Page 77 of House of Clouds


Font Size:  

“And now?” he asked in a careful tone.

Kate forced the words out. “And now, it seems my life is here. In America. I think. At least that’s what I can see for my immediate future. My art, I feel that here. And I may move to New York eventually, but I’m not sure.” She stared at Giancarlo, could see the puzzlement in his expression, but she willed him to understand. “I’m so sorry, Giancarlo. I owe you so much. I love you for all that you’ve done, all that you made happen. But now, I can’t see my way to marrying you.”

The pain was back, she could see his chest rise and fall as he fought to get his emotions under control once again.

“Katerina,” he said, his voice a raspy whisper. “Please. You don’t have to make this final. Take the time you need. Take all the time. Just do not say it’s over. We’ve built so much. We have so much. My love, it’s there, real. For you. But you’ve had such a difficult time, my darling, so, so much to take in, to understand and decide. I understand. There was pain in your past, and now that pain is strong inside you. You think I don’t notice the dark circles under your eyes? Do you think I don’t know that you don’t get the sleep you need? Please, don’t make decisions now. Just work on your art pieces.”

Kate began to shake her head. “Giancarlo, no. It’s not only that. It’s so much more. It’s my life. Yes, the old is coming back. The music, all of it. It’s becoming part of me again, I think. I don’t know. But other parts are coming with it…” She wasn’t certain how she could phrase it without hurting him. Had she moved on? It seemed so with Ethan the other night. She’d had no thought for Giancarlo. And it wasn’t fair to him. She had to allow him to move on, regardless.

“Don’t wait for me, Giancarlo. Don’t. I have no idea what shape my life will take or who it will be with.” There, she’d said it. “It’s time to let us go.”

His expression hardened. “Katerina, it is not just about what you want. You have obligations. I have obligations. There is a contract.”

Her mind froze, her mouth dropping slightly as she struggled with the meaning of his words. “Contract?”

“Yes, you remember? You signed a contract when we first began this process. You are bound to me for your next two exhibitions. I invested a lot of money in you, Katerina. It is only fair. Your artwork is taking off, and I intend to become a part of it. After all, I discovered you.” He paused a moment. “It is bad enough that I am only having a small percentage of the New York exhibition, so given Dante’sInfernoas the subject matter for the third exhibition, it would be best if you created it here, in Italy.”

His words did nothing to help her answer him. She remembered the contract, signed in a euphoria of joy that anyone would want her to have one exhibition, let alone three. And now that number three hung over her like an albatross. She could only stare at him for a few moments until she finally managed to end the call.

Thirty-Five

Kate heard his footsteps on the stairs and the fugue that had seized her since Giancarlo’s phone call was finally dispelled in the face of anxiety over whether she should mention this to Ethan. Was it really something she needed to share? She had no idea what their relationship was, not really.

The door opened with a slight squeak, and Max looked up from his spot on the old blanket she’d laid for him in the corner. The squeak was a recent development, one that might have been caused by the house contracting, tightening as the cold seeped farther and farther into the house. The little space heater hardly made a difference to the room anymore, and she knew she’d have to come up with some alternative arrangement soon. Really, the house needed more insulation in the space above. She’d have to talk to Tom about that.

These thoughts proved a welcome distraction from the huge issue that loomed in front of her, and so it was with surprise that she felt Ethan’s hands rest on her shoulders and his kiss on her head. She jumped.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” Ethan said, sliding his arms around her waist. “Still working, I see.”

She could feel him studying the art piece on the table, and she realized at that moment that she welcomed it. His presence, his care of her work and passion for her art was meaningful and special, no matter that now it seemed to be tied up in Giancarlo-shaped knots. And with all that, too, in no way did she feel threatened, nervous, or the slightest bit undermined by the attention, or any of the comments that he’d made about it.

He kissed her neck, inhaling her scent. “You are such a talented woman. I am constantly amazed at what you see. How you see it.”

She turned to look at him, her eyes filled with warmth and appreciation. “Really?”

He nodded. “Mmmhm. Definitely.”

“Coming from someone who is doubly talented himself, I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”

He hugged her from behind, and she could feel his head shaking back and forth against her. “No, no. Not at all. Can’t compare. You have a visual art that expands and blends in a manner I’ve never considered or thought about.”

He pulled her up out of her chair. “But now, it’s time to stop the tapping into the soul and feed the body. I brought us some take out. I thought we could share it together down in the kitchen.”

She raised her brows. “Take out? What did you get?”

“Thai. Is that okay? I can order something else if you don’t like it.”

“No, no, it’s fine. I love Thai.”

He drew her closer, and she put her arms around his neck, making an effort to feel natural. To dispel the ghost of Giancarlo that hovered over her yet again. She kept her tone light. “I might have to find a way to thank you for your thoughtfulness. Any ideas?”

He leaned down and kissed her, deepening it for just a short while, brushing his tongue lightly along her lips. She could taste him, his essence, and she wanted to know it, to have it become so familiar that she could summon it at will.

He drew back and swept a tendril of hair away from her face.

“I do have a suggestion,” she said. “I might have to remove all the other ones from the box, to ensure it wins.”

He smiled at her. “No arguments here.” His eyes roamed her face, his fingers still resting against her cheek. She savored his touch, his gaze, feeling the glow it gave her and the heat that was beginning to spread inside her, the thought of Giancarlo fading away for now. His touch, his kiss, that was all it had been, the Thai food and her empty stomach seemed unimportant now.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
Articles you may like