Nadine Book 4

19. Painting

Tre finds bear, and we fly over to my house. "I WANT TO PAINT OUTSIDE."

Tye winks. "Ok."

"Why would you say ok to that?"

"Why wouldn't I? And now there won't be paint all over the house."

"And if it rains?"

"We can take the easels inside. Why are you being difficult?"

"Because he won't help. He refuses to send her for help. All he wants to do is drug her. I'm pissed." Tre kisses my head. "I'm going to go make sure the house is clean for the doctors, baby. Why don't you go feed the chickens? And be careful where you put the bear down."

When I get back from feeding the chickens, Tye is with Marcus talking. The servants are setting up the painting stuff.

I run by them and in the house. "TRE'S NOT IN THERE, BABYDOLL."

"Where did he go?"

"He went to get lunch. Come out here and paint for now. You'll be alright."

"I found you some black canvas. Now you won't have to paint them black if you want a black background."

I hide my face in Tye. "What do you say babydoll?"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, Nadine. I put them with the white ones."

I run over and grab a black canvas. I put it on the easel and paint 2 bright red eyes watching me. I sit on the ground and stare at them for a long time. No other marks, only 2 big red eyes.

Then I start painting another one. This time on a white canvas. I start with the deck of the boat. I add the dark clouds and lightning.

"Sit down baby. The fish is almost done."

I run over and sit down by Tye. "Am I good?"

"You're a very good girl babydoll." I lay my head on his shoulder.

Tre sits on the other side of me and feeds me a bite.

I sit between them and we eat fish. Marcus and Omar are at my paintings.

"Whose eyes are those babydoll?"

He'll think I'm losing my mind. I shrug my shoulders.

Tre kisses my head. "Are they mine?"

"No."

"Tye?"

"No."

"Dipak?"

"No."

"Kane?"

"No."

"Mary, your dad, my dad, Tye's dad?"

"No."

"Marcus?"

"No." I glance at Marcus. He is sexy.

"Woman, behave yourself."

"I like his hair and Tye already said I'm a good girl."

"He didn't see the way you were staring at that man's hair. If he did, I don't know if he would say that again."

I turn to Tye fast. He chuckles. "You're still a good girl."

"Lucky he didn't see." Tre shakes his head.

I hug Tye as fast as I can. "I love you babydoll."

"I love you too."

"We're going to have to make Tye grow long hair."

"Why me?"

"I'm not doing it. And could you see Dipak with long hair? It already takes him an hour to do his hair. It would end up taking him 5 hours every morning."

I snuggle Tye. "You're my only hope of long hair. No. I change my mind, neither of you can have long hair."

"Why can't we have long hair?"

"Other girls will look at you."

Tre winks. "It doesn't matter who looks at us. All that matters is who we are looking at, and I only see you."

"Me too." Tye kisses my head. "You're mine."

"I'm a good girl."

"Yea you are baby."

"Are you done eating?" I nod at Tye. "I'll clean this up. You go paint some more."

I run back over to the easels. This one on black. The pirate captain's office. The desk and maps. Everything I can remember about the room, I put it there.

Another one. The pirates attacking that night. They didn't care I was a girl. They were out to kill me. I shouldn't have went over there. I try to draw their faces mean.

Dipak wraps me up in his arms. "I missed you sweetheart."

"I love you."

"I love you too. You've been painting a lot. You want me to say you're a good girl?"

"Yes." I wait.

"I don't know." He walks me over to the boys. "She wants me to tell her she was good. Did she eat?"

"Yea she ate good and checked out Marcus for awhile."

I give Tre a dirty look.

Tye smirks. "We had to have a whole conversation about his hair."

Dipak winks at me. "I can imagine. She does like long hair." He shapeshifts himself into long hair.

"YOURS IS BETTER."

"You are a good girl." I smile and give him a big hug. "What is it that good girls get?"

"Hugs, kisses, and cake."

"What is it that bad girls get?"

My eyes must get big because he cracks up laughing.

Tre stands up. "I'm going to go cook that boar."

