Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

Annie

Butterflies zoom around in my tummy in a way I could not describe, even if someone held me at gunpoint. But this is it. My big night.

After telling my dad to go get fucked and connecting with Suzie again, things started looking up.

There's still this immense hole in my heart where Lorcan and Monte belong, but I'm finally able to breathe again. Even though colors aren't quite what they need to be, and food doesn't taste as awesome as I know it's supposed to, there's a big part of me that's finding it way easier to live.

So I do.

Between work and helping Chloe, I don't have an awful lot of free time, but what I do have is spent in the studio pumping out one piece after another. At first, Chloe makes me do all the basic shit Jackson had already taught me, but I understand she needs to check my skill levels. But then, she teaches me new things. Amazing things.

I learn so much, and now that I have my appetite back, and get more than four hours of sleep a night, I have my creativity back too.

The first sculpture I make is small. Sweet. An ode to my friendship with Suzie.

Unable to sell the piece, I ship it to her as a gift. She responds by sending me a cute glass-blown orb with stained glass made to look like a world orb.

A reminder that you and I will see the world, babe. Love the gift. Miss you. xoxo S

Her return gift finally sets it all free. I know I can do this. So I jump into it headfirst and pump out one piece after another. Chloe makes me create a profile and website so I can showcase what I have, and when the first few pieces sell, I nearly pass out from excitement.

Every time I post another piece for sale it sells within a day, and a sneaking suspicion builds that it's either Suzie or one of them .

But even if it is, I don't care, because I'm getting actual money for my work and that money means I can finally give up my hours at the gallery and focus on my work.

Chloe quickly finds a replacement and because I'm around to train them, or step in when she needs someone to help, she doesn't mind too much. To be honest, I think she's secretly happy for me, even if she doesn't want to admit it out loud.

Chloe makes some extra space in the workshop for me, and with the extra time I have, I get to work alongside her. Either helping her make some stupid, trinkety, gift shop pieces or focusing on building up an installation.

Because Chloe offered me a showing in her gallery!

Not because I'm her apprentice, and not because we've come to be friends.

Nope. She assured me when she sat me down to discuss it, that it's because my work really is that good and she thinks I can make it if I'm just given the right chance.

And now the night is here.

I've agonized over every single detail, changing my mind on how to display everything a million times.

But everything is set up, displayed and ready for the showing to open up in an hour. Just enough time for me to go to the cottage, have a shower, and get ready to face the people Chloe invited for tonight.

"I know that face," Chloe says to me, her voice filled with mirth. She's already dressed, leaning against the reception counter, resting on her elbows with a grin on her face. "We don't have time to change anything now, Annie. Go home. Get changed. I'll keep an eye here. Go make yourself pretty for your big night."

My face splits into a huge smile before running to her and wrapping her in a warm hug. She returns it stiffly, awkwardly clapping me on the back. Stifling the urge to giggle at her, I pull back and beam at her. "Thank you, Chloe. None of this would have been possible without you."

Her nose scrunches up as she shakes her head. "I just gave you the tools, babes. You did the work. None of this would have been possible without you. "

Chloe's words punch me in the gut and I take another step back, clutching my stomach like it was a physical jab.

Unable to handle emotional scenes comfortably, Chloe shoos me out the door with a grunt. "Now, get. Go be a good girl and come back all shiny and pretty for your admirers."

I do as she says, but I can't get her words out of my head.

They keep replaying in my head as I get cleaned up and changed. Then some more when I walk into the lit gallery as the first guests show up.

After that, everything is one huge buzz.

I'm shaking hands with some pretty important people in the glassblowing industry, not to mention a few art critics who have me shaking in my sexy black pumps.

And then the most amazing thing happens.

"Annie!" Suzie's sweet voice rings out over the noise of the crowd. My attention goes from the person I'm talking with to look across the room in search of my friend.

We've spoken almost nonstop since we made up, but because of work and then preparing for the show, I haven't been able to get away to go see her. Watching her bouncing curls and bright blue eyes come rushing towards me pushes up so many feelings that I don't even say anything to the woman next to me as I run to my friend.

It's like something from a silly rom-com where the crowd parts for the lovers that reunite, except you know... we're not lovers, but best friends.

Our bodies collide with a big 'Oomph' from both of us.

"Oh Suzie," I cry into her shoulder as I hug her close.

"I know!" she wails back at me. "I missed you too, and I'm sorry for being a turd-face."

Laughter bubbles from my chest as I pull back from our embrace. "Turd-face? Please! I was a brat. But we're not doing apologies again. It's over and we've moved on, remember?"

She responds with a smile before looking around the room. "Your first showing, huh?"

"I know, right?"

"Now, show me everything. I've barely seen anything, and the photos haven't done it justice." She orders me around and I eagerly grab her hand and pull her back to the front of the room so I can give her the full tour.

Obviously, everything is for sale, but Chloe has put them all on the floor with the caveat that they will need to be on display for at least a month before they can be shipped to their new owners. I remember rolling my eyes at her stipulation, but she was so confident that almost all of them would sell that she insisted. So imagine my shock when I get to the first piece on the floor and it has a red dot on it.

And the second. Then the third. With each new sculpture I show Suzie my shock grows as almost all of them have a sold sticker on them.

And with each new discovery, Suzie's smile grows wider and wider.

"Did you do this?" I whisper-shout at her when we get to the last item on display, and it too is no longer available for sale.

Her eyes bug out at my question. "Me? What the fuck, dudette? My dads might be loaded, but my ass is broke until my twenty-fifth birthday. You know that." She nudges me with her elbow and wiggles her eyebrows excitedly. "This is all you, honey."

"It can't be them , can it?" I ask instead, unable to believe what's happening.

"Nuh-uh. I did tell them about the showing, but they didn't come down with me. And as far as I know, these haven't been shown online anywhere, have they?"

I shake my head in response and look around the room for somewhere to sit down. Finding an unoccupied bench, I plonk my ass down on it and rest my head in my hands. "This can't be happening."

"Why the hell not, honey?" Suzie asks me as she takes the spot next to me. "I've heard the whispers around us. Everyone adores your stuff."

I mean. I had spoken to a few of the viewers, and everyone said good things. But that's what you do. When faced with an artist, you tell them nice things about their stuff because you don't want to be the asshole.

But now all but a few of my pieces have been sold.

And because they were sold at gallery prices, it's way, way more money than I made off my website, even after taking Chloe's commission off.

"Uh, Suze," I say, looking up at my friend. "I need to go."

Her expression morphs from concern to complete and utter joy. "Well, duh."

I look around the room at everyone here, all the people who like my stuff, and giggle. "Holy shit. I really need to go."

Suzie digs into her purse and quickly hands me a set of keys. "Here. Take my ride. I'll talk to Chloe and get things squared away here." She drops the keys into my hand when I don't take them from her, then she squeezes my hands and whispers. "Go get your happy ending, honey."