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“Oh, thank you,” I breathed, kissing his cheek, because anything else in that cab felt weird, given my history with cars. “I’m so excited. I can’t wait to see her and your family!”
He looked brooding as he nodded, looking out the car window, and I left him alone with his thoughts. It was obvious he needed some time to think, and I wasn’t going to bother him. I could tell this was a big deal for him, and I already felt bad enough, thinking I was forcing him to do something he didn’t want to.
From what I could understand, there hadn’t really been a dividing fight in his family. He just didn’t want to inherit his father’s hotel empire, and after spending years in school, he rebelled and left. It didn’t seem to me like his parents held a grudge, more like they were just worried about him. I’d tried to talk to him about it, but he seemed very closed off about the subject.
But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to find out more about him, meet his family and especially his little sister. He spoke of her fondly, and she was just about my age as well.
We pulled up in front of the venue minutes later, and Felix helped me out of the car. My eyes widened.
It was on the same street as the last gallery opening I went to, but it was a famous art quarter in the city, so I tried not to think about it.
We walked inside, my arm hooked through his, and my steps shaky as he led me into the beautifully lit-up building.
There were lights in the ceiling, tiny little pinpricks of light that made the whole room look beautiful and almost fairytale-like. The art was similar and unusual for a place this modern. It seemed like Daphne favored woodland scenes, and I’d heard she put a fairy in all of her paintings if you looked close enough. They were huge canvases, too, not really abstract but different for sure. They were the first thing I noticed when I walked in, and I had to tear myself away from those scenes so I could join Felix again.
“I can see them now,” he grunted in my ear. “Jesus fuck, why did I think this was a good fucking idea?”
“Felix!”
I looked up to see a girl running towards us. She was a brunette, pretty and slight, and she looked beautiful in a navy dress.
And then she was wrapping her arms around Felix’s neck, and if they didn’t look so very much alike, I would’ve been jealous of her obviously intimate motion.
“And you must be Sapphire,” she told me with a big grin once she pulled away.
I smiled awkwardly. She must’ve been a few years older than me, maybe twenty-one, and I thought it would make things so uncomfortable, but she didn’t even mention it. Just hugged me tightly and I let her, because it felt nice.
“So happy to finally meet you,” she gushed. “I can’t believe he’s been keeping you all to himself.”
She glared at her brother and I giggled.
“Nice to meet you too, I’m so happy to be here,” I said with a big smile. “I can’t wait to meet your parents as well.”
“I think you’ll like them,” she winked at me, then turned her attention back to Felix. “I’m not letting you ignore us like that ever again.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered, and she smacked him playfully.
“Whatever you had to deal with after Grandpa died has taken long enough,” she went on, surprising me with her honesty and directness. “I think you should be back with your family. That’s what he would have wanted.”
He never got a chance to reply, as a couple in their late fifties approached us, smiling wide.
His mother was a beautiful woman, who aged gracefully and naturally, wearing a simple coral dress. His father wore a suit, and looked like the jolly old uncle everyone loved. I’d seen him on TV and in magazines before, and always thought he looked like a nice man. As we started talking, that proved to be true, and I liked his mom as well. She’d pulled me aside and mentioned she was a former beauty queen, and I could definitely win some pageants if I wanted to, so I should let her know if I was interested. It made me giggle.
Maria showed up a little while later, and joined our little group. It felt so good to have her there, during one of the most important moments in our relationship, and I whispered as much in her ear. She rewarded me by kissing my cheek and we both giggled when we remembered a different kiss a little while ago.
We were the chattiest group in the gallery for sure. And for once in my life, I felt happiness so strong I didn’t even have time to think of anything else.
