Page 47 of Dare to Fall

Because I saw the truth in his eyes. The words he left unspoken.

The woman in his painting was me.

25

Garth

Her face startedto crumble as she bit her lip. She knew. The inspiration behind my greatest piece of art was her. My heart sank as I watched her eyes fill with tears. She was in pain, and I didn’t know how to make it stop.

“Eva.” I reached out to her, but she pulled back.

“Is that what I am to you? A broken muse for you to use to further your career.”

“It isn’t like that, Eva.” Reaching out again, I wrapped my hands gently around her wrists and pulled her into me. She resisted at first, tugging against my grip. But when I wrapped my arms around her and brought her to my chest, shielding her from those around us, I felt her body melt into me.

I stroked the back of her hair and tilted her chin up so she would look at me. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I promise it wasn’t like that, Eva. I hardly knew what the piece represented until I was almost finished.”

“Is that how you truly see me? A shattered person, adrift in a sea of beautiful color.” Her bottom lip quivered.

“No,” I exhaled. “That’s how you see yourself.”

She bowed her head as tears fell onto the soft fabric of her jacket. I cupped the side of her face, and she looked up at me again. The tip of her perfect little nose was bright red. Hues of blue and purple peeked through the concealer she wore under her puffy eyes. This wasn’t the first time she had cried today. A surge of protectiveness raged through my body at the thought of someone causing her pain. I pushed it down. Now was not the time to lose my head over the actions of another, especially not when she thought I had used her for my own personal gain.

“You, Eva Barnes, are like feeling the sunshine after years of cold rain. You’re kind and warm and don’t take shit from anyone. You’re bold and brave in the face of adversity. No matter the cost, you put others above yourself. Even if it means you sacrifice your own happiness.Thatis how I see you,” I breathed. “To be loved by you means being loved byallof you.”

“How do you know that?” she whispered.

“Because any woman who dims her light to make her man feel greater is a selfless woman who deserves to have the world laid at her feet.Youdeserve to shine, Eva. And any man who makes you feel otherwise doesn’t deserve you.”

Tears glistened in her eyes, but she no longer looked sad. I brushed my thumb over her bottom lip, and she sighed, nuzzling her face into my palm. Every fiber of my being urged me to kiss her delectable lips. She leaned into me more, granting me permission to seize her, body and soul.

But I couldn’t. Not like this. She was fragile and hurting—most likely because of another man. I didn’t want our first kiss to be tainted with the spoils of her boyfriend or whatever the hell that guy was to her. When I kissed Eva Barnes, it would be onourterms, when the moment was right for us. So, I would wait, even if it took forever. I would wait for her.

“I thought this was an art exhibit, not a hotel room.” Lucas’ voice blanketed the tension in the air like a wet towel.

Closing my eyes, I sighed. He always had the worst timing, but at least his presence made it easier to stop myself from kissing Eva. She laughed as my hand dropped down from her face. I pulled her close to me as we turned to face our intruder.

“Lucas, I’m glad you decided to join us tonight.” I smirked. Though I really was glad he’d chosen to get himself together after everything we’d talked about. He needed to start building a life outside the hospital so it didn’t consume him as much.

“Hi, I’m Lucas.” He reached his hand out to Eva, and she took it. When he leaned down and planted a kiss on the back of her hand, my body turned to stone. It didn’t matter that it was Lucas and he was just being an ass, trying to provoke me. I couldn’t stand the sight of another man touching her.

Eva looked back and forth between Lucas and me. I tried to keep the hostility off my face, but judging by the way she tilted her head at me, I wasn’t doing a good enough job.

“You were with Garth the other night at Bloom 31,” she said as she gently wiped the remains of her tears away from her cheeks.

Lucas grinned at her. “Yes, I was. And you were looking divine.” He winked at her, and I rolled my eyes. He was milking every bit of my discomfort.

He clasped his hand on my right shoulder with a shit-eating grin on his face and said, “Garth here couldn’t stop staring at you the entire night. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen him like that with a woman before.”

“Nice, Lucas. Real nice.” I glowered at him.

Eva turned to me and said, “Is that so?”

I opened my mouth to retort, but Lucas cut me off.

“He’s had his eye on you from the moment you two met. At least that’s what he told me. You must be a special lady.”

“She is special.” I smiled down at her, and she blushed.

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