Page 75 of No Saint

“Si,Sierra,” I welcome her hug and kiss both cheeks before she checks me over, quirking a brow at the healing wounds on my hand. She tuts loudly and rolls her eyes, “Always a new scar when I see you, Gabriel.”

“Hazard of the job.”

She purses her lips before she turns her deep eyes to Amelia, “You must be his new wife. I’m sorry.”

Amelia bursts out laughing, a sweet tinkle of sound that hits me right in the chest. She didn’t laugh enough, not when the sound was as glorious as that. I hadn’t realized I was staring until Amelia catches me and promptly stops, turning her attention back to Sierra. “I’m Amelia.”

She turns her attention to me, “Much too pretty for you, Gabriel.”

I stand shocked while Sierra plucks Amelia from my arm and takes her on a tour around the boutique, showing off the clothes she had designed and made herself. Amelia fawns over every single item, admiring the designs and intricacy of Sierra’s work. She selects a few items from the shelf, keeping a hold of them.

“Should we get to it then?” Sierra asks after I pay for the items Amelia selected from the shop, silently approving of the tight white summer dress that had boning in the corset, Amelia would be beautiful in it.

I nod, “Please, Sierra.”

“What are we doing?” Amelia asks.

Sierra beams at her, smiling so bright with eyes that express so much warmth. Sierra had become a close family friend, and with it, her family. They were bright, and loud and the opposite to all that the Saints were, that when they visit every few months, the house transforms to something new. Something warm. Her mama would cook, along with her brother, taking over the kitchen and my house would smell of spice and homecooked food for days.

“I am in awe of your skill, Amelia,” Sierra tells her, guiding her towards the back room, “You have an incredible talent.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You haven’t told her,” Sierra accuses with a glare.

“A surprise, Sierra,” I tell her.

She nods, “Well, I hope I have done this justice, Amelia.”

“I have no idea what’s happening.”

I follow the girls into the back room, finding bundles and bundles of various materials in every color, some patterned, with ribbons and buttons and zips overflowing from buckets set up around the room. In the centre was Sierra’s workspace, her machines and laptop set up and the reason I brought Amelia here in the first place, placed on a mannequin close to the desk.

Amelia stops dead, a gasp escaping her lips.

Sierra continues though, going to the dress on the mannequin, “It isn’t quite finished yet, we have the detail to add to the corset and that lovely hidden sparkle in the skirt.”

“That’s mine.” Amelia whispers.

I go to Amelia’s side, “I’ll admit I have been taking pictures of your designs for weeks, Amelia, this one though, it stood out the most. I could only ever picture you in such a magnificent dress.”

The design was from the first night I had given her the sketchbook, the long, floor length gown with the plunging neckline and hidden sparkle in the skirts that were split on both sides right to the hip.

“Gabriel commissioned the piece weeks ago,” Sierra explains, “It’s beautiful.”

Amelia steps up to the garment, running her hands over the material while her eyes shine, “I’ve never seen one of my designs in real life before.”

“It’s perfect.” I say.

“You did this?” She asks Sierra.

“I’ve been working on it for weeks for you,” Sierra smiles kindly, “Do you like it?”

“I love it.”

“We have a few more adjustments but I think I could have it completed in a week and then we’ll just need to make the adjustments to fit.”

“Wait, it’s actuallyforme?”

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