Chapter 56
BELLA
The Whitmore’s
“Darling, are you sure I can’t help you with anything else?” Savannah asks, reaching up to water a fern tucked into the corner of Cade’s studio.
I’ve always loved it in here. Sneaking in when I thought he couldn’t see me just to watch Cade make magic out of nothing but graphite, paints, and blank canvases always felt like watching someone perform a miracle.
The Whitmores somehow managed to turn the room tucked away at the back of their house into a beautiful little haven.
Soft cream walls that glow beneath the afternoon sun pouring through the towering glass doors overlooking Savannah’s never ending garden.
Fresh ivy and cascading ferns soften every corner of the space.
Even with paint splattered across the hardwood floors and Cade’s canvases stacked against the walls, this place somehow always feels bright, peaceful… so alive.
I set the rectangle canvas down gently on the easel before lining up the paint tubes beside it. “I think we’ve got it handled.”
“Are you sure because—”
“Honey,” Clay cuts in, a grin tugging at his mouth. “Trust me when I say that whatever the two of them have planned for Cade, we don’t want to be here witnessing it.”
Savannah blinks. “Oh…” Her grin widens, manicured fingers flying to her mouth. “OH!”
I bite back the laugh, gaping at Clay. “Really? You had to go there?”
“Come on. Let’s give them some privacy,” Clay chuckles, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
“You’re right,” Savannah laughs. “Besides, we’ve got the boys’ graduation party to plan,” she says, her voice dropping to a whisper before quietly adding, “God willing.”
The smile slips from my face. My hand loosens around the tube of paint before I can stop it. It tumbles from my fingers, rolling across the hardwood until it bumps into the toe of Savannah’s cream Louboutin pump.
She bends to pick it up, studying me for a moment.
“Bella…” she says softly. “Did your father RSVP, sweetheart?”
I nod. “Yes, he and Luciana are both coming.”
“This could be a good thing, you know?”
“Meeting my stepmother?” I groan.
“Give her a chance, darling.” Savannah lays the tube gently in my palm. “She may surprise you.”
I open my mouth, already preparing my argument, but the oak doors leading into the studio from the hallway swing wide before I can get a word out.
“Yeah…” Lex’s voice cuts through the studio before he does. “No.”
All three of our heads snap toward the doorway.
He’s barely stepped one boot over the threshold, sunglasses still perched on the top of his head. His gaze sweeps over the room before settling on Clay and Savannah.
“Everyone out.”
Clay’s brows climb. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” Lex checks his phone. “In approximately three minutes, Cade’s gonna get here and trust me you don’t want to see what happens next.”
“Oh my God, Lex,” I laugh, burying my face into Savannah’s shoulder.
Clay tries to keep a straight face but folds, laughing so hard he nearly falls backward. He reaches out a hand to his wife. “Let’s go honey.”
She takes it as he ushers her to the doorway.
“Please don’t break anything,” Clay tosses over his shoulder before heading out.
“No promises,” Lex calls back.
“Nice of you to finally show up,” I tease.
A grin stretches across Lex’s face as he closes the distance between us. He hooks an arm around my waist and spins me into his chest.
“Guess what, baby?”
I squint up at him. “What?”
His smile grows even wider.
“You’re lookin’ at Northvale University’s newest graduate from the School of Architecture.”
I blink.
Then blink again.
“Are you serious?!”
“Yeah.” He laughs, unable to stop smiling. “That’s why I’m late. Dean Chambers needed one last signature, and I had to run across campus like a damn idiot to get there in time before he left, but…” His shoulders sag as the weight of it sinks in. “I’m finally done.”
I throw my arms around his neck so hard he stumbles back a step.
“Lex!”
“He loved my designs for The Blackwood. Said it’s the best he’s seen in all his years at Northvale.” He buries his face against my hair, laughing. “I did it!”
I pull back just enough to cup his face and press a quick kiss to his lips. “I’m so proud of you.”
“What’d I miss?” a voice sounds behind us.
I spin in Lex’s arms to see Cade walking through the door. “Lex graduated!”
Cade runs over and throws an arm around both of us before pulling Lex in for a kiss.
“That’s amazing.” His smile is so genuine it makes my chest ache.
I lace my fingers through theirs. “Now we just have to get one more of you to graduate.” I grin between them. “Then I’ll officially have two college graduates for boyfriends.”
Cade snorts. “So that’s what this is all about then? Some sort of art intervention?”
“Something like that.” Lex grins.
“Haley told us what’s been happening,” I mutter, stepping toward the canvas. “And how every time you try and work, you see me in pain. Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I don’t know,” Cade sighs, raking a hand through his hair. “I guess with everything going on I didn’t want to put any more stress on us.”
Lex laughs. He leans down and picks up a paintbrush. “That’s the dumbest fucking thing I’ve heard all week.”
“What?” Cade’s eyes snap to him.
“We are a team, Cade,” Lex says, slapping the paintbrush into Cade’s palm.
“We have to get through all of this shit together,” I add, signaling Lex. “As one.”
Lex guides Cade in front of the blank canvas before stepping in close behind him. His hands settle on Cade’s waist.
“So now,” Lex murmurs against Cade’s neck, “you’re going to finish that last painting.”
“Just like that?” Cade says, swallowing hard.
“Just.”
Lex presses a kiss to Cade’s neck.
“Like.”
Another kiss.
“That.”
A deep moan falls from Cade’s throat as he leans back into Lex’s warmth.
“And this time,” I add, pulling my shirt up over my head and tossing it to the floor. “While you’re painting, you won’t see me in pain.”
Lex’s lips brush against Cade’s ear. “You’ll see her loved.”