Dipak winks. "It's a good thing you're a good girl. I'll give you hugs and kisses. I don't have any cake."

I sit on his lap, straddling him. I lay my head on his shoulder, and he wraps me in his arms. I move one of my arms up on his shoulder, so I can play with his hair in my fingers.

My eyes get heavy fast.

"She missed you."

"I missed her too. Whose eyes is she drawing? Is it..."

"Tre went through everyone. She keeps saying it wasn't them."

"Are they mine, sweetheart?"

"No."

He holds me tighter. "I love you."

"I love you too." I snuggle in and let my eyes close. His hair feels good in my fingers.

I get lifted. "Should we put her in bed or let her eat? It is late."

I throw my arms up and stretch. Then I open my eyes. Dipak is holding me still. I hug him and snuggle in. "Are you hungry sweetheart?"

"I want boar."

"Ok."

We sit at our table, and he sits me beside him. I snuggle into Dipak. I'm kind of cold.

"Wow, you are a good girl, sweetheart. I get cuddles and hugs. You tell me I have better hair than the sexy hair man. You like the food. I don't know about this. I might have to bring cake tomorrow."

I nod at him as fast as I can.

"Pssh. I'll go get you some cake tonight. I won't even make you wait until tomorrow."

I turn to Tye. "I WANT CAKE."

He winks. "You have to eat first. When we're done, I'll get you some cake."

Tre laughs. "Pssh. I'll tell the servants to go get it now. SERVANT."

"Yes sir."

"Can you go get 4 pieces of cake and 4 milks?"

"Of course sir."

Tre smiles. "It's nice having them out here."

Dipak nods. "I'm pretty sure they hate it."

Tye laughs. "Yea, he's sent the same one over like 15 times now. For stupid shit."

"Paper was not stupid."

"Yea, but when she got back you sent her for a pen."

Dipak rubs his eyes. "You know you can fly there in like 20 seconds, right?"

"Why have servants if we're not going to use them?"

We sit around and talk until we finish eating, then Tye nudges me. "If you want to paint anymore tonight. You better do it. It's going to be dark in an hour."

I run back over and paint another one back in the cave. I put the sword in my chest and the daggers in my hands. This time, I add the red eyes watching me.

Then I put them in the pirate captain's office. I make it seem like they are peeking in a window at me.

Dipak gives me a hug. "Are they your brothers' eyes sweetheart?"

"No."

He carries me in and sits on the couch with me. "You are a good girl, sweetheart. You're the best girl." He rubs my back. Then he kisses my head about 10 times. "Is that enough kisses for a good girl?"

"Never enough."

"I should have known." He kisses me a couple more times. "I love you babygirl."

"I love you."

I hear Dipak talking. "Put her in bed and lay in there with her. I don't want her waking up and panicking alone. There's t-shirts in the dresser. Put her in one of those to sleep in. She always complains about sleeping in dresses."

I snuggle into Tye, and he carries me to the bedroom. He stands me up and unhooks the dress. He lets it fall and I whine.

"What's wrong babydoll?"

"I'm cold and tired."

"Let me get a shirt on you, and we can lay down."

I put my arms up. I don't even open my eyes. He chuckles and puts the shirt on me. "Go lay down in the bed baby. I'll lay with you."

I half lay on him and kiss his lips. Then I kiss him again. Then I really start kissing him. "What are you doing babydoll?"

"Good girls get kisses. I FORGOT BEAR."

"I'll get your bear." He gets up and comes back after a couple of minutes.

I cuddle up with Tye and bear and close my eyes.

All night long, I see the eyes. I wake up 15 times in 4 hours. One time I see them watching me through the window in the room. I wake up and search. There's no window there.

Dipak and Tye jump up every time I scream.

I lay between them and cry. I hold bear tight.

"It's ok sweetheart. She'll do better with skin contact." The boys take off their shirts and Dipak takes mine off.

I wiggle around on them. Then Dipak pushes my head down on his chest. Tye takes my legs and they rub me.