Page 64 of Something Blue

“At the wedding I was watching him and I kind of have to admit - I don’t think I’ve ever seen himsmiling that much in my life. It was unnerving.” She packs up laughing.

“What do you meanunnerving?” I say in horror.

“It’sCelso. He’s always been serious and moody and broody. I don’t know. It was weird to see him that happy.”

I grin, my heart flickering. “Why do you think?”

“Obviously because he was getting to marry you, idiot.” She answers me before I can finish my question.

I choose the blue sweater and a pair of bubblegum blue Nike hi-tops in almost the same color and carry them towards the check-out desk. Dalila has found a white summer dress and a pair of tan sneakers with a thick platform sole.

She glances at her watch while the lady rings up our items.

“Are you ready for a little lunch and a cocktail?” She asks. “Then we can do the other side of the mall after that and with two cocktails in us it’ll be a much more reckless choice making experience.” The grin on her face is classic.

“Sounds perfect. I need to make some reckless fashion choices. I was always so perfectly groomed when my father sent me off shopping.” I giggle.

Dalila leads us to her favorite sushi restaurant on the top floor of the mall. The wide glass walls overlook the shoppers down below us and we find a table near the edge so that we can watch the other people walking around.

“So, Mrs. Vece, how’s life?” She teases me as sit down on the table we’ve chosen.

I go quiet as I contemplate her question because - while it is a normal question - it’s thrown me off guard.

She scrunches her brows and looks at with her head tilted to the side. “What’s going on?” she asks, worried.

The server arrives and right away Dalila orders two Mango and lime cocktails and a sushi platter, then chases him away.

She turns back to me, her forehead lined with worry. “Neve?” She says reaching out to touch my hand.

I giggle and shake my head. “Stop looking so worried.” I laugh.

“Well, you went all quiet and weird and all I asked was how’s life?”

“I got caught off guard.” I shrug.

“By what?” she says confused.

“By my first thought when you asked it.”

“Oh for crying out loud will you tell me your answer?” she huffs, throwing her hands up.

I grin and shake my head again. “The very first answer that popped into my head was ‘life’s great.’ But I had to pause for a second and think about it - because - well - my life hasn’t beengreatbefore. It’s been good. But controlled. Structured. Ruled. All those things - you know how my father was.”

“Ok—” Dalila says, waiting for me to explain more as the server sets our drinks down on the table.

I take a long leisurely sip. It’s lovely.

“Since I married Celso - ok, so in the beginning I was furious. But he isn’t at all I thought he was going to be. He lets me be who I am. I never feeljudged - in fact it’s the complete opposite. I feel beautiful, and adored - I feel like he sees me?—”

Dalila’s face has relaxed, and she’s looking at me with a trace of surprise in her bright green eyes.

“Are youhappy, Neve?” She asks, confused.

“I am. I’m happy. How crazy is that?” I giggle, my cheeks turning warm pink as I confess something that I had not even realized yet. Not fully. Not enough to admit it out loud.

I take a deep breath. “Even my brother’s campaign is soaring. He’s doing so well. So, he’s happy and my family name has been recovered after that disaster with my leaked photos of my father and his bullshit - and my brother doesn’t seem to care about what I do. He is on his own mission, so he isn’t trying to impart all this stupid rules on me like my father did. Celso is - he’s amazing. I never expected—” My voice trails off. My heart is flickering with excitement. “I think I’m falling for him.” I whisper, quiet and mumbled, a confession I wasn’t ready to say, but it slipped out of my lips.

“Love?” Dalila says. “Celso? Have you got Stockholm syndrome?” She asks, laughing even louder than before.

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