Page 125 of Big Bad Bully
“Aubrey, this is incredible.” Jan surveys the first mural. It’s still black and white, but Aubrey wove silver accents through the entire thing which somehow brought it to life.
Just like she brought me to life.
“You like it?” Aubrey takes it in with a critical eye. She hasn’t decided if she’s finished with it yet.
“I love it,” Aubrey’s mom exclaims.
“It’s a huge departure from your normal style,” Jan says. “Your exploration of black and white for flowers is truly inspired.”
Aubrey’s eyes crinkle, and she sends me a broad smile.
I wink.
I’ve never winked in my life. I’m not playful. I don’t flirt. I can’t even imagine what made me wink. But then Aubrey puts her hand on her chest and closes her eyes like she’s swooning over the wink, and I feel a million feet tall.
She’s the reason for my personality transplant. She breathed life into me. Her chaos disrupted the rules and strict patterns of my life, and I’ll never be the same.
I never want to be the same.
“Ooh, I love this one!” Caroline exclaims, catching sight of the second mural that Aubrey spent all day and most of the night yesterday painting.
It is technicolor–painted in bright oranges, blues, yellows, and red. A giant blue wolf faces off to the viewer, hackles raised, teeth bared. Me. To his right, just behind his shoulder sits a tiny red dog, safe under the protection of the wolf. Pepper.
Aubrey left herself out of the mural, which bothers me, but she promised to paint me a self-portrait on canvas next. She claims she loves her new studio that overlooks Central Park, and of course, she can use any of the artist spaces at the Silver Arts Center after we complete the build-out if she prefers.
I nod at the caterers to crack the Dom Perignon as Aubrey tells her family about the Silver Arts Center. They’re all a little stunned at how much has happened that they didn’t know about, but no one seems offended.
The caterers carry out the trays of filled champagne glasses, and I lift mine. “I’d like to propose a toast,” I say.
Aubrey’s face goes soft again. The way she looks at me makes me want to drop to my knees and thank fate and the Moon Goddess for giving me such a female.
“To Aubrey–the woman who turned my life on its head. Who made me change and grow and learn to love. I am so grateful you stomped into my life and kicked me in the head.”
Aubrey’s mom’s eyes widen but everyone laughs.
“To Aubrey,” Madi carols.
“To Aubrey,” our guests chorus back.
Aubrey clinks her glass with mine, sips, and sets it down. Then her arms twine around my neck, and she’s kissing me like it’s our last moment on Earth.
Our guests cheer.
I wrap my arms around her, careful not to squeeze too hard this time, and I kiss her breath away, the way I intend to kiss her every day for the rest of her life.
Epilogue
Six months later…
Noah
I open the door to the Silver Arts Gallery and step inside.
When the boss invites you to the grand opening of his mate’s new art center, you go.
Even if you haven’t been invited to join his pack.
There’s art everywhere I look. Everything from photography to sculpture to oil paintings. Giant paper flowers cover an entire wall, and the statues carved from ebony wood displayed on slender plinths.
