23. Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Three
PENNY
F our hours later, filled with a lot of anxiety and stress, I’m at the art gallery, hiding behind a black curtain, separated from the crowd. A crowd Lucas wasn’t sure would show. Well, they did. Hundreds of people gather around, admiring his works of art, highlighted with lights adjusted at just the right angle. Judging by the expressions on their faces and the buzzing chatter, they’re a hit.
Soon they’ll be in for a huge surprise. Or shock. I’m not sure how they’ll react. The thought of what I’m about to do sends waves of nerves through my body. My hands are shaking. My mouth dry. I’m at this point because I trusted someone I loved, and they betrayed me.
Never again will I give anyone power over me. I’m in control of my life, and I’ll be damned if I let anyone bring me down. With a little bit of steel in my spine, the nerves simmer. Taking a deep breath, I peek through the crack in the curtain, careful so no one sees me. If I’m spotted, it will ruin everything I’ve planned.
People fill the room. Waiters are passing around glasses of champagne and hors d’oeuvres to guests admiring the photography. Then my gaze lands on Lucas. He’s dressed in a black suit jacket and trousers. The top three buttons of his white shirt are undone, showing a slither of his tanned chest. With his hair neatly brushed back, he is the standout of the event. He’s smiling and looking happy as he accepts compliments, handshakes, and air-kisses from his guests.
Finn, Harper, Hayden, and Alyssa are gathered around him. My nerves are bubbling to the surface again, and I splay my hand over my stomach. Can I do this with his family here? I take deep breaths to settle my racing heart. I can’t think of them now or I’ll never get through what I’m about to do.
A minute later, I see my mother and Claudia make their way through the crowd. I need them both here to see this through. It took some convincing to get Claudia here. She couldn’t understand why I would want to be at Lucas’ exhibition after what he did. Without giving my plan away, I made it clear that when I’m done Lucas’ reputation would get the hit he deserves. She smiled like the Cheshire cat. She didn’t want to miss his humiliation.
My gaze once again falls on Lucas. He flicks out his wrist to check the time on his watch and then searches the crowd and looks toward the entrance like he’s waiting for me.
Good.
Everything is going according to plan.
Now that everyone is here, I can start. I send a text, and within seconds, Antonne pushes through the curtain. I couldn’t have done this without him. It took a lot of effort for him to help me. Yet he made me feel like it was no bother. I know how much work it is to put a show together. It’s not easy to arrange and add things at the last minute. I’m grateful for his time and patience.
“Sweetie, are you ready?” Antonne is dressed in a white suit with an orange shirt which emphasizes his brown skin. Towering over me in white platform shoes, he has gold and diamond rings on every finger. They flash before me as he waves his hands around as he speaks. “This will be absolutely fabulous.”
I shake my arms by my sides and roll my shoulders like I’m about to get into the ring for a fight. Well, I guess I am. I’m fighting for my future. “Yes, I’m ready.”
I’ve often been on a stage and addressed an audience. Doing cooking demonstrations and making Christmas decorations is a lot different than what I’m about to do. This is personal. I’m putting everything I have out there for everyone to see.
Antonne takes my shoulders and kisses both of my cheeks. “You’ve got this, sweetie. See you in a minute.”
He ducks back around the curtain and into the gallery. I hear him clap to get everyone’s attention.
Then he says, “Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention please?” When the murmur of the crowd quietens, he continues, “We have one more treat for you this evening. I’d like to introduce you to Penelope Aldin.”
I step out from the curtain, and all eyes are glued on me. People are clapping at Antonne’s introduction with a mix of confusion and surprise.
I clear my throat and address the audience. “Hello, everyone. As you might be aware, I’ve had a lot of publicity lately, and not of the good kind. I’ve had strangers shove cameras in my face, follow me, interrupt private moments, and spread lies about me. Now I’m faced with something else. Something more obtrusive than anything I’ve had to deal with before. Private photos of me are set to be published in the morning. Photos that I thought were deleted and would never see the light of day. Once again, I’m facing humiliation. When I learned what was about to happen, I was shocked and mortified. I wanted to hide alone in a darkened room and not show my face again. This is what the person who leaked the photos wanted—to bring me down. Cause another scandal, and damage my reputation even more than it already is.
“I believe they hoped people would see these photos as something dirty and salacious. But they are far from that. More like a work of art. Beautiful. Captured by a man with a tremendous amount of talent. Someone who not only sees beauty in models wearing Alessi Fashion, but also in things that inspire him, as you can see from the photographs on the walls.
