Paint Me Beautiful

twinkle in his brown eyes. He's wearing a gray beanie this time with a bill on it and a loose fitting shirt that hangs off his body in a way that tells me he's not hiding anything. I might not know Emmett Sinclair yet, but I can tell by the way he styles his hair, by the clothes he wears, by the look on his face, that he's just one of those guys who's hot but doesn't know it. Infuriating and sexy at the same time.
    My stomach growls and I put a hand over my belly to silence it. Emmett raises one of his dark brows.
    “ Dinner?” he asks me, head tilted to the side as he starts the engine and chuckles. “And nice getaway by the way. Best I've ever seen.” I smile back at him, feeling just a bit guilty about why I'm here. He thinks I like him, but I'm using him. I'm using Emmett to escape, to hide a part of my life from the people I love the most. Why? Why am I doing this?
    “ Nah,” I say and try not to grimace in time with my lie. Emmett's eyes are piercing, like Big Bob's. Maybe he has an honesty radar, too? I glance away, focusing on the gleaming wood of the dash instead of my date's pretty face. “I'm full up.” I pause and take a deep breath, trying to infuse a bit of the truth into my words. For some reason, I want Emmett to think that I'm sincere; I want him to like me. “All my family ever does together is eat. We eat as an excuse to hang out, as a celebration, as an act of mourning. I'm tired of eating. I just want to do something else.”
    Emmett slides his bottom lip under his teeth and takes a sharp breath.
    “ Got it,” he says as he focuses his attention on the driveway and puts his foot to the gas before my dad gets a chance to practice his shooting. Don't laugh. He's done it before. Marlena's first boyfriend had the audacity to pull up on prom night and honk, leaving the engine running while Marlena cried at the bottom of the stairs because she wasn't going to get any pictures. My dad shot out his back tires with a .22 rifle. “I have an idea if you don't mind a short hike?” I think about the apples I ate and the bloating and how I really should lose some more weight. I'm tired – exhausted even – but a little exercise never killed anyone. I nod and pick at the strap to my tank top. I should've brought a coat.
    “ Sorry about … ” I don't know what to say, so I shrug my shoulders.
    “ The great escape?” Emmett asks with a chuckle, rubbing at his forehead with the base of one hand and clutching the wheel with the other. As soon as he's done, he puts it back and grabs on tight. Wow, I thought only my mom drove with her hands at two and ten. How cute. I reach up and check the silver hoops in my ears, smooth my hand over my hair which is back in a ponytail. Something about this boy makes me fidget. Is that good or bad? “I've seen worse.” He smiles and the edges of his eyes crinkle. He wants me to ask, so I do.
    “ And?” Emmett turns in the direction opposite town, towards the national parks and the wildlife refuges. It's getting dark out, so I can't imagine where we're going that would be any fun, but he seems to know where he's going and he's not trying to shove food in my mouth and ideals in my head, so I'm okay with it.
    “ A girl I dated in high school used to climb out the third story window and propel down the back of the house.”
    “ Right,” I say with a snort. Emmett glances at me and raises both eyebrows, opening his eyes wide. His brow is strong and gives his eyes an almond shape, but when he does this, they get nice and round, like two perfect circles.
    “ No joke,” he tells me, nodding his head. Bits of chestnut hair sneak out from beneath his beanie and poke up at odd angles. “Her passion was scaling rock, so you know, she had all the equipment.”
    “ Sounds like the perfect woman,” I say. I'm not trying to be bitchy, but Emmett takes it that way. He cringes and adjusts his beanie which I'm starting to realize might be a nervous habit.
    “ Rule number one: do not talk about other women with your date.” He smiles; I smile. Emmett is just a likable sort of guy. I don't have time for likable guys. I try not to sigh, try not to think about the casting today or the one tomorrow. I close my eyes for a brief moment and take a breath, slapping my hands against my thighs.
    “ That's a good bit of advice,” I tell him as I lean into the leather seat and admire my surroundings. Emmett has a nice car for a guy who works at the mall. “If it makes you feel