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The show is called Californian Dreams. It’s brilliant. Each piece of work has its own unique story, showing an inside view of the many cultures, colors, and emotions of this place. Curious onlookers admire Indie's work, and I listen in as they complement and critique.
Austin is among the attendees; I spot him across the room. He has filled out a little and looks well. Their journey to California has not just been a geographical shift; it’s evident it’s been a transformative chapter in their lives, a testament to their resilience and the pursuit of a better life. The hurdles they have overcome to reach this point are commendable.
I have honored my commitment to Indie by maintaining my distance and not contacting her. However, I’ve checked in with Austin now and again to ensure their well-being, unbeknownst to Indie. He was the one who told me about tonight, including the location in his text message. I knew right then that she was ready, or at least Austin thought so, and he knows her better than anyone.
Our paths intertwined for a purpose, and that belief sustains me. Despite the months passing, the hope of reuniting with Indie, when she is ready, keeps me steadfast. If we were not meant to be, if it was not meant to be, my heart should’ve healed by now. But it hasn’t. I haven’t been able to move on. I recognized the importance of granting Indie the time and space to pursue her dreams independently. She needed to carve her path without my influence before I could ever fit back into her life. Otherwise, she would always have felt like the charity case, indebted, and that would eventually have eaten away at her.
I chase to catch my breath as I stand before the last piece in the display. It's me. I’m lying in bed, sleeping on my stomach, my back exposed with my tattoos on full display. It's black and white, so raw and vulnerable. The picture looks as though it has been torn into pieces and then stuck back together again like a jigsaw. I look at the title of the picture on the wall plaque. When dusk fades and the sunset begins, my Californian dream.
My pulse throbs as new blood fills my veins, pumping my wounded heart back to life as I stare at the picture. I stare at me. At the way she sees me.
Placing a sticker at the bottom of the title plaque, I claim the picture as my own. There was a box at the entrance that housed stickers for those who wished to purchase any of Indie’s artwork, and so far, I had seen a sticker on everyone, but this one.
“Of course, you’d try to buy this one.” The sweetest sound comes from behind me. I turn to face those baby blue eyes. Indie stares back at me, and we just look at one another for the longest moment.
“Seemed only fitting, when I’m the subject of the piece.”
“Well, it’s not for sale. This is from my personal collection.” She smiles at me, and it reaches her eyes. God, she’s so beautiful. There’s a lightness about her that was never there before and suits her beautifully.
“I’d like to see the rest of that personal collection.”
She chuckles. “I bet you do.”
“Congratulations, Indie.” I look around us at all the people, her masterpieces, and then back to her. “This is amazing. You are amazing. California looks good on you.”
“Thank you.” She shies away a little. “It’s been something, that’s for sure.”
Another pause as we continue to stare at one another, both seemingly as entranced as the other.
“Austin told you, didn’t he?”
My lips curl, although I don’t respond.
Indie takes in a big breath. “Why are you here, Roman? Why now?”
“I’ve been waiting.”
She raises her brows at me. “For?”
“You.” I turn my head to the picture of me on the wall beside me. “Looks like you’ve been waiting too.”
Indies eyes soften. As she absorbs my words, a tender smile plays on her lips.
“So much has changed?” I reach for her hand, intertwining our fingers. The feel of her small hands once again in mine crackles my body with energy, and it fills my lungs with the sweetest air.
“What’s changed?” She looks between us at our hands and then back to me. The space between us becomes thick with unspoken emotions. The sheer warmth of her presence is overwhelming. I’ve imagined this moment a thousand times. I dreamed of her touch, her kiss, her love.
“Everything has changed, except how I feel about you.”
She raises a curious brow, prompting me to continue.
“I’ve spent too much time letting my father dictate my career and my life. You made me realize that my worth is not valued by his approval. So, I left the firm and started one here in Cali, independent of my father. Even before you came into my life, I was avoiding marrying Georgina. I most likely would have succumbed to it eventually, to appease my father and his precious legacy. But then there was you. Nothing prepared me for loving you.”
"You... you left?” Indie's eyes glisten with a mixture of confusion and disbelief. “You left your family and the firm for me?”
“Yes, part of me did it for you, and I know you’d never have asked or expected that of me, but a bigger part of it was for myself. I was fucking miserable and so wrapped up in it; I convinced myself I was happy being miserable. But then you came along, and I didn’t want to just exist. I wanted to truly live, and that meant choosing love over legacy.”
“I never expected you to change everything for me, Roman, but I am glad you found the courage to change it for yourself.” She stares at me with a mix of emotions dancing over her beautiful face. “What about Georgina?”
