Page 94 of Bound to You

“Fuck them.”

A watery laugh escapes my mouth.

“No, I’m serious,” she says. “Don’t tell me they’re succeeding in convincing you.” She gives me a stern look.

“I can’t even think about any of it right now. My mind is a mess, and I just need to focus on tonight. This event needs to be perfect if we are going to help Nora.”

May nods before wiping my wet cheeks. “Then let’s get you fixed up and get out there then, hm?”

Mayand I walk down Main Street in our fancy dresses, the evening breeze passing over my bare shoulders as we make our way to Nora’s gallery. As soon as I push open the door, I’m breathless. Stefan did an amazing job, and it’s exactly how I had imagined it.

Nora’s paintings hang on every wall, people stand in front of the frames admiring her work, and I smile as I take notice of how many frames have red stickers beside them, indicating that the pieces have offers on them already.

Nora gave me access to the back room in the studio, and it felt like I was walking through heaven. She told me to pick my favorites out of all the work she had out there, and there werehundreds of them. All sitting there stacked away for only the shadows to see.

When I was going through them last week, I felt so at peace. Sitting there combing through the different canvases, I finally felt like for once everything was going to work out. Until that peace was shattered into little pieces this morning, scattering all around my mind and slicing open old wounds I’d just managed to stitch back together.

White fabric drapes across the roof, and the lights around the room paint pictures across them.

There are so many people here, more than any other event we’ve been to. I’ve never seen the gallery with more than ten people in it at a time, now there’s too many to count. I have Caio to thank for that, he was on the phone for hours last week calling anyone and everyone he could think of.

Speak of the devil. Caio, Rafael and Leo walk towards us, all dressed in three-piece suits like I’d asked. They look so fucking good, they better earn us some good money. I can already see heads turning in their direction.

“Ready to make some money, ladies?” Heath’s voice startles me as he drapes his arms over mine and May’s shoulders. He’s dressed the same as the others, but he’s topped his outfit with his trusty cowboy hat and it’s perfect. I’m still convinced we should do that calendar.

“Ready,” I nod, as the others come to stand in front of us.

But I’m not so certain anymore once I meet Caio’s gaze. I haven’t seen him since he left me with my parents this morning.

After he left, we continued to talk in circles until my mind was so scrambled I couldn’t figure left from right.

I don’t even know what I think anymore. Talking with my parents was like putting a voice to all my inner doubts and insecurities. That anything I have here isn’t real, or it can’t last. That Caio is just some summer fling that won’t continue past itsused by date. That painting isn’t something I can truly succeed in.

I’ve spent all summer forcing those ideas out of my head, and all it takes is one conversation with them to fill my head with those same feelings that I thought I’d left behind.

I wish they had less influence over my feelings, but my parents have the unique ability to be able to completely throw me even when I’m feeling steady.

I came here to figure out what I wanted, and I thought I found it, but all of a sudden it feels all wrong. Having them here taints the absolute bliss I had found myself in, but I can’t help but wonder if I have been walking around with rose tinted glasses on. I’m struggling to piece my mind back together.

The others wander off, leaving Caio and I standing here.

“Hey,” Caio says cautiously. Like he’s not sure how to be with me, and it just makes me feel worse.

I need him to be my compass, point me in the right direction. He’s always been that for me, and the fact that he’s nervous makes me feel even more unsettled.

“Hey.”

“So, what do you think?” He looks around the room.

“It’s perfect. Thank you so much.”

“Don’t thank me. This was all you, sweetheart. You take the credit.”

I nod.

He takes a step closer and wraps his arms around me. “Will you tell me what I want to know if I ask you?”

I nod again.

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