One year later…
I took a deep breath, trying to control my anxiety. I was one step away from achieving a successful career.
"You got this!" My mother said, holding my hand as we looked at my paintings displayed in the huge exhibition hall.
It was the last day of college. An artistic exhibition event was taking place, where the biggest investors would attend. They would analyze all the works, and the best ones would be chosen to boost the author's career worldwide. This was my biggest chance to pave my long-awaited path.
My entire family was present, including some friends too. I confess that I felt a little pressured by the number of people rooting for me, but at the same time, seeing the number of people who believed in me was very rewarding.
Through the crowd, I saw Benjamin approaching, which surprised me.
"Benjamin?" I smiled.
It had been a long time since I had seen or talked to him. Since I decided to focus exclusively on myself, I didn't have much time to keep in touch with him.
"I'm going back to the table." My mother whispered in my ear as soon as she saw Benjamin. She wanted to avoid any contact with any member of Edgar's family as much as possible.
I nodded and watched her leave the exhibition hall.
After having a clear view of Benjamin, I could tell that he was coming towards me with a girl. My gaze quickly slid to their holding hands, which made me deduce that she was his girlfriend.
"You didn't really think I'd miss your moment, did you?" He commented, showing a huge smile on his face and giving me a long hug.
"To be honest... I thought you'd forget." I can't help but smile. I was happy to see him. Despite rejecting him and not keeping in touch, he was still an amazing guy.
"Of course, I didn't forget." He let go of the hug. "My biggest fear was not finding you in the middle of this crowd." He briefly looked around. "The house is full." He looked back at me, and as before, his gaze remained charming.
"Thank you for coming." I thanked him. My gaze fell on the girl "left behind" when Benjamin hugged me. "Who is she?" I asked.
Benjamin seemed to realize that he had left the girl behind and quickly stood next to her.
"This is Nadine." He replied. "Nadine, this is Alice. A friend I made in London."
"Pleasure, Nadine." I raised my hand to shake hers.
And gently, the girl shook my hand, displaying a sweet smile on her lips.
She was quite beautiful. Her long, black hair, in the middle of her waist, matched wonderfully with her dark brown eyes, in addition to the fact that she was dressed divinely well.
"Are these your works?" Benjamin inquired, paying attention to the paintings next to us.
"Yes."
"They're incredible!" He said admiringly. "You're very talented, Alice. But it was to be expected. Just by looking at your face, one can see how talented you are."
I notice a wonderful, exuberant smile on Benjamin's lips.
"Thank you. But... it's not that big of a deal," I say, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Surely, you'll find an investor," he replies, his gaze fixed on me. Both his smile and his gaze still enchanted me, even though I only saw him as a friend.
I clear my throat, breaking the moment, and look back at my painting.
"That's what I hope. This is the biggest opportunity that has ever come my way," I respond, analyzing the painting. Nature had always fascinated me, so I represented it through a human body. I always believed in the harmonious combination that could exist between the two. I loved the concepts of being human, of course, the practice left much to be desired, but what we became, our love, was exciting. And nature was present in everything.
The same applied to the other paintings, where the universe took center stage. And in the same concept, I reproduced it, all represented in human form.
"So, what have you been up to during this time?" I ask, trying to break the awkward silence between us, even though the room was quite noisy.
"I decided to go to medical school. And... now I think it's for real," Benjamin responds.
"Seriously?! Wow! I'm really happy for you!" I say cheerfully, hugging him and congratulating him. "And how is it going? Are you enjoying it?" I return to my previous position.
"Yes, yes! Of course, it's a more demanding college than the others I've attended, but... I've always admired the healthcare field, and... I didn't want to do medicine because of my father. But now, I've decided to do things my way, without associating anything with him."
"And I'm really happy for that," I reply.
"It's a very rewarding course."
Nadine speaks up for the first time. I realize that we had completely excluded her from the conversation. It wasn't my intention to do that, but she was so quiet that she went unnoticed. And I couldn't help but notice her facial expression. She didn't seem so happy, but she tried to be kind. It was as if at any moment, she would break down in tears for being left out a little bit.
Wanting to change the course of that story, I include Nadine in the conversation.
"Are you also studying medicine?"
"Yes! Benjamin and I met there. During the anatomy class," she comments, and her cheeks blush as the curve of her lips forms a timid smile.
"Have you been together for a long time?" I ask.
"Two months," Nadine replies, which seems to make Benjamin uneasy.
"It's pretty recent," Benjamin clears his throat.
"But we're very much in love," Nadine assures me, as if she were facing a possible threat.
Was I a threat?
