white cloud. "I mean, it was a little my mistake too."

"You can't stop being competitive, can you?"

"Nope. So we're good?"

Clarissa nodded. If she were still a silly na?ve teenager with a crush, this conversation would've been devastating but as a sensible adult with far too many responsibilities and too little time, this suited her just fine. Sure, it pinched her ego and her heart a little bit, but she would get over that. Especially if it meant she and Dee could actually be friends.

Dee's shoulders relaxed visibly and she patted the van. "Good. If we're back to normal, I can tell you it's a disaster in there. You need better ventilation, some of your brushes are fraying, and who organises their colours by name, not by priority?"

That was the Dee she knew.

Relieved and amused, Clarissa turned towards the other woman. "Alright, you've seen mine, now I want to see yours."

"Huh? You mean, you want to see my studio?" Dee's nose crinkled adorably.

"You catch on quick."

"Now?"

"No, not now. I've got to go back to the store and check on my dad." Clarissa held out her hand. "If you give me your phone, I'll put my number in. Then you can invite me over so we can hang out. Without things being weird," she added with a grin. She didn't actually expect Dee to listen until she was given an unlocked smartphone. Surprised by Dee's pliability, Clarissa punched in her digits and handed the device back.

For an adorable moment, Dee looked a bit unsure what to do with it. Then she slid her phone back into her pocket and nodded. "Right, I'll message you then?"

"Definitely do." A beat of silence hung between them where neither of them moved or spoke. Clarissa gestured to her van. "Do you need a lift back to Crescent Valley?"

A laugh escaped Dee's mouth. "Yes, please. I misjudged just how far it was and I'm frozen. Also, your class ran late."

"So you were waiting for me," Clarissa stated, a little pleased about that even if they'd just agreed that nothing would happen between them. Although if she was pedantic, they'd agreed not to let things get weird.

Dee rolled her eyes. "Shut up and drive."