The Watercolor Ch. 02

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Our story continues....
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Part 2 of the 2 part series

Updated 06/08/2023
Created 07/14/2017
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Morgan awoke to a cold bed and fear in her heart. Having opened her eyes, she jolted upright and looked around the room. Christian was nowhere to be seen.

He'd left.

He had fucked her and he'd left her.

Excruciating pain welled up inside her chest and tears filled her eyes. She pulled up the blanket to cover her naked body, feeling ashamed, stupid, and dirty, despite having anticipated that this could happen. Intense pain shot through her limbs and she felt her heart would just give out.

Sadness quickly turned to anger as tears rolled down her cheeks. She rested her head on her knees and sobbed. Terrible thoughts ran through her mind, bringing on so many different emotions that she sobbed even harder.

Distracted by her sorrow, she didn't hear the door knob turning. It was only when the door creaked loudly as it opened that she looked up to see Christian holding a small white bag in his right hand and a drink carrier in his left. He closed the door with a foot before facing Morgan. His smile disappeared when he saw her red face and he knew she'd been crying.

"What's wrong?" he asked, frantically laying his goods on the bedside nightstand.

He sat on the edge of the bed and started to reach out to touch her but he pulled back his arm. Morgan's eyes darted to him, then to the bag, and back to him before she cleared her throat and asked, "What's that?"

"Coffee and a few bagels," he said. "I thought you'd be hungry and we both like coffee first thing in the morning. I've been to the cafe to grab us something."

Morgan's sense of disbelief at his actions made her angry and she blurted, "Why are you still here?"

Shock spread across his face but the look switched to concern as he put the pieces together. "Did you think I'd left? Is that why you were crying?"

She turned her body and pressed her back against the wall, never taking her gaze off him and trying not to shed more tears. She didn't want him to see her cry. It would be more than pathetic and that was the last thing she wanted to be right now.

"It would make sense if you had," she said in a wounded tone.

Shame fell over his features and his head drooped. Morgan felt a stirring in her lower belly, knowing that she would end up alone after all this.

Christian took a deep breath before he returned to her gaze. "Look, I know what happened was incredibly unexpected," he said, "and I'm sorry that I've put you in a compromising position. But I would never leave you without some sort of explanation. I care about you too much to hurt you like that."

He reached out a hand to offer comfort but Morgan scooted further away. She needed to put up some kind of barrier before she had to face the inevitable loss of her best friend. Perhaps it would help make a difference in the end.

Christian lowered his hand to his side and sighed. "I know you probably have a lot going through your mind right now but we do need to talk about last night. I barely slept. I was thinking about what to do."

The ache welled in Morgan's chest again and she knew that he was going to leave and go back to Katherine. She was actually going to lose him so soon after getting him. In that moment, she wanted to beg him to stay, something she never lowered herself to do. But she needed Christian in her life and whatever would get him to stay, she was willing to do in that moment.

"I'm not sure what all of this is or where it's all going," he said while Morgan tried to swallow the lump in her throat and hold back her tears. "But I do know that I enjoyed myself last night."

Morgan felt her body relaxing as she continued to stare at him. Her head was swimming with mixed emotions, happiness and disbelief slowly making their way through her.

"We've been really good friends since you've come here and I can't deny the connection that we've had from the very beginning," he said. "You understand me and that's why you're my best friend. I just didn't think it was that kind of connection until I kissed you. I mean, I've always loved you but I never thought about being able to love you in that way."

Christian took a long sigh, then carried on. "I shouldn't have put you in this position. Last night, while you slept, I tried to go through scenarios of how to end our friendship, continue our friendship, and I even entertained the possibility of trying something else. I mean, I was wracking my brain for hours."

Morgan was filled with hope at the thought of having a real relationship with Christian and loved that he thought he could have one with her, too, but she still felt a ping of pain in her chest. He could still choose to leave at any moment and she would never hear from him again. The wait became more of a crushing weight as each second passed. Still, she never spoke.

"I thought about last night with Kat and who it was I needed to be with after everything exploded, and that person was you. I came to the conclusion that I didn't want to ignore our connection and, even now, I still feel it. I mean, I was excited at bringing you breakfast and I wanted to just sit down and eat it with you.

