When Caleb drove into the parking garage by his mom’s apartment, it was easy to guess our destination. “Is your mom home?”
It was Tuesday afternoon and she worked full time as an interior designer. He turned off the engine and I got out before he could open my door. I brushed off his disapproving look.
“She’s working on some rich guy’s house in Boulder.”
As we went up to the apartment, he leaned in to whisper in my ear, “Remember the first time I brought you here?”
I scowled at him playfully. “You were a jerk.”
He laughed, hooking an arm around the back of my neck. “Yeah, but you loved it.”
“You’re dreaming,” I teased. It was less than a year ago, but it seemed like forever ago. I’d had no idea how hard I’d fall for my annoying stepbrother.
He unlocked the apartment and held the door open for me. “The first time I met you, I thought you were the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen.”
“And now?”
His face went soft along with is voice. “Now, you’re even more beautiful.”
I walked farther into the apartment and dropped my bag onto the couch. “I won’t be beautiful forever, Caleb.”
His arms went around me from behind and he pulled me against him. “Yes, you will.”
“What about when I’m a wrinkled old woman?” I asked, placing my hands over his.
“Beautiful.”
“What if I get fat when I’m pregnant and have stretch marks?” Leaning back into him, I relaxed my body.
His arms around me felt right. “Even more beautiful.”
“Where’s my surprise, Caleb?”
“In my mom’s art studio,” he said, guiding me by the hand back there.
I expected a new painting, one of me or both of us together. When he led me to two canvases wrapped in paper, I tried to back up. “Is that what I think it is?”
He finally let go of my hand and leaned down to place the paintings on a nearby table. “Yes.”
“What are you doing, Caleb? I don’t want to see them!” I was ready to bolt and take a taxi back to Cece’s house or anywhere but here.
“They sold at the show,” he said. “But I insisted my mom get them back from Jim before they were delivered to the buyer.” He began tearing off the paper and I wrapped my arms around myself. “I couldn’t stand the thought of them out in the world and my mom understood.”
“What are you going to do with them?” Avoiding where they lay on the table, now unwrapped, I stared at the space to the right of them.
Caleb’s hand cupped my jaw. “Jim was pissed, but I’m going to destroy them.”
My eyes met his piercing ones. “You are?”
“Gianna, I’d destroy the world if it came between us.”
I bit my bottom lip when it began to tremble. “Thank you.”
He kissed me, his lips firm against mine. “You’re welcome. You’re going to help me.”
“What? No!” An arm around my waist kept me from escaping.
“You’re not healed yet and I need my girl whole so we can move into our future together. You need to learn that Josh can’t hurt you anymore. He didn’t win.”
“I’m not strong enough,” I admitted.
“Yes, you are.” He led me to stand in front of the table, grabbing my wrist to place a pair of scissors into my hand. “Look at it.”
Reluctantly, I forced my eyes to look at the image of Josh in his football uniform. Those clenched fists had punched at me. Those strong hands had broken me.
“Do it,” Caleb urged.
Raising a shaky arm, I began to cry as my arm lowered in a swift motion and the scissors struck Josh’s face, stabbing through his angry expression. In a frenzy, I sliced at the canvas, shredding it.
“That’s my girl,” Caleb crooned in my ear. “Now the other one.”
My wild gaze moved to the painting of me at my most pathetic. Without further prompting from Caleb, I destroyed the other painting. While I worked, Caleb kept speaking. “I’ll never let anyone hurt you like that again, baby. I love you so much, Gianna.”
I believed him. Dropping the scissors, I spun around, throwing myself at him as I cried. “I love you so much, Caleb.”
He rubbed my back, holding me for a long time while I released the pain and ugliness of that night. When my sobbing quieted down, he rubbed my back. “Feel better?”
I nodded against his chest. “Yes, thank you.” I reared back to look at him. “How did you know?”
“Painting them helped me work through my rage, so I hoped destroying them would help you through your pain.”