“One stormy day, I was his inspiration. He made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. And for that reason, I want to share the amazing photographs he took of me before some sleazy tabloid does. The media won’t taint this for me. Once something like this would have broken me.” I glance at Lucas; pride is shining from his face. “But like someone I love said to me, I’m unbreakable.”
I nod at Antonne, and he whisks back the curtain, revealing the enlarged photographs hanging on the wall. The audience gasps in surprise then break out with enthusiastic rounds of applause. They’re smiling and cheering, and by the expressions on their faces, they’re loving what they see.
There is one person I’m focused on—Claudia. All color has drained from her face. Her betrayal sliced through me. Years of what I thought was friendship gone. Why? What did I ever do to her to cause such hatred? When she starts to leave, Lucas, his family, and my mother block her path. Lucas leans down and whispers something into her ear. Her jaw tightens, but she doesn’t move.
Reaching my hand out toward Lucas, he comes to me, takes it, and kisses my knuckles before placing a kiss on my lips. Then he turns to his guests. “If anyone wants to doubt our love, or try to sell stories about it being fake, just take a look at these photographs. In case you’re still wondering, I love this fucking woman.”
He cups my face and kisses me deeply to the amusement and cheers of the crowd.
Lucas pulls back. For my ears only, he whispers, “You are amazing. Do you know that?”
“I feel amazing when I’m with you. Thank you for doing this for me. This is supposed to be your exhibition’s big debut, and I’ve made it about me.”
Brushing my hair back from my face, his fingertips are feather-light when he touches my cheek. “This is about us and how much we love each other. We are in this together. Always.”
“As much as I’d love to bask in this with you, there’s something I have to take care of.”
I glance over at Claudia, who is still surrounded by the most important people in my life. She must have worked fast to find the photos when left alone in the apartment. Why did she go to so much trouble?
When Lucas sees who I’m looking at, he says, “I’ll come with you.”
I shake my head. “I need to do this myself.”
He places his hands on my shoulders. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“I’m here if you need me.”
Gosh, I love this man. He is my rock. My heart. My everything.
Leaving him, I walk over to Claudia. “Follow me.” Not waiting for her to answer, I turn and walk toward an office at the back of the gallery Antonne told me I could use. When we’re inside, I close the door behind us.
Claudia crosses her arms over her chest and gives me a haughty expression, like she doesn’t care what’s to come. Yet her gaze is flicking around the room, looking at everything but me, giving away her fear.
“Why?” I thought our friendship was solid. Never in a million years did I think she’d stab me in the back so viciously. I did not see this coming.
With a shrug of a shoulder, she says, “Why what?”
“Now’s not the time to play dumb. The paparazzi always finding me, the photos getting leaked. Why did you want to destroy me? You were someone I trusted. Loved. The only person who knew what my life was like.”
Making a scoffing sound, she rolls her eyes. “Oh please. You always played the victim. Always using the ‘my life was so difficult’ card. You’ve always gotten everything you wanted handed to you.”
Her comment is like a slap to the face. The person standing in front of me is a stranger. How was I so blind to this hatred?
“Why would you say that?” I ask. “I’ve always worked hard for what I have.”
She points a finger at me. “Did you work hard to get Lucas’ attention at school? Did you work hard when your stupid YouTube videos went viral? Oh, and let’s not forget, you even bagged a top football player. So when you say you worked hard, what a joke.”
“So, this is all about jealousy? You’re jealous of what I have?” Everything I’ve done I always made Claudia a part of. Even included her in the business.
Her gaze travels from my head to my toes and back again. Her nose screws up in disgust, and I know she’s trying to make me feel insecure. I will not let people’s opinions of my body affect me anymore. “There’s nothing to be jealous of,” she says.
“I don’t believe you. Lucas rejected you in high school because he wanted me, so with the help of Travis you planned to get me to skinny-dip and leaked the photos. Then came Darren. Did you want him too? When you learned he was cheating on me, you wanted me to find out in the most humiliating way so I’d never take him back and then you could have him?” This is so twisted.
She gives a mirthless laugh. “I already had him. He was fucking me long before you. What you didn’t see in that video with him and Karen was me joining them. I cut that out.”
Nausea rises to my throat. How was I so blind?
