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My stomach drops through the floor when Skye answers, timidly, “I don’t know. I’m thinking about it. It’s a pretty prestigious venue and I’m a nobody. I doubt I’m good enough to get in. Even with Parker’s help.”
Anger boils behind my eyes and in my chest. It takes all my willpower not to get up and tell Skye to knock that shit off. She’s a fucking incredible artist. Even though she’s a nobody right now, she won’t be for long if she has the courage again to put herself even further out there. Parker’s Place is just the beginning for Skye. I’m sure of it.
“You should do it,” Marta says and I breathe a little easier. Glad someone said it. “The worst they can do is say no. And yeah, that would hurt but imagine how good it will feel if they say yes.”
Skye doesn’t say anything.
After a few seconds, the bed lifts and I relax watching Marta’s feet walk away from me toward the open door to the hallway.
Then my whole body tenses when she stops and turns back. “I’m going to pack. Pete will be back later today to pick me up. Will you be around?”
“Sure.”
“Oh, and I know it’s none of my business and I don’t really care if you have boys over but remember, we agreed to give each other a heads up.”
It’s like all the air in the room is replaced with lead. The weight on my chest grows heavier with every passing second waiting for Marta to call me out.
Finally, Skye chokes out, “Right. Yeah. Sorry, Marta.”
Then Marta’s gone and Skye rushes to shut the door behind her.
“What the fuck?” I say coming out from under the bed and pulling my jeans on as fast as I can. “How did she—?” I start to ask but stop when Skye points to the open and nearly empty box of condoms on her desk.
“Marta must have spotted it from where she sat on the bed,” Skye says.
“Shit.”
“She doesn’t know it’s you,” Skye assures me.
“But if she catches me sneaking out, she will.”
I expect Skye to panic and freak out. Instead, she smiles. “Do you have to leave?”
I should. My mom’s expecting me to help her get the house ready for the realtor. But why should I? I’m not the one who wants to sell it. And even though I’ve sunk all of my savings into keeping it going these last two years, I’m willing to bet I’m not going to get a dime back from the sale. Besides, I have more important things to do here.
“So…” I say dropping my shirt on the floor before sitting back down on the bed. “A gallery submission? When were you planning on telling me about this?”
twenty-four
Skye
Iwasn’t.NotthatI wouldn’t have told him. I just wasn’t planning on telling him. What would have been the point? “They aren’t going to give me a showing.”
“You don’t know that.” His tone is almost biting. Almost scary. “Marta’s right. The worst they can do is reject you. But they could say yes. But they can only say yes if you give them the chance.”
“You make it sound like I have control over what happens.”
“You’re the only one who has any control over what happens next. You can either say noforthem by not submitting or demand they give you a chance by sending them the best fucking collection of work they’ve ever seen.”
“I wish I had half the confidence in myself that you have in me.”
“Then use mine,” Theron says. “I’m not going anywhere. Get your laptop. Let’s do this.”
twenty-five
THERON
AfterhelpingSkyewithher submission, which looks amazing, I stay, waiting for Marta to leave—Skye sneaking me food and standing watch when I need a bathroom break—to get out before Boone gets home from work. But when Pete doesn’t show up until after five and Boone gets home just in time to wish his sister safe travels, I decide to stay until dark. But by the time the sun goes down, Skye and I have settled in and I don’t want to leave.
