Page 69 of Painting Celia

Celia cleared her throat, struggling for control. “He kissed me.”

“I knew it!”

“But then he sent me away and disappeared after he promised to be there. I can’t believe I waited around like a fool. I don’t even like him.” The tears were coming harder now, her voice thick.

Kelsey’s hand appeared on the edge of the curtain.

“Celia?”

Celia reached up and pulled the curtain back, grimacing through the tears as she met her friend’s eyes. She’d never cried in front of her. She felt so exposed. But Kelsey stepped in and enfolded her in a hug.

“Aw, honey,” she soothed as Celia began crying in earnest. “He doesn’t deserve you.”

“I do like him,” Celia hiccupped. “I thought he’d come.”

Kelsey stroked her shoulder. “It’s not foolish to wait for someone to show up when they say they will. That’s what adults do. He’s wrong for not showing up.”

Celia was slowly bringing herself back under control. Being hugged helped—it felt good. Kelsey was being so nice.

“He’ll come back and be sorry, and I’ll let him explain,” Celia said, low. “He’s always getting his way. He overwhelms me. Yesterday he sat at my door for hours until I let him apologize.”

Kelsey reared back to search her friend’s tear-stained face.

“He what?!”

Celia exhaled heavily. “He brought flowers. He painted an apology on the back doors. I wouldn’t talk to him, but he wore me down.”

“Wait, you’ve been having drama like that, and I’m just now hearing about it?” Kelsey bounced, provoked.

“He painted me. And he kissed me in the pool in the dark, and he was jealous of Andrew.”

Kelsey’s mouth fell open. “Andrew, why?”

“He spent the night. On my birthday.”

“Andrew is involved too?! Good god, Celia! You can’t leave me out of things like this!”

Celia smiled weakly through the tears. “He said he had to get out of the pool because I was too tempting.”

Kelsey let Celia go and fanned herself. “Okay. I would have waited around too.”

“But this morning, he just left and never came back.”

“He really is a bastard,” Kelsey said with a frown. “I didn’t realize. The coward.”

“What do I do?”

Kelsey finally noticed the dress. It was well-made, graciously hugging Celia’s curves, the wide neckline draping delicately just off her shoulders.

“You are going to wear this dress and show him what he missed.” She reached up to adjust Celia’s black bra straps so they didn’t show. “Make him regret it, Celia.”

Celia shook her head, unsure.

“Look,” Kelsey said, “what do you honestly want?”

Celia wiped at her face, considering. “I wanted art,” she sniffed. “I wasn’t looking for this.”

Kelsey waited as Celia struggled.

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