On His Face - Tabatha Kiss Page 0,80

argues.

“Maybe it is for you, but not for me.”

Jenna pauses, reacting to the anger in my voice. “I was just trying to help, Heidi.”

“No, you were butting in like always. Maybe you should learn how to mind your own fucking business sometimes.”

She shifts away, genuinely taken back. My gut churns with regret the moment the words leave my mouth, but I’m too upset to say anything else.

“Okay. I guess I will,” she says slowly. “Sorry.”

Jenna turns around and marches off into the crowd. I deflate, my heart pulling in her direction. The damage is done, unfortunately, and I’m not even sure I’d take it back in the first place.

I retrieve my drawings. It’s still early in the show. Hopefully, no one who knows Drew saw this.

Or worse, no one who knows Seth.

Chapter 42

Drew

My phone vibrates in my pocket. I pull it out, instantly smiling at the contact photo I chose for Heidi: her at the beach party, laughing in that cute white bikini top and shorts.

I answer it. “Hey, there,” I say into the phone. “How’s the Art Fest?”

“Bad,” is all she says.

I slow my stride. “Okay, what’s up?”

“Before I tell you, I want you to know that I got rid of all the evidence.”

“Is this something we should talk about in person?” I quip.

“No. Maybe. I don’t know. Drew, I’m...”

Her voice falls.

I pause on the sidewalk, shifting to the side to let others pass by. “Heidi, what’s going on?” I ask.

She exhales hard. “Jenna went behind my back and submitted some of my sketches. I didn’t know about it until I saw them and by then, who knows how many others did, too.”

I furrow my brow. “Sketches of what?”

“Of... you,” she says. “Sketches of you.”

“You mean, like... the portraits from class?”

“Those. And... some not from class.”

“My hands?” I ask.

“Yeah.”

“My chest?”

“Yeah.”

I pause, hesitating on the one drawing left I can think of that would make Heidi this upset.

“My penis?” I ask.

“Yes,” she squeaks.

Uh-oh.

“But, like I said,” she blurts, “I immediately took it down and told the judges the piece was submitted without my consent, so... it’s gone. Forever. And I’m so, so sorry, Drew.”

So, some people saw some... unique drawings of me. What are the odds they can tell it was me, though? Other than, you know... Heidi’s amazing talent as a portrait artist or her signature on every one of them or even the identifiable tattoo on my ribs or...

I shut the thoughts down. No use in falling down that rabbit hole.

“Don’t be sorry,” I say as I decide how I feel about this. “It’s not your fault.”

“I’ve never been so angry at Jenna before in my life,” she says. “I actually shouted at her in front of everyone.”

I pique a brow. “Really?”

“I feel awful.”

“Now, that I’d like to see...”

She sighs. “How are you joking right now?”

“Because...” I bite my lip, finding a little playfulness, “whenever something embarrassing happens, I like to get to that place where I can laugh about it as quickly as possible.”

I hear her smile through the phone. “Really?” she asks.

“Sure, it’s a little... okay, it’s a lot unsettling to know that a random amount of people saw those drawings, but if it happened, it happened, you know? Can’t undo it.”

“Yeah,” she says.

“And you said you pulled it as fast as possible.”

“I fast as I could!”

“And it’s unlikely that someone we know saw them, so...” I shrug a shoulder. “I guess we just have to wait and see if it all blows over. And I think it will.”

“You do?”

“Absolutely. Now, take a deep breath...”

Heidi obeys, audibly filling her lungs and blowing it back out. “Okay,” she says.

I smile. “It will be fine, Heidi.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I know I am.” I step back onto the sidewalk of Greek Row. “Do you want me to swing by? Say the word and I’ll blow off this house meeting.”

She chuckles. “Brick will have your ass if you skip another one.”

“I don’t care. You need me, I’m there. That’s how this works.”

“No, I’m okay,” she says, her strength returning to her voice. “You go to the meeting and we’ll hook up after?”

“Yeah, I’ll come to your place,” I say. “I have a few things I’d like to say to your roommate, if you don’t mind.”

“Oh. Me, too. She hasn’t come back yet, but... she has to eventually.”

I nod. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Okay,” she says. “Hey, Drew.”

“Yeah?”

“With a close call like this... I really think we should tell Seth sooner rather than later,” she says. “We might not be so