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For me.
Not anyone else. Justme.
I shake my head and choose to focus on something else instead. “If you want to learn emotions, I can help.”
“Oh? I thought you were a self-proclaimed emotionless bad bitch.”
“Bad bitch, yes. Emotionless, no. I just enjoy teaching those who mess with me or my family a lesson. Anyway, let me ask you.” I take a sip of my cola. “From your family and friends, who do you think of when you hear the word love?”
“What is this? Amateur therapy?” He scrunches his nose as if he smells something foul. “Why does everyone seem to have an imaginary license lately?”
“Just answer the question, Landon.”
“Mum and Dad. Next boring question.”
“Why do they come first?”
“Ever since I was young, they’ve always respected, worshiped, and taken care of each other. They’ve never had a fight that lasted more than a day. They love each other to the point of obsession, if you ask me. Too much PDA for my liking.”
“Have you ever thought about having a relationship like theirs?”
“No. Because I don’t see the hype about the love and compromise strategy they employ in their marriage.”
“Who have you felt closer to between the two?”
“Dad in the beginning. Then Mum because of our shared artistic values and because she said I’m a better artist than her or anyone she knows. Neither now. I realized my personality and theirs are so different, I might as well not have been their son. I don’t hate it. I don’t like it. I simply understand it the way every individual should instead of transforming into a drama queen…why are you looking at me as if you pity me?”
“I don’t.” I just feel inexplicably sad for him. He might not feel it, but the fact that he realized early on that he was so different from the people he was closest to must’ve been so confusing to him.
He narrows his eyes. “Are your wannabe shrink questions over?”
“I’m not trying to be a shrink. I just want to understand you better.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s how interpersonal relationships are made.”
“Huh.”
He appears genuinely pensive and I wish I could take a trip inside his brain and see how he processes information. This is the first time he seems so open and not attempting any form of manipulation.
Landon finishes his glass of wine and pours himself another one. When he offers some to me, I nod. The first step of establishing a bond is to build common ground around something. I’m ready to sacrifice my disregard for alcohol to get him to open up more.
He raises a brow, but he pours me a glass anyway, then takes a sip of his. “Tell me more about how these so-called interpersonal relationships happen.”
“Well, first you have to be interested in getting to know the other person.”
“I’m clearly interested in you. Next.”
I nearly choke on the tentative sip of wine I’ve taken. The heat from earlier rises to my ears again, but I choose to believe it’s because of the alcohol.
“Then you’d want to learn as much as possible about them. Like their interests, favorite color, favorite movie, hobbies, and so on.”
“Despite wearing black all the time, your favorite color is, in fact, blue. I suppose you don’t wear it as much because you hold it in high regard and don’t want to waste it on everyday activities. Your favorite movie is a tie betweenMad MaxandFight Clubbecause, unlike your prim and proper anti-chaos talk, you do enjoy watching violence and anarchy, which is why you often complain about Maya’s romantic comedy movie nights. Your favorite food is Italian, mostly pasta, specifically carbonara. Your interests include chess, meditation, working out, and, of course, growing plants and then talking to them as if they possess a soul and feelings. Oh, and you definitely have deviant sexual tastes that fit mine like a glove.”
My lips part and I have to catch myself before I start drooling or something a lot worse.
Landon is perceptive to a fault, but I never thought he’d pick up pieces and stitch them together this efficiently.
