“Yeah. Really good.” His attention remained on the pieces. “Maybe breaking your wrist wasn’t such a bad thing after all.”
I barked out a laugh. “I’m not so sure about that.”
“Well, if you hadn’t, who knows if you would’ve met Kate or developed this new style.”
He had a point, but I wasn’t sure I was ready to accept that breaking my wrist was a good thing. I was still coming to terms with the fact that I couldn’t draw like I used to, but it seemed to bother me less with each passing day. I had Kate to thank for that.
“Did you bring it?” I asked.
He reached into his pocket and held out an envelope, keeping a firm grip on it when I tried to take it from him. “Xander, are you sure this is a good idea?”
“Why not?” I asked, finally wresting it free from him. I adjusted my jacket, slipping the envelope inside the breast pocket.
“Well, for starters, what do you really know about this girl?”
“This girl?” I gnashed my teeth. “Kate’s not just any girl. She’sthegirl.”
His eyes widened. “Whoa. Seriously?”
I nodded. “I know we haven’t been together long, but she’s it for me. I’ve never met anyone like her. She’s encouraging and supportive. She’s passionate about art. And she’s so beautiful. God, she’s beautiful.”
He stared at me a moment, his mouth gaping open. “Wow. I—” He shook his head. “I’m happy for you, honestly. I’m just shocked.”
“Why?”
“Because you don’t do relationships—ever.”
I lifted a shoulder, tugging at the collar of my shirt. “I’ve been with enough women to know she’s different.”
“She definitely is. You do know who her parents are, right?”
“No.” I frowned, wondering what I was missing. “Should I?”
“Her dad’s a senator, and it’s rumored he will run for president. And her mom is the heiress to a luxury brand.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, convinced he was making this up. “You’re shitting me.”
He shook his head. “You really didn’t know?”
“It never came up.”
I’d told Kate a lot about my mom, my brother. But I only just now realized that I knew next to nothing about her family, apart from the fact that she had a protective older brother.
“Yeah, I can see how it might be difficult to talk when your lips are glued together,” Theo said, interrupting my thoughts.
I chuckled, but he wasn’t too far off. My phone pinged with an alert that my ride was waiting. And with that, I decided to push away my concerns and focus on the future. I might not know much about Kate’s family, but I knew who she was and that was all that really mattered.
“I’m off,” I said, heading for the door.
“Good luck,” he called out.
Despite leaving early, traffic sucked, and I made it to the venue with only minutes to spare. I took the stairs two at a time, anticipating Kate’s reaction when I saw her. Before I could look for the table, I spotted her standing on the balcony, talking with a tall, blond man. I didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but they were standing close, a little too close. And when he offered her his arm, I watched with envy as they glided down the stairs like a golden couple.
Was this why she hadn’t wanted me here? Because she had another date?
My vision clouded with rage, and instead of focusing on the low cut of her dress or the way it hugged her curves, all I could see was his hand resting lightly on her forearm. Her smile as she turned up to him to laugh at something he’d said.
I considered turning away, disappearing before she could see me. But then I remembered how many times Kate had encouraged me to be brave. How she always told me to lean into my emotions not shy away from them. With a dark chuckle, I marched over to them, thinking she might regret those words in a moment.
