Page 44 of Painting Celia

She smiled suddenly, realizing she was conversing with León in her imagination, and he was still pushing her.

She looked up to the pool house. He’d come out for such a brief time tonight.

“Hey, you’re ignoring me.”

Kelsey was never shy about saying what she thought. Well, why rely on León for pushing? Kelsey was here. She was her friend, and she was honest. Safer than León, to tell the truth.

Celia took a deep breath. “Kelsey…I feel happy that you’re here. Thanks for coming.”

Kelsey’s mouth fell open, then she reached out to touch Celia’s arm. “I’m happy to be here,” she said. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say something sappy like that.”

Celia looked down at her hands in her lap. “It feels weird to say out loud, but it’s true.”

Kelsey leaned closer, over the arm of her chair.

“This is León’s work, isn’t it?” she asked. “I gotta know, why are you listening to him? I’ve known you for like ten years. You barely know him.”

“It’s my lessons. He says I have to be honest about feelings, or I can’t paint.”

“Is that working?”

“A little,” Celia admitted. “It’s embarrassing. I wish people could understand without me having to say it. Like, you see me smile, so you know I’m happy.”

Kelsey laughed. “It’s different when you say it, though.”

“Scary.”

“Maybe. But, you might want to kiss someone or you might say, ‘I want to kiss you.’ Totally different.”

Celia nodded slowly. Huh.

“If you say it,” Kelsey continued, “the other person gets to respond. Maybe they want to kiss you too. Plus, they know you want it bad enough to say it out loud. I guess, saying it is an invitation to the other person to react.”

Celia kept nodding but felt her throat tighten. Kelsey was right; having feelings was only the first step. Dealing with the other person’s reaction was the terrifying part.

Kelsey gave her a shrewd look. “I always thought you were just private, but now that I’m seeing León hound you, I’m realizing you don’t mean to be, do you?”

Celia tensed. Be honest. “I’m too afraid to say things out loud, sometimes.”

“And all this time, I thought you just didn’t want to.” Kelsey smiled. “Honey, I could have helped. You know me. I’m safe to practice on.” She looked over at Andrew and Trevor, deep in discussion. “You can trust them too. You could try honesty on Andrew. He’s always chill.”

Celia laughed. “With Andrew? You know where connecting with him can land me. Though, he doesn’t ask about staying the night as much as he used to.”

Kelsey nodded toward the two men, absorbed in their talk. “Actually, I think that’s why.”

Celia kept her face carefully neutral until she could lean closer to her friend. “You mean, Andrew and Trevor…together?”

“I’ve been noticing for a while. They have chemistry.”

“Hmm.” Celia could see it, actually.

Kelsey leaned in even closer. “You know who else has chemistry?”

“Who?”

“You and León.”

Celia’s face flamed instantly. Good thing it was dark.

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