Benjamin lets out a nasal laugh, realizing Nadine's intention in saying those words. She wanted to make it clear that Benjamin and she were a couple. And slightly, an old memory floated through my mind. Madelyn came to my mind. The fake or the real Madelyn, the girl who was obsessed with Joshua.
Realizing that maybe I was a reason for the girl's discomfort, I decide to leave them alone and return to my family's table.
"Well... If you don't mind, I have to go back to my family's table," I say, smiling goodbye and making my way through the huge hall.
Doing what I had said, I move away from them, crossing the crowd and heading to the opposite side of where they were. I approach the table where my family was gathered and sit between my parents.
"Did you get rid of him?" my mother whispers in my ear, amused.
"Benjamin is still a friend, Mom. We just... didn't keep in touch," I shrug dismissively.
"It's better that way, I don't want him hitting on my daughter," she says protectively.
I chuckle and roll my eyes. I shift my attention to the slides on the screen, which were displaying images of all the works at the event.
***
The investors were already choosing the last lucky artworks.
And me... Well, I still had hopes of being recognized.
Until... the last investor chose. I sigh, discouraged.
"It's okay, okay? I know you'll find better ones," my mother says.
"Yes, daughter, you're a brilliant girl. You'll get an investor soon," my father tries to cheer me up.
I take a deep breath and put on a small smile, trying not to brush off my parents' support. But I was devastated.
"Okay," I nod, trying to let go of my small frustration. "I need to go to the bathroom."
I announce and stand up, crossing the extensive hall once again, heading to the bathroom. I enter one of the stalls.
A few minutes later, I come out. I look at my reflection in the bathroom mirror as I wash my hands. I try to convince myself that there will be many other opportunities.
I sigh.
I hear the door of one of the stalls open. Through the mirror, I see Nadine.
"Alice?" the girl approaches. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier. It's just that... "She squints and takes a deep breath. "I am completely in love with Benjamin. And I know he still likes you. And... I was very, very stupid to consider you a threat."
I nod my head.
"It's okay, Nadine. Don't worry about it. I understand you," I try to reassure her. "And Benjamin likes you too. Just... don't let jealousy dominate you."
The girl nods her head and I give her a gentle smile.
"See you around," I say goodbye.
I leave the bathroom and make my way back to the table where my family was gathered. It was time to go.
"Do you want to stay a bit longer?" my mother asked.
I nodded.
"It's already late. And you guys must be tired," she continued. My mother agreed and stood up, followed by my father, aunt, and sisters. We walked together towards the exit of the hall, heading to the exhibition. I needed to retrieve my paintings.
I approached the booth responsible for organizing the event.
"I came to collect my works," I said.
"What's your name?" asked a short woman with red hair and glasses.
"Alice Collins."
Turning her back to me, she looked through a folder with the names of the students who participated in the event.
"Your paintings were chosen, Miss Collins," she said.
I froze, in shock. There must have been some mistake.
"I think there's a mistake," I said, disbelievingly.
The woman turned to me.
"No, no. It's clear," she said, holding up a sheet confirming the investor's choice, with his signature. "Your works were chosen by..." She tried to decipher the meaning of the signature. “J...S...C...” J. S. C? "Oh! It's here. Joshua Scott."
Joshua Scott? At that moment, my heart raced.
"Alice..." Alex nudged me.
I looked in the same direction as her and my father, speechless.
There he was, in a suit with his hands in his trouser pockets, looking at me calmly, with an exuberant smile on his lips... It woke up the dormant butterflies in my stomach.
And at that moment, I felt like my world had stopped, concentrating only on Joshua and the wave of warm feelings that ran through my whole being.
"You..." I still couldn't believe he was really there, just a few meters away from me.
"I'm here," he said.
His voice shook my whole body. His warm smile... His intense gaze... He, in his entirety, made me delirious. How much I had missed those sensations. How much I had missed him... My Joshua.
Without much thought, I approached him, pulling him into a warm embrace.
"I missed you so much," I murmured against his chest, feeling the almost intoxicating scent of his perfume.
"I missed you too, beautiful," he said, squeezing my waist and burying his face in the curve of my neck.
And at that moment, it seemed like the universe had conspired in our favor. "Home, Gabrielle Aplin" played in the background. Being in Joshua's arms was the most revitalizing moment I had ever experienced.
"I love you," Joshua whispered against my skin.
And softly, I felt the touch of his hand on my cheek, making me raise my face towards his.
"I love you too," I said, looking into his brown eyes.
And so precisely, we joined our lips, starting a kiss... Our kiss. Calm and fiery.