CHAPTER 33

“Hey, you made it,” Maya said excitedly kissing my cheeks.

“I would never have missed it,” I said. She was displaying her artwork at the opening of a gallery and had invited me weeks before. Maya was one of the most talented painters I knew and I was proud she’d taken this bold step.

“Ah, Kathleen,” Julian said with a smile, handing me a glass of champagne. “It’s a surprise to see you outside of the studio.”

“Right?” Lily chipped. “You have no idea how many times we’d tried to get her to come out with us but she always has an excuse in hand.”

I reddened, feeling slightly uncomfortable at the criticism.

Maya rolled her eyes. “She's not obliged to come out with us but since she's here, let's not send her running off again.“

She linked arms with me and pulled me into the gallery, introducing me to her friends and family. Maya was extremely extroverted and had a huge support group who came for the opening so by the time she was done, I could barely recall anyone’s name.

“You look familiar,” one of Maya’s friends, Anne, said, squinting at me.

Maya glanced at me. “She does? I do think Kathleen looks like that one actress, you know, the one on Last Summer Hours that played the cop’s daughter, what's her name…”

“Wait, was it you who was with Xander Blackwood a few months ago? You dated him, that was you, right?”

The smile on my face slipped off slowly. “Uh… no,”

Anne frowned. “It wasn't? I could've sworn… are you sure? The resemblance is striking.”

I shook my head, my heart thumping loudly. “You have me mistaken,”

Thankfully, Maya intervened. “Oh, let it be, Anne, she said it isn't her.” and she pulled me away toward the opposite direction. “Forgive Anne, she can be obsessed with celebrities and business moguls like that, she feels like she knows every one of them personally. Ignore her.”

I let out a small laugh that was meant to be dismissive but it came out shaky instead and I knew I wasn't convincing. “It's okay, it happens.”

Maya smiled brightly at me. “I once dated this football player, he was slightly famous until he wasn't but there was this one night I stumbled across a bunch of his fans and it was hell denying knowing him because they kept insisting.” she patted my hand. “So I understand.”

Her support was silent but it was genuine and I felt grateful for the fact that she didn't say any more than that. I recalled she’d seen Xander and me at the park and must have put the pieces together by now know I was lying but this was her own way of telling me she understood.

Xander and I weren't dating but it was easier to keep things on the low like this. I preferred it that way, we led separate lives successfully and when we spent time together we made it worth it and I didn't think there was anything better than that.

“You should purchase some art pieces before you leave. I'll leave you to find suitable ones, okay?”

“Thanks,” I said but she was already breezing through the crowd, laughing and mingling with her friends.

I stood in front of a brilliant piece and stared at it. It was a splash of dull colors that resonated with the sense of emptiness I felt inside.

“It's beautiful, isn't it?” Someone asked, coming to stand next to me.

My gaze drifted to the woman next to me, she seemed to be in her mid-forties and she was elegant. My eyes took in the high-end style that seemed to come so naturally to her. She was wearing a green designer dress that exuded confidence. I felt a sense of admiration swell in me at the sight of her.

Her smile at me was warm and genuine as she asked again. “Don't you think so?”

I cleared my throat. “I… uh, I'm sorry. It is, of course.”

“I don't think so, if I'm being honest. I look at it and it doesn't strike me.”

I shrugged, the rich smell of the woman settling thickly around me like a blanket. “Art is subjective so it's natural to not feel an impact. I do believe the painter did great regardless and it's one of the top pieces on display right now.”

“What do you feel when you look at it?” She asked.

I stared at the painting once again. “Melancholy. It speaks to the void inside me that I refuse to acknowledge, just looking at it reminds me of something that's missing in my life, a hole that I've shut my heart to.”

She glanced at me. “Would you like to own it? I think it’ll be fitting for you to.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I think I just might purchase it.”

I still had Xander’s card with me and I thought of how beautiful this would look hanging over his bed. I turned to summon one of the sales associates but the woman stopped me.

“A gift from me,” she said, her warm smile returning.

I stopped. “No, I couldn't possibly take this. It must be worth a lot.”

She chuckled. “The piece isn't for sale, none of my pieces are but since you love this one so much, you should have it.”

I glanced at the piece and then back to her, realization slowly dawning on me. I opened my mouth to speak when a salesperson interrupted me.

“What would you like help with, Madam Wynter?” She asked.

The woman ran her hand through the painting. “I'd like to gift this piece here to this young lady…”

She looked at me and I snapped out of my shock.

“Uh… Kathleen.”

Something dampened in her eyes but it was gone before I could dwell on it. “Yes, Kathleen.”

The sales lady smiled. “I'll get it packaged for you, if you could please come with me ma’am so I can get your delivery details, that'll be wonderful.”

I nodded. “I'll be there,” I turned to the woman. “Thank you, this means a lot to me and…”

“It's fine,” she said. “You remind me of someone and to have you appreciate my work is nice. I haven't been appreciative of many things in my life in a long time.”

She slid her hand into her bag and handed me her card. “You can reach out to me anytime you like.”

With one last smile, she walked away leaving the smell of her lingering in the air. My finger grazed the name on her card:

Elizabeth Wynter I turned to look at her one last time and I felt a pang in my heart. It made no sense why it felt like I knew her and it made no sense either that I had the feeling this wouldn't be the last I would be seeing of her.