Lahat ng Kabanata ng His sisters boyfriend : Kabanata 171 - Kabanata 180

The traveling exhibition was confirmed.London. New York. Chicago. Berlin. Jay's work would cross the ocean. His paintings would hang in four different cities. People who had never seen his art would walk through galleries and stop in front of his pieces. They would feel something. They would remember his name.Jay sat on the couch. He stared at the wall. His mind was blank. Not empty. Blank. Like someone had wiped everything clean.Cole sat next to him."What are you thinking?" Cole asked."Nothing.""That's not possible.""I'm not thinking about anything."Cole studied him. "That's a first."Jay laughed. It was weak. "I know.""Do you want to talk about it?""About what?""About the exhibition. The tour. The pressure."Jay shook his head. "I don't feel pressure. I feel... nothing."Cole put his arm around him. "That's okay.""Is it?""Yeah. Sometimes nothing is what you need."Jay went to the studio that afternoon.The room was empty. The walls were bare. The paintings were already

The countdown to New York began.Jay had a calendar on the wall of the studio. He marked off each day with a red X. Fifty-nine days left. Fifty-eight. Fifty-seven. Each mark brought him closer to the opening. Each mark made his chest tighter.He stood in front of a blank canvas. His hands were empty. His mind was quiet. He didn't need to paint. The retrospective was already complete. The sixty pieces were already packed. Ready to travel. Ready to be seen.But he couldn't stop."Jay," Cole said. He was standing in the doorway."I'm here.""You've been staring at that canvas for an hour.""I know.""Are you going to paint?""I don't know."Cole walked over. "You don't have to paint.""I know.""Then why are you standing here?"Jay turned to face him. "Because I don't know what else to do."Cole put his hand on Jay's shoulder. "Then rest.""I've been resting.""You've been waiting. That's not the same thing."Jay was quiet for a moment. "I think I've been waiting."Cole nodded. "I know."

Berlin was the last stop.Jay stood in the empty studio. The walls were bare. The canvases were gone. They were in Chicago now. Hanging on walls. Being seen. He had nothing left to do. Nothing left to create. The tour was almost over.He sat on the floor. His legs gave out. He leaned against the wall.Cole walked in. He didn't say anything. He just sat next to Jay."The tour is almost over," Jay said."I know.""I don't know how to feel.""How do you feel?""Relieved. Scared. Empty."Cole nodded. "That makes sense.""Does it?""Yeah. You've been running for so long. It's okay to stop."Jay was quiet for a moment. "I don't know who I am without this."Cole put his arm around him. "You're Jay. That's who you are.""It doesn't feel like enough.""It's everything."Jay spent the next few days doing nothing.He sat on the couch. He watched the rain. He watched the cars. He watched the people walking by. He didn't paint. He didn't plan. He didn't think about deadlines.Cole stayed with him.

Jay couldn't sleep.He lay in bed staring at the ceiling. The new paintings were finished. Twelve pieces. Twelve new voices. He had no idea what to do with them. No gallery. No show. No deadline. Just the work.Cole was asleep next to him. His breathing was steady. His arm was draped across Jay's chest. Jay didn't move. He didn't want to wake him.He stared at the ceiling until the sky outside turned from black to gray. Then he got up.He walked to the kitchen. He made coffee. He sat at the table. He stared at the wall.Cole found him an hour later."Jay," Cole said. His voice was rough with sleep."I'm here.""You're up early.""Couldn't sleep."Cole sat next to him. "Thinking about the paintings?""Thinking about everything."Cole reached for his hand. "You don't have to decide today.""I know.""But you're going to think about it anyway."Jay nodded. "I'm going to think about it anyway."Jay went to the studio that morning.The room was full. The walls were covered. Twelve new pain

Jay couldn't sleep.He lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Tokyo was over. The show was done. The paintings were gone. He had nothing left to do. Nothing left to create. The silence was heavy. He couldn't turn it off.Cole was asleep next to him. His breathing was steady. His arm was draped across Jay's chest. Jay didn't move. He didn't want to wake him.He stared at the ceiling until the sky outside turned from black to gray. Then he got up.He walked to the kitchen. He made coffee. He sat at the table. He stared at the wall.Cole found him an hour later."Jay," Cole said. His voice was rough with sleep."I'm here.""You're up early.""Couldn't sleep."Cole sat next to him. "Thinking about Tokyo?""Thinking about everything."Cole reached for his hand. "You don't have to decide today.""I know.""But you're going to think about it anyway."Jay nodded. "I'm going to think about it anyway."Jay went to the studio that morning.The room was empty. The walls were bare. He stood in the mid