She hesitated, lips twitching as she leaned forward. “Are you… blushing?”
“No,” I lied.
“You are.”
“Am not.”
“Oh, you so are!”
“I just have a naturally intense face.”
Nowshewas definitely smiling, and it took everything in me not to grin back like an idiot.
“Let’s go, Holland,” I muttered. “You’ve got class at nine and I’m tired.”
She hopped off the counter and walked past, and I swear I heard her whisper,“Blushing,”like it was her new favourite word.
chapter fourteen
breaking news: cora isn't one for co-dependancy
“Well, someone looks alive!”
That was Louellen forI told you so.
I wore my best smile as I folded my arms, spinning idly on the swivel chair across from hers. “I feel alive.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Are you lying to me?”
My lashes batted. “You think an innocent thing like me would lie?” My hand clutched my chest as I gasped. “I’m offended.”
She rolled her eyes as she took a sip of her coffee. “Seriously, you look like you’ve actually slept and seen daylight again. It’s a good look. One I’ve missed on you.”
Half of my mouth lifted, like my shoulders. “It’s just little things.”
Those little things had added up in the past few weeks. Like my classes—although I still hadn’t painted, I enjoyed watching. The smell of paint wasn’t making me want to cry anymore. I’d stopped checking my direct messages the second I opened my eyes, and instead, I deleted the ones that felt too angry for meto even process. And I’d taken the Google alert off my phone for any and all articles including my name.
It didn’t erase them. I knew they were out there. But if I was ever going to move on with my life, then staying in the past was only going to keep me there. And I didn’t want to be there anymore.
“Well,” she sighed, elbows propped up on her desk. “It sounds like you’re getting back on track. And you have no idea how happy that makes me.”
I rolled my eyes playfully. “Yeah, yeah, we both know if I’m out pleasing the masses, your wallet gets that little bit thicker.”
She weighed up my words before shrugging. “True. That’s very true.” She let out a laugh. “But I’d happily burn every last dollar bill I had if it meant you were happy, Cora. I made that clear the day we took you on.”
My hands wrapped around my torso as I sat back, my bottom lip wedged between my teeth. “I know,” I mumbled.
Louellen’s head tilted. “Do you?” Her head shook. “Why do you think we haven’t pushed you to go to one of the thousands of events you’ve been invited to since Prada? It’s because your mental health matters more than anything.”
I shrugged. “But what about the… what about Nouvelle?”
She leaned over. “You know the situation, Cora. The only way you’re going is if you either paint something or head back out into society. And quite frankly, I’m scared shitless of sending you to another event. Even with Marcus by your side, there’s still a risk out there.”
Louellen had been made aware of the stalker situation ages ago, which was why, as she said, I’d been released of all social duties since. But she was right. Nouvelle Muse was the dream for me, and like she said, it was either going to be my name or my art that got me there.
Using my name would be the morally grey choice; I knew that. But I only had three months until submissions closed for this year’s event. And I couldn’t so much as look atmyblank canvases, let alone imagine painting something.
“I love you, Cora, I do. But if you want this, and I know you do, then you have to make a choice.”
