Page 32 of Undisputed Chaos
My cheeks burned as I read the words, the pet name sending hope through me that I couldn't quite explain.
Angel. The name felt special, personal in a way that made me curl my toes against the sheets. I'd never been anyone's angel before.
I scrolled through my notifications, finding more breadcrumbs he'd left while I slept.
Likes on photos from months back, and comments on my paintings that revealed he'd been studying my work, mylife. Somehow, I’d never felt more seen.
Then I saw it—a direct message notification from him. My heart slammed against my ribs as I opened it.
@AdrianCatalyst
Good morning, angel. Show me something nobody else gets to see. Something you've created that's never been shared.
You have until sunset.
I stared at the message, reading it three times to make sure I understood. It wasn't a request; it was a challenge. A test.
My first instinct was to wonder why I should comply and do anything this man asked of me after one heated encounter in a club.
But the thought disappeared before it could even fully form.
I was already sliding out of bed, drawn to the corner of my studio where a canvas stood facing the wall, a painting I'd never posted, never shown, never even fully acknowledged to myself.
I showered and dressed quickly, pulling on a soft romper, twisting my hair into a messy bun, and dabbing concealer under my eyes.
My usual morning routine felt different, charged with purpose. I kept glancing at Adrian's message, the words burning into my mind.
Show me something nobody else gets to see.
The canvas waited, its surface a darker, more visceral vision than anything my followers had ever seen from me.
I'd painted it late one night after scrolling through my private account, after hours of looking at images that stirred something hungry in me.
It was inspired by men with tattooed hands and dangerous smiles,bodies marked with ink and scars, and eyes that promised things I'd never admitted wanting.
It wasn't a pretty cityscape or a field of flowers. It was a study in desire, abstract enough that no one would immediately recognize the subject, but to me, the forms were clearly entwined bodies, the colors all heat and want and surrender.
My hands shook slightly as I positioned the painting on my easel, angling it to catch the morning light.
I hesitated before taking the photo, suddenly self-conscious about sharing something so honest. What would he think? Would he see through me completely?
But before I could talk myself out of it, I snapped the picture and sent it, immediately slamming my phone down, heart pounding.
What was I doing? Sharing my most private work with a man I barely knew? A man who made me feel things I'd never felt before, whose touch had lit me on fire, whose eyes had seen past every styled layer?
I paced my apartment, nervously preparing food, messing with my trinkets, and staring at my sketchbooks.
Minutes stretched into an hour. No response.
Doubt crept in. Had I misunderstood? Had I shared too much, revealed too much of myself too quickly?
Maybe he was just playing games, leaving digital crumbs to see how far I'd go, how easily I'd jump at his attention.
I was just about to delete the message when my phone chimed.
@AdrianCatalyst
Beautiful, angel. Raw. Honest. The way you blend crimson with the deep blue... You feel everything so deeply, don't you? I can see it in every brushstroke.