"I'm not sure why it's there, or when it got there, but you're always the person I run to... always. I realized that you're the person I can be honest with, and I can be myself with you. You make me laugh and keep me happy, regardless of what's going on. You've always done that. I know last night wasn't ideal but when you told me that you loved me, I couldn't help it. I couldn't stop myself and I didn't want to in all honesty."

He paused, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I know that you probably may not want to try anything given the nature of things right now but I would love to give this, whatever it is, a try. So, I thought maybe we could go on a real date? Tonight?" The question was met with silence but he stumbled on, "You know, since neither of us has anything better to do with our week, anyway. And I know you like movies and there's that one you wanted to see so I thought we could go out to din -"

Before Christian could finish his rambling explanation, Morgan leaped onto him, placing her lips against his and wrapping him in her arms. She tackled him hard enough that he lost his balance and they screamed, tumbling onto the floor. Blankets and all.

They howled with laughter and tried to make themselves comfortable on the floor. Half of Morgan's body was still on top of Christian, her arms around his neck. She had a huge smile on her face. His hands were on the small of her back and the feel of them pressing against her naked flesh sent shock waves of excitement through her body.

"I always liked seeing you smile," he admitted, smiling.

Joy filled every inch of her once again and she leaned up to place a softer, more passionate kiss on his lips. She took her time, slowly sliding her tongue between and along his lips, offering him not just her kiss but all of her. Morgan had held her emotions back for far too long. Like water gushing through a breached dam, she felt free and wanted him to know just how deep her love ran. She wanted to show him that there was never any question about her feelings from the moment they met and that she would gladly spend the rest of her days with him if he would allow it.

She let out a small moan when his hands gently slid up her back, his fingertips stroking her skin. Christian opened his mouth and their tongues danced, sensually gliding around each other.

Morgan felt hot, not from lust, but from love.

She allowed her feelings for Christian to flood her and dictate every move. She wanted him to feel how much she needed him, regardless of how sudden everything was, and damn the consequences that would inevitably follow. The man she adored and had wanted for so long was finally kissing her, loving her the way she had always dreamed, and she was determined to show him how much he meant to her. Then maybe, just maybe, he would realize that he needed her, too.

She placed loving kisses on the line of his jaw and along his neck. She slipped her hands inside his shirt and up his hairless chest, feeling the heat pouring from him. But that wasn't enough. She desperately wanted more of their flesh pressed together. She straddled his body and leaned down to kiss him while reaching below for the button on his pants. Once undone, she crawled down his body, giving kisses and tugging at his pants and boxers until they bunched at his ankles.

Christian kicked off his shoes and Morgan tossed aside his pants and boxers. Looking up, she saw that he was as excited as she was, raising his shirt over his head to leave them naked.

She crawled up his body to straddle his waist, covering his sex with hers. Placing her hands on his chest, she slowly rocked back and forth. His hardness pressed against her, creating the most wonderful friction, rapidly turning her heat into a roaring flame. Christian's hands roamed from her hips, up her sides, and over her breasts.

She closed her eyes, committing everything to memory. She focused on the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her hand, his manly scent, and his hands squeezing her breasts. Unconditional love poured out of her.

She felt his hands move along her collarbones, on her shoulders, then up to cup her face. She placed light kisses on his palms before opening her eyes and returning his steady gaze. She took time to kiss each of his fingers while they continued to stare into each other's eyes.

Morgan watched Christian's eyes widen, his chest rising and falling in rapid succession when she reached behind her to take hold of his length and guide him to her entrance.

Christian closed his eyes, took a ragged breath, and Morgan lowered onto him. They moaned as she inched down and he pushed up. Morgan relished the feel of his body as he began to take her to new heights with a steady, pulsating rhythm. At first, he slowly pushed inside her but, as Morgan responded, his thrusts became faster and more primal. She writhed on top of him, enjoying all he had to offer. Their fingers curled around each other in a tight lock while their bodies worked in unison. Morgan felt nothing but love and happiness in that moment and, when she leaned down to kiss him, Christian met her halfway, pressing his lips to hers.

