Nathan stared at Zsne, his heart doing a weird rhythmic drumbeat against his ribs.
"You're making that… for me?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper, filled with a hope he couldn't hide.
Zane went quiet. He looked down at his feet, then out the window, his jaw tight. It looked like he was having a full-scale war with himself, deciding whether to lie or lean into the truth.
"I wanted to give it to you as a Valentine's gift," Zane finally said, his voice low and incredibly vulnerable. "But I couldn't finish it. I haven't picked up a brush in… a long time. My hands felt so stiff, like they forgot how to draw. I got frustrated. That's why I just gave you the watch. I'm sorry... I felt like a failure giving you something I just bought instead of something I actually made."
Nathan felt a pang of genuine guilt. He thought about the watch, the expensive, thoughtful watch Zane had given him, and then he looked at the covered canvas.
