ログインJay woke up the morning after the exhibition and felt nothing.Not happiness. Not relief. Not exhaustion. Just nothing. Empty. Like someone had drained him dry.He lay in bed for a long time. The sun was up. The birds were singing. Cole was already in the kitchen. Jay could hear him moving around. The soft sound of his footsteps. The clink of a coffee mug.He didn't get up.Cole appeared in the doorway. "You awake?""Yeah.""You coming out?""Soon."Cole studied him. "What's wrong?""Nothing.""Liar."Jay sat up. He rubbed his face. "I don't know.""That's not an answer.""I know."Cole walked over. He sat on the edge of the bed. "Talk to me."Jay was quiet for a moment. "I feel empty.""Empty how?""Like I spent everything I had. The paintings. The show. All of it. And now there's nothing left."Cole reached for his hand. "That's normal.""It doesn't feel normal.""It's called an art hangover. It happens."Jay looked at him. "An art hangover?""Yeah. You poured everything into the sh
The morning of the exhibition, Jay woke up at 4am.He didn't sleep. He couldn't. His mind was racing. The gallery. The paintings. The people. He lay in bed staring at the ceiling. The room was dark. Cole was still asleep next to him.Jay got up quietly. He walked to the kitchen and made coffee. He sat at the table. Stared at the wall. He didn't drink.Cole found him there an hour later."Jay?" Cole's voice was rough with sleep."I'm here.""You're up early.""Couldn't sleep."Cole sat next to him. "Nervous?""Terrified.""It's the same thing.""It's not.""It is."Jay put his head in his hands. "What if they hate it?""They won't.""You don't know that."Cole reached over. He took Jay's hands. "I know you. I know your work. It's impossible to hate."Jay looked up. "How do you know?""Because I've seen the way people look at your paintings. They stop. They stare. They feel something."Jay was quiet."Do you know how many people do that?" Cole asked. "How many artists make people feel s
The paintings arrived at the museum on a Tuesday.Jay got the call from Elena that afternoon. She said everything was safe. Unpacked. Waiting for him. The installation would start next week. He needed to be there for it. He needed to see his work on those walls.Jay told Cole. Cole was quiet. Then he said, "I'll come with you.""You don't have to.""I want to."Jay didn't argue.The drive to the museum took three hours.Jay sat in the passenger seat. Cole drove. The road was empty. The sky was gray. Jay stared out the window. He didn't know what he was feeling. Excitement. Fear. Something in between.Cole reached over and took his hand."You're quiet," Cole said."I'm thinking.""About what?""The paintings. The museum. Everything."Cole squeezed his hand. "It's going to be fine.""You don't know that.""I know you."Jay smiled. "That's not an answer.""It's the only one I have."The museum was huge.Stone walls. Tall columns. Big windows. Jay stood outside and stared up at it. His wo
Jay went back to the studio the next morning.He stood in front of a new canvas. The retrospective was three months away. Three months to create enough work for the main gallery. Three months to prove he belonged there.His hands were steady. His mind was quiet. He picked up a brush and started painting.Rivera walked in. She didn't knock."You're back," she said."I'm back.""You're working.""I'm working.""What are you painting?""I don't know yet."She walked to the canvas. She looked at it for a long time."Keep going," she said.Jay painted for weeks.He didn't count the days. He didn't count the hours. He just moved from canvas to canvas. The studio filled with color. The walls were covered. The floor was stacked with finished pieces.Cole came to the studio every evening. He didn't interrupt. He just sat in the corner and watched."You're different," Cole said one night.Jay didn't look up. "Different how?""Faster. Like you know exactly what you're doing.""I don't know what
The phone rang at 6am.Jay grabbed it before it could wake Cole. He squinted at the screen. Unknown number. He almost ignored it. Something made him answer."Hello?""Jay." It was a woman's voice. Familiar. Warm. "It's Elena."Jay sat up. "Elena?""I know it's early. I'm sorry.""What's wrong?""Nothing's wrong. I have news."Jay rubbed his eyes. "What kind of news?""The kind you've been waiting for. The Hamburger Bahnhof called. They want to feature your work in their main gallery. Not a side room. The main room."Jay blinked. "The main room?""The main room. They want to do a retrospective. Your entire body of work. From the beginning to now."Jay swung his legs over the side of the bed. "I don't have that many pieces.""Then paint more.""I only have a few months.""Then make them count."Jay was quiet. His mind was racing. The main room. The main gallery. The museum. It was huge. Too huge."Jay?" Elena said. "Are you there?""I'm here.""Say something.""I don't know what to say.
The morning after the retrospective, Jay woke up to an empty bed.He sat up. Rubbed his eyes. The apartment was quiet. Too quiet. He could hear the birds outside. He could hear the city waking up. But he couldn't hear Cole.He got out of bed. Walked to the kitchen. Cole was standing by the window. Coffee cup in his hand. Looking out at the street."You're up early," Jay said.Cole turned around. "Couldn't sleep.""Thinking about last night?""Thinking about everything."Jay walked to him. "Everything is good.""It is.""Then why can't you sleep?"Cole shrugged. "I don't know. I think I'm still processing.""It's the same thing.""It's not.""It is."Jay took the coffee cup from his hands. He set it down on the counter. Then he put his arms around Cole."Eight paintings," Jay said."Eight paintings.""You sold eight paintings.""Actually, I sold eight paintings. You just watched."Cole laughed. "Fine. You sold eight paintings. I was just there."Jay pulled back. "You were more than jus
Chapter Eight : Cole pov Three days.Three days since Maya walked out. Three days since I watched her face crumble. Three days since I became the worst thing that ever happened to my sister.I didn't leave the guest house.Not for food. Not for air. Not for anything.I just sat on the couch. The
Chapter Seven : Maya pov Something was wrong.I didn't know how I knew. I just did. The way Cole avoided my eyes at Sunday dinner. The way Jay canceled plans twice in one week. The way both of them went quiet when I walked into a room. Like they'd been talking about something. Like I was the inter
Chapter Six: Cole pov(18+) Three days passed. Three days of stolen glances at the gym. Three days of almost touching and pulling away. Three days of lying to Maya over the phone while my chest burned with guilt and want. I couldn't take it anymore. "You're distracted." Coach Hartley pulled m
Chapter Five :Cole pov I didn't sleep. Not one hour. Not twenty minutes. I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, replaying the feel of Jay's hand on my chest. The way his fingers pressed against my ribs. The way he whispered my name. Tell me to stop. I didn't. Then why are you still touch