He sat up to wrap Morgan in his warm, loving embrace as she continued to raise her hips, riding his length. She tangled her fingers in his hair and moaned softly in his ear, increasing their desire and pushing them closer to the edge of release.

He buried his face in her chest and placed frantic, light kisses over her breasts before taking one of her nipples between his teeth. He rolled his tongue in a circular motion and the sensation made her head spin. She moaned louder and rode him faster and harder, each plunge sucking him deeper inside. Pleasure and passion washed over her as they continued to explore each other. Soon, she felt his sex become rigid and her walls tightened around him.

They continued to make love on the floor and, for Morgan, nothing could have ever felt better than it did at that very moment. She felt connected to Christian and so full of love that she thought she would burst. When the friction finally brought their release, she groaned in pure pleasure and a new-found emotional freedom.

She threw her head back as they rode the waves of delightful release and, for the first time in years, she felt satisfied and wanted. She felt as if her love for him might actually be returned and that everything was right in the world.

They remained locked in a sweaty entanglement on her dorm room floor, catching their breath. Christian's hot breath was on Morgan's heaving chest but she relinquished her hold on him. He lifted his head, a wide grin on his face, and Morgan felt her heart skip a beat.

His smile was unlike anything she'd ever seen. She half smiled, bit her bottom lip, and they both laughed. After a few moments, she moved off his lap and lay next to him on the carpet. They continued to study each other for a moment before Christian took Morgan's hand in his own.

"So, I take it that your answer is yes, then?"

"Yes, it is," she giggled.

