“I won’t lie. I don’t know if anyone would care if it was just a museum. But it’s aprivatemuseum, so almost everyone is coming.”
“And there’s free food,” Alma added. “That’s always a big draw.”
“Good point. And now that they’ve finished up the rest of their exams, they’re ready to celebrate,” Grace said. Alma smiled, but Grace felt like she was being analyzed. “What is it?”
Alma cocked her head to the side. “I was just wondering if you knew that Christian tried to cancel the event.”
Grace frowned, confused. The event had been planned for a month. Christian had been on board from the beginning. She didn’t know why he would want to cancel. “What do you mean? How do you know this?”
“I had lunch with Rafael, and I’ll admit I had some ulterior motives. I saw how the two of you were at the exhibit opening, and I thought maybe I should just see…”
Grace froze, unsure of where this was headed. “What?”
“If he really has changed. I thought maybe I could dance around it a little, try to get a sense of what’s going on in his head, if he really had feelings for you, but I didn’t even have to try, Gracie.”
Grace shifted uncomfortably. “I’m still confused.”
“Christian called Rafael while I was there. Apparently, he has a friend who wants to host an auction as soon as possible, and Christian wanted to push your student night to accommodate their schedule.”
Grace swallowed. She was surprised, but not shocked exactly. Who wouldn’t want to cancel a free night for students when there was money to be made? “Then what happened?” she asked, her heartbeat fluttering.
Alma’s lips twisted into a smirk. “Rafael said no.”
“What do you mean Rafael said no? To Christian?”
“He said a lot of things—that it was a bad precedent, that clients wouldn’t be able to trust their schedule, that it was unethical, and that he’d already put all the work into the event, and changing it was an impossibility.”
Grace let out a breath. “Well that’s…”
“Unheard of,” Alma finished. “I’ve never seen him stand up to a client like that. He always does whatever he can to please them. Honestly, it wouldn’t have surprised me in the least if he went right along with what Christian wanted and cancelled the event, even if it was double the work for him. But he was livid, Gracie. He outright refused.”
Grace put a hand to her chest, where something was cracking open inside her.
“I think,” Alma continued, “that I might have been wrong about him. Maybe he is different now. I mean, he’s never even talked that way to our father, let alone someone he’s working for. But he stood up for himself.” Her eyes narrowed. “He stood up for you.”
Grace jerked her head up. What was Alma saying? Yes, Rafael had told his client it was ridiculous and unprofessional to cancel a previously scheduled event, which might have been a little out of character, but surely Alma wasn’t reading more into it than that?
“Maybe you didn’t end things with him because of me. Maybe you had a million other reasons. But if it was because of me…”
“You told me he wasn’t a relationship person, that he didn’t know himself enough to be ready for a serious commitment.”
“I thought he wasn’t. And maybe he’s not.I don’t know. But this—talking to a client like that, caring so much about doing something for someone else—is different for him. And the way you talked to Papá at the exhibit? It sounded like maybe you haven’t quite given up on Rafael yet.”
Grace tried to compose herself. “What are you saying, Alma?”
“I’m trying to say that you have every reason not to give my brother a chance. But ifI’mthe biggest reason, then…I don’t want to be anymore. You were right when you said you could make your own decisions. And you were right when you said you’re stronger now. And if everything goes to shit with you and Rafa, then we’ll manage.”
Grace brushed a hand through her hair, trying to process this. Maybe Alma had been wrong about whether or not Rafael had feelings for her, but everything else she’d said—all the reasons Grace had called it off—were still true. She was still vulnerable and trying to put herself back together. He could still just change his mind tomorrow when things got hard. He could leave her in an instant. “Where is this coming from? One lunch with Rafael, and he’s changed your mind completely?”
Alma shook her head as if she couldn’t believe it either. “If he would have just told me he wanted you, I still wouldn’t have believed him, but I saw it, Gracie. I saw how different he was. And if you want to be with him, then you should be, regardless of what I say. It should be your choice. And whether or not it works out or whatever happens, you’re my sister. Nothing changes that.”
Grace took a breath. And then another. She wasn’t sure whether she was about to burst out laughing or break into tears. “That’s sweet,” she said, “but please don’t say I’m your sister, because that would make dating your brother very weird.”
Alma laughed. “That’s a good note.” She raised an eyebrow and nudged Grace’s shoulder. “So, you want to date him?”
Grace’s stupid heart leapt into her chest. She could barely think straight. Did she want to date him? Yes, obviously. That still didn’t mean she should. “You’re right that there are a million reasons not to be with him.”
“And it’s okay if you don’t want to. I’m done pressuring you either way, though. You know I’d do anything to protect you, but it’s a decision you have to make for yourself.”