“You were Darren’s ticket to stardom, and he rode it hard—along with some other people.” She smirks like she thinks sleeping with him hurts me. Anything to do with Darren no longer affects me.
“You think you’re hurting me.” I open my arms out wide. “Yet here I am standing taller than ever. Your plans have constantly backfired. With everything you’ve thrown at me, I’ve only gotten stronger.”
The smugness drops from her face. “Your career is over. Just because you’ve showed some nudes doesn’t mean it will take off again. You are old news. No one wants you.”
“Except for Lucas. He wants me. He loves me. Would do anything to make me happy.” Now it’s my turn to look smug. “You must hate that. As for my career, I’ve come to terms with it never being the same again, because I’m choosing for things to be different. I’m happier than I have ever been. All your scheming and backstabbing has given me more than I could ever have dreamed possible. So, I should thank you for giving me something valuable—Lucas.”
Claudia’s mouth opens and closes, then her lips slam into a thin line. My happiness and her failure to bring me down must be killing her.
I can’t stand to be in the same room with her a moment longer. I’ve gotten my answer. It all came down to jealousy and Claudia being a wicked person. Instead of working for the things she wanted, she had to drag me down to try and steal them from me.
“I never want to see you again. If you so much as post a single thing about me online, sell any more photos, or breathe a word about me to anyone, I will hit you so hard with a lawsuit your head will spin. Understand?”
Claudia gives me a baleful glare and doesn’t answer.
“It’s not a threat. I will do as I say. You’re lucky I didn’t get the police involved with the little stunt you tried to pull with my photos. So do you understand?”
With a tight jaw, she nods her head and scurries from the room.
When she’s gone, the strength in my legs give out, and I collapse into the nearest chair. With shaking hands, I cup my face. I can’t believe I held it together the way I did. I must have been running on adrenaline. As it fades away, my body trembles.
A few moments later, Lucas barrels into the room and drops to his knees in front of me. He takes my hands in his. They are so big and strong, and I immediately stop shaking. He’s got me. Always will.
“Are you okay?” he asks. “I saw Claudia storming out of the gallery.”
“I’m fine.” Although it will take a while to mourn the loss of a friendship I thought I had.
“This must be such a shock.”
I brush back a lock of hair that has fallen over his brow. “She hurt me like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. But with you by my side, I know I’ll get through it.” The love shining for me from his eyes is enough to tell me I’ll be okay.
Smiling, he kisses my lips. “I’ll never leave your side. I’m yours forever. Never forget that.”
I return the smile and kiss. “You have me forever too.” He pulls me in for a hug. “I thanked Claudia for the things she did to me.”
Lucas pulls back. Creases form between his eyebrows. “Why would you do that?”
“If she hadn’t done all those things, you would never have helped me at the hotel. Never taken me to your cabin, and we would never have fallen in love.”
“If she hadn’t started the whole thing in high school, something could have happened between us then.”
“We were so young. What were the chances of it lasting?”
“True. I only wish she didn’t hurt you so bad in the process. Did she tell you why she did it?”
“Jealousy, and I think there’s something seriously wrong with her. No one in their right mind would behave like that. Anyway,” I say, tapping my hands on his chest. “Let’s forget about Claudia for now. Tonight’s about your exhibition. Your guests are loving it. Congratulations. I’m so proud of you.”
He dips his head at the compliment. “It’s gone better than I expected. Your photographs are a hit too. Although, you didn’t need to expose yourself so much.”
“They are beautiful. I wanted them all to be seen, and not in some trashy way. Have they sold? I can’t imagine having my pictures hanging in someone’s place.”
He shakes his head.
My shoulders slump with disappointment for him and a little relief that no one will have the photos up in their homes. “I’m sorry.”
“No one bought them because they’re not for sale.”
I frown. “Why not?”
“Because they belong to me. They are getting pulled down as we speak. Everyone has seen and praised them. Seeing you as the goddess that you are. Now, they’ll get hung in my apartment for my eyes only.”
I laugh. “Sounds good to me.” As liberating as it felt to show such wonderful art to a room full of people, I’m happy to know it was only for a short time.
“You know what else sounds good?”
“What?”
“Leaving and getting you home.” A hint of heat is in his eyes.
“What about the exhibition?”
“Antonne can wrap it up.” Lucas gets to his feet, takes my hand, and pulls me up to meet him. “Follow me.”
My heart swells with love. “I’ll follow you anywhere.”