"Good. I'm looking forward to it," he said, displaying that sweet smile.

~~~~~

Morgan was brought back to reality by a sweet voice that she knew well.

"Mamawl?" The voice came from the far end of the porch.

Morgan turned toward the sound and squinted through her glasses. She couldn't make out details of the figure walking up the steps onto the front porch. When it got close enough, she saw the features of her granddaughter, Marie.

Marie was her daughter's only child and, if she was honest, she was her favorite grandbaby. Marie had always been at her side when she was little and not much changed as she grew. Marie was beautiful and looked like Morgan had at her age. She acted like her, too, which got her into trouble at times. But she made Morgan proud, nonetheless, especially when Marie chose to go to the same Art school in England that she had attended so many years ago. They had always been two peas in a pod but now she was in her late twenties, a college graduate, and had recently married a man named Andrew Campbell.

A large, cheerful smile came over her face as Morgan struggled out of her rocking chair as quickly as she could without hurting herself. She was pushing ninety-years-old after all.

"Hey there, baby," Morgan called out when she was up.

She walked toward her granddaughter with her arms spread in welcome. Marie picked up her pace and walked into her arms and Morgan placed a light kiss on her cheek as they wrapped each other in a tight hug.

"Where's Andrew? Wasn't he suppose to be here too?"

"He's getting the bags out of the car. I told him to take them up to one of the guest rooms since we're going to be staying with you all weekend for your ninetieth birthday." She emphasized her grandmother's age.

Morgan backed away and scowled at her granddaughter. "I wasn't born until October twenty-three, at four-twenty-three in the afternoon. So, technically, I'm still eighty-nine and will remain so until it's four-twenty-four, thank you very much."

"Oh, excuse me, Mrs. I'm still technically eighty-nine," Marie mocked.

"Get in that house before my eighty-nine-year-old butt decides to whoop yours," Morgan joked. "I want to meet this Andrew of yours. Since I haven't yet," she added.

"I said I was sorry for that, mawl."

"Yeah, whatever, just get in the house and introduce me properly already."

Marie opened the door for her and they walked inside. Morgan saw Andrew coming down the stairs. He was tall, lean, and brown haired from what she could make out. It was only when he was at the bottom of the stairs that Morgan became a little awestruck. This Andrew Campbell had piercing green eyes that instantly reminded her of Christian.

"Hello, Mrs. McCallan," he said, proffering a hand, "I'm Andrew Campbell."

"Nice to meet you, Andrew. You can call me Mamawl Morgan if you'd like."

He smiled sweetly and Morgan saw Christian in his smile, too. They looked so similar she had to ask, "Where are you from?"

Every word in that question was laced with a little hope for something that would never happen and she knew it. She was also hoping that the family members in front of her didn't catch on to it, too.

"New York, ma'am."

Morgan accepted his answer but something about him remained so familiar. She brushed it off as her mind playing tricks and walked everyone into the kitchen.

"How do you like Virginia, Andrew?" Morgan asked.

"I like it a lot better than New York, actually. If I knew I could work more readily from here, then I would just move Marie and I down this way. It would be much better since it's so close to her family. The family I have left is overseas. I really have nothing keeping me in any particular place."

"Overseas?" Morgan asked.

"Andrew has a brother who lives in Germany," Marie said.

"Half-brother," Andrew corrected.

"He works for the German Air Force but they aren't very close."

"Why is that?"

"We are just very different people," said Andrew. "Don't see eye to eye on a lot of things. All we really share is a dad."

"What about your parents then?"

"My mom died a few years ago from cancer and my dad still lives in Germany. He only has contact with my brother Nic, though, so my family is really Marie."

Morgan smiled, glancing at Marie. Her granddaughter was happy and that was good enough for her but that didn't mean she couldn't' needle them both just a little bit.

"Well, if you intend to be a part of my family, you're gonna need two things: sarcasm and a tough skin. Without them, you won't survive."

"Don't grandmothers normally want something like great-grandkids and unconditional love for their granddaughter?" Andrew asked.

"I'm not a normal grandmother. Plus, I have all that already." Morgan smiled. "Now, y'all are gonna need to eat something. So, Marie, you can help me with lunch, then later, both of ya can help me take some of the paintings down. I have a few people coming to pick them up in the next coupla days and could use the help."

"You are getting rid of some of your paintings, mawl?" Marie was a little shocked.

"Yes, I found people to buy them who would appreciate them so they have new homes to go to now. I won't be around forever to take care of them. I'd rather they go to people who I know will love them like I have. You know that, baby. We've talked about this before."

"Yeah, but it's going to feel weird with paintings missing off the walls. They've never been moved in all these years; it's like they're a part of my life. I'll be sad to see them go."

"I know, baby. You always did like my paintings," Morgan said, walking to the fridge.

"I saw that you have a few pieces from Anselm Kiefer and Atsuko Tanaka that are really impressive," Andrew said. "Are you selling those?"

"Most likely." Morgan pulled out a pitcher of lemonade and lunch meat. "Unless Marie wants any of them, of course. I know she's always liked my Keith Shackleton painting in the hallway and the Walter Girotto sketches that I have in my bedroom. Those will probably go to her, eventually."

Morgan was walking slowly around the kitchen, gathering bread and other essentials, all the while trying not to get lost in thoughts again. Especially when she reached into the refrigerator for strawberries.

"Who did the painting in the foyer?" Andrew asked.

"What did you say, sweetie? I couldn't hear you."

"Oh, sorry. The painting in the foyer? The watercolor? Very pretty but I didn't know the artist. All I could see were the initials C.R.H. on the bottom left corner."

Morgan became hesitant, didn't answer.

"Mamawl? You okay?" Marie asked.

"Yes, baby, I'm fine. To answer your question, that painting is a gift from the best friend I had in college. A man I knew a long time ago. His name was Christian Hayward."

Morgan drifted to thoughts of him again, feeling a little lost and sidetracked.

"What's the story behind it?" Marie asked.

"Pardon?" Morgan snapped back to reality.

"The story behind it, mamawl? Why did he give it to you?"

"He painted it for me," she blurted, unthinking.

"Why did he paint it for you?"

Morgan sighed before answering. "Well, that's a really long and complicated story."

"We've got time," Marie said, glancing at Andrew.

Morgan looked them both over and decided she needed to tell somebody about it. After all these years of never letting anyone know, it was the right time to finally let it all out. Besides, if anyone found out about Christian and the painting when she wasn't here to explain, it might cause issues that didn't need to arise. So, it was best to get the story straight. Now.

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