Above all things, I want Ella Daniels to know that she's loved.
And that I'm the one who loves her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
ELLA
Istand in front of the gallery, my head tilting backwards as I look at the sign above. My stomach is in knots and excitement runs rampant through my body. I'm a nervous ball of anxiety mixed with a touch of anticipation. This is the first time I've ever done anything like this, so there is a part of me that is excited. But the part of me that is surrounded by self doubt doesn't think I can do this.
It's hard to convince myself that I won't be a total failure.
Cole helped me bring all my paintings here to Vera’s gallery the other day and they said everything would be handled before the show. All that was required of me was to show up a little bit before it opened so I could get a feel for things and then it was showtime. I have no idea what to fully expect. I don't know how many people will be here.
“Hey darlin’,” Cole's voice slides against my eardrum as his hand touches the small of my back. I resist the urge to melt into him, to seek safety and comfort in his arms as he presses his lips to the side of my head. “Are you ready to go inside? The team is in there waitin’ for you.”
I slowly turn around to face him, my eyes scanning his features. “What if this doesn't go well? What if this entire thing is a flop?”
“El, we talked about this.” He shakes his head, offering me a small comforting smile. “I will never set you up for failure and if I didn't believe in you and your work, I never would have presented any of it to Austin.”
I hang onto his words as they infiltrate the crevices of my brain. I don't know how he manages to do it, but every time I feel myself beginning to spiral, he has this way of grounding me. He has this ability to pull me back to reality and present things to me in a clear, more optimistic fashion. He chases away the scaries in my mind. He shows me what it feels like to have someone on your side, someone who wants to lift you up instead of keeping you from reaching your potential.
He's the calm.
“Okay,” I tell him, the facade of confidence rolling over me. I straighten my spine, pushing my shoulders back as I nod at him. “This is going to be great. Even if only a few people show up, it will still be amazing.”
He stares at me for a beat. “Even if no one shows up,youare still amazing.”
Emotion lodges in my throat and my lips part as a ragged breath escapes me. Behind me, the doors push open, cutting through the moment between Cole and I. He directs his gaze past me and I slowly turn around to see who it is. It's Vera, who's smiling at both of us with her bright red lips reaching towards her deep green eyes. Her sleek auburn hair is styled in a bob stopping below her cheeks. My eyes roam across her white suit jacket and pants and suddenly I feel underdressed.
Remi insisted we go shopping yesterday in preparation for the show. I found a black gown that hugged my curves before fanning out around my feet. I wasn't sure what I was supposedto wear to an event like this and Remi suggested I dress up as if I were going to a gala or something. The dress isn't as revealing as Vera's suit jacket that has a cutting V that goes to the bottom of her sternum.
Regardless of how she looks, I still feel beautiful in the dress I'm wearing.
“Ella, people will be here within the next half an hour, so we would love to have you come inspect the set up before they begin to arrive.”
I glance at Cole and he gives me a reassuring smile before he looks at Vera and nods. Vera holds the door open for me and I glance back at Cole when I realize he isn't following me inside. “Aren't you coming?”
“I am. I have to run out to my truck quickly and then I will be here before everyone arrives.”
My eyes widen as panic licks at my heart. “Don't make me do this alone.”
“You'll never be alone, darlin’,” he tells me, his voice soft and warm like an embrace. “I promise I will be right back.”
I let out a ragged breath, nodding as the anxiety melts away. I know I can do it without him, but I don't want to. The thought of doing something out of my comfort zone alone has my skin tingling as if it's going to break out in hives. Cole would never set me up for failure–he said so himself.
He walks around the corner of the building, heading in the direction we both parked and I find Vera patiently waiting for me. She smiles, motioning for me to enter the gallery. As we step inside, the air leaves my lungs in a rush as my heart crawls into my throat. The walls have been stripped of any art that isn't mine. My paintings are positioned on the walls throughout the gallery, each one showcased separately so it has its own moment of being in the spotlight.
Tears prick at the corners of my eyes. This has always felt like a pipe dream for me. Never in a million years did I think my art would be the center of a show in a gallery. Never once did I think people would come to purchase the pieces I painted from the emotions that were swirling inside of me.
“What do you think?” Vera questions me as she steps up beside me. Her eyes are on the painting in front of us as she assesses the strokes of oil across the canvas. “Does everything look okay to you?”
“It's amazing,” I say, my eyes scanning the wall before I look at her. “It looks great. Thank you so much for doing this for me.”
Vera shakes her head. “Thank you for creating timeless pieces like this. We're always looking for new artists and I showed some of your work to a few of our clients who will be in attendance tonight. You bring a freshness that we haven't seen in quite some time.”
My heart is in my throat and I swallow hard over the emotion, nodding at her. Words fail me and at this moment, I'm not sure I even trust myself to speak. The emotions swirling inside of me are encapsulated with an intensity that threatens to make me a sobbing mess before the night even begins.
“Are you okay with being on the floor during the show?” She glances over at the door as it opens, but I don't turn to look. “Usually the artists will mingle, walk around and talk about their art with patrons.”
