Finding Beauty in the Darkness - Nikki Ash Page 0,86
saying it was last minute but he would love to have your work featured as an up and coming artist.”
My heart feels so full at what this man has done for me. It’s easy to tell someone you support them, but it’s another thing entirely to go above and beyond—to take action. The last person who supported my art was my mom until she sided with Weston, saying it shouldn’t be anything more than a hobby, insisting I major in something with a future in college. I know my mom loved me—at one time she was my best friend—but she was sucked in by the false glamour of the world of politics. She lived for the sense of power that came with being a senator’s wife. She stopped supporting me to support him and I never realized until this moment how much I needed to feel supported.
“This is simply amazing. Thank you.” I close the distance between us and give Gio a kiss I can only hope conveys how much all of this means to me.
We spend the rest of the evening mingling with other photographers and guests. When I run into some of my favorites for the second time, I thank them for their encouraging words and invitations. They laugh when they find out I had no idea my work was on display here, and congratulate Gio for pulling off such a thoughtful surprise.
When we get back to the hotel it’s late and I’m shocked to see Gio’s father, Salvatore, sitting in the living room, only a single light illuminating the room.
“We need to talk, Son.” Salvatore completely disregards my presence but Gio doesn’t.
“Aria, do me a favor and head to our room for a few minutes while I speak with my father.” He gives me a soft kiss and I do as he says, closing the door behind me. I slip out of my dress and heels and take a quick shower to rinse off my body and face before putting on a shirt and comfortable sweats.
I know I shouldn’t, but I open the door slightly to see if Gio and his dad are still talking. I see they’ve moved to the kitchen and are both drinking what looks like scotch.
“By killing the senator over that girl, you’ve practically pinned a bullseye on our foreheads!” Salvatore booms.
“I don’t give a shit. I did what needed to be done. I’ll deal with Sebastian just as I’ve been doing for the last year.”
“I don’t trust your judgement, Giovanni. You have continuously chosen her over your own family, your flesh and blood. It’s time to let her go.” Salvatore throws back what’s left of his drink and slams the glass on the counter.
“And what? Marry Cecilia? You can’t be serious!”
“It’s her or your family.”
Giovanni goes silent and my heart shatters. Gio’s life is his family and his dad making him choose has me wanting to attack him, to knock some sense into the man who has no idea what he’s doing to my heart, but I don’t. I do, however, slide on my flip-flops and slip out the front door without waiting to hear what Gio’s answer is. Needing some space and a bit of fresh air, I take the elevator down to the lobby and head out the back to go for a walk along the beach.
I kick off my flip-flops and toe the water. It’s warm to the touch from the summer heat beating down on it all day. After walking for what seems like miles, I sit in the sand and stare out into the Atlantic, the moon’s reflection hitting the soft waves as they come up and just barely hit my feet before rolling back. I think about Gio’s father’s ultimatum: me or his family. I would like to believe in Gio’s eyes and heart, they are one in the same—I know in mine they are. But it doesn’t matter how Gio or I feel because his father doesn’t share the same feelings we do.
I wasn’t able to see Gio’s face when his dad gave him the ultimatum, but I could feel it, deep in my gut, that those five words broke him. I think about how Weston came into my life and slowly destroyed mine and my mom’s relationship. For some reason, he was jealous of how close my mom and I were from the beginning. He wedged a rift between us that grew and grew until we were so far on opposite ends of the