Leave Me Alone, Big Brothers! [BL]-Chapter 88: A House and Swamp

Before she could speak, Zane grabbed Nathan’s arm. His grip was surprisingly strong, his fingers digging into Nathan’s jacket.

"Let’s go," Zane said firmly. He didn’t look at Marie or David. He literally pulled Nathan toward the stairs to his room.

"Zane, I’m not finished yet!" Marie shouted after them.

Zane didn’t stop. He dragged Nathan around the corner and shoved him into the room, slamming the heavy doors shut behind them.

Zane leaned back against the door, closing his eyes, his breathing shallow. "Sorry."

Nathan straightened his jacket, his anger cooling into sharp curiosity. "Why? You did nothing wrong."

Nathan realized that Zane’s relationship with his mother and brother wasn’t very good.

"Are they your mother and brother?" Nathan asked.

Zane shook his head. "No. I don’t have a mother. David is that woman’s son."

Nathan fell silent, not knowing what to say. It seemed that it wasn’t him who needed comforting, but Zane. He saw another side of the boy, and in some ways, he understood why Zane preferred to keep to himself.

Even when Nathan had been in the orphanage, he’d felt isolated. His childhood in public school had not been easy. The children were cruel, and without realizing it, he withdrew so as not to attract attention and become the target of ridicule.

Because it was really unpleasant.

The first day of lessons went well. Nathan learned many new things he didn’t get at school, including how to memorize faster using effective techniques.

At 7 p.m., when the lessons were finally over, Zane packed his books.

"Do you want to have dinner here?" he asked.

He was a little worried, because he usually brought his food to his room. He was rarely at home. When lesson was over, he would go out with friends or be alone at the gym.

He didn’t feel comfortable at home. But he didn’t feel right letting Nathan leave without eating.

Nathan noticed Zane’s uneasiness. "No. It’s better if I go home now."

Zane was silent for a moment. Then he nodded and took his bag into a small adjacent room.

Nathan packed his books. After that, he looked around. Zane’s room was quite spacious, although not as large as his room in the Salazar mansion.

But it was clean and tidy.

There wasn’t much to see, just the bed, the study table they used for lessons, and a small bookshelf.

There were no photos.

Nathan looked at the walls, where several paintings were displayed in yellowish frames.

There were several paintings. The one that caught his attention the most was of a Labrador dog drawn in great detail, sitting in front of a sofa.

Next to it was another painting, more like a child’s drawing, of figures that looked like a man, a woman, and a child. It was colored with crayons.

There were several other beautiful paintings, mostly landscapes. Nathan felt a sense of peace just looking at a painting of a small house next to a swamp.

Nathan approached the painting. After admiring it for a few seconds, he noticed the artist’s signature—Laura—though it wasn’t very clear.

Nathan turned to the other side of the wall, where he noticed several more paintings. These were more abstract. His eyes fell on one that looked like a monster made of black paint strokes.

It was simple, but the figure caught Nathan’s attention.

He became even more interested when he read the painter’s name.

Zane.

He read it again more closely. Zane? Zane Leinster?

Zane could paint?

Nathan was startled by a cough behind him. He turned around immediately.

Zane was standing there, smiling.

The boy was smiling.

Nathan cleared his throat. "Sorry, I didn’t mean to be intrusive. But this painting is extraordinary."

Zane looked at the painting and nodded. "I like it too."

"Did you draw it?"

Zane nodded. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Nathan gaped in disbelief, his gaze returning to the painting. "Seriously? You made it?"

"I made it five years ago."

Nathan’s mouth opened wider. "What? That’s impossible. It’s truly amazing! You could make this when you were twelve?"

The painting was a little abstract, but the details were captivating. It felt as if it had a soul, drawing you into it.

Zane was silent, staring at the painting for a long moment.

Nathan pointed to another painting. "Then what about that one?"

Zane looked at the painting of the house and the swamp. "That’s a painting by my mother."

Nathan’s mouth fell open. "Wow! You’re both amazing!"

Zane’s gaze softened, tinged with sadness. "My mom... yes, she was a really great painter. I tried taking painting classes, but I still can’t make anything as good as hers."

"What are you saying? You’re talented too! Wow, Zane! You’re truly amazing!" Nathan praised, approaching the painting of the house.

Zane was quiet for a moment, his thoughts elsewhere. Then he spoke. "That’s my grandfather’s house. I don’t remember it very well. But my mother said it was her first painting before she went to the city and met my father."

Nathan sensed the sadness in Zane’s voice. He assumed the boy’s mother had passed away, and the thought made him uneasy.

The house in the painting seemed to hold vivid memories, and knowing it was tied to his deceased mother made it even sadder.

"Well," Nathan said, trying to lighten the mood, "maybe someday I can ask you to make a painting for me."

Zane smiled faintly. "I haven’t held a brush since I was ten. I tried again at twelve and painted that one, the monster, for the last time. After that, I haven’t painted again."

Zane gestured toward the monster painting.

"Well, there’s always time to start again," Nathan said. "It would be great if I could see you in your private gallery someday."

Zane laughed. For the first time, Nathan heard the boy’s crisp laughter. "Do you want to make me a laughing stock?"

Nathan clicked his tongue. "You can’t judge art. It’s imagination, different for each person. The way you captured detail on the canvas is amazing. I wish I had that kind of talent!"

Zane chuckled softly.

Suddenly, Zane changed the subject. "Tomorrow, do you want to come with me?"

Nathan frowned. "Where?"

"Racing cars."