Page 119 of Rivals
“They won’t. You know it takes them at least an hour to deliberate,” he says, dragging me through the lobby. Once we’re outside, I take a deep breath of the balmy Italian air and feel my shoulders drop a little. Lachlan keeps going down the expansive steps, and I almost trip. He catches me and picks me up before I can protest. The warm yellow lights cast a warm glow around us. It’s not bright like New York City. Rome has a romanticism that can’t be found anywhere else despite the buzz of city life, I’m sure of it. There’s a small garden off to the side of the hotel, and he crosses the street with me in his arms.
Small gravel crunches under his feet as he finds a bench and sits with me in his lap. He sighs and squeezes my thigh, focusing on taking deep breaths. I watch his chest move up and down erratically. He’s having an anxiety attack. This is the first time he’s had one around me. If he has before, he hid it well. I put my hand on his chest, and he looks down at my palm over his heart. Our eyes meet each other’s at the same time, and his breath stutters. I lift my hand, afraid I’m making it worse, but he shakes his head as he struggles to breathe.
I leave it there and breathe with him. The anxiety flowing through my own body is all but gone because my only concern is Lachlan. I know what this feels like. You think for a moment you’re about to die. You’re having a heart attack, and this is the end. I’ve been there too many times to count.
Sometimes, when people are having anxiety attacks, they don’t want to be touched, but Lachlan seems to need mine. So I lean forward, press a kiss to his cheek, then check him, and his panicked eyes calm. I kiss his other cheek while my thumbs rub at the edges of his jaw. I go from his cheek to his lips. He doesn’t kiss me back, but I linger there longer than necessary. His ragged breath begins to slow; then his lips capture mine as his hand snakes behind my neck, holding me still.
Our gentle, calming kiss changes to a savage devouring. He takes every bit of me and rips it apart with his teeth. I let him in, I let the anxiety and anger mix around on his tongue, and I swallow its bitter taste. He groans into my mouth, and my hands tighten on his jaw.
He nips at my tongue, and I moan at the bite of pain. His exploration of my mouth snaps something in me, and I nip back. He grunts and pulls me back by my neck. Lipstick is all over his mouth, and his eyes are clear of panic. My body feels hot as his eyes burn into mine like he wants to consume me.
Our breaths are short pants, but the anxiety is gone. I lean my forehead on him, and his hands tighten on my waist. “Ok?” I ask him. That one word is full of so many questions, but it’s the only thing I can manage to say.
He nods, and I rub my thumb over his mouth to get the lipstick off. “We need to go back inside,” I whisper. He nods and wraps his arms around me in a tight, centering hug while he takes large, deep breaths in my neck, and I give him all the time he needs.
I tuck my nose into him, and that knowing feeling tingles up my spine. And in this dark Roman night, a time I used to welcome because it was without light, I ruined it with my own poor choices. I realize I may learn to embrace the calm of night again because of him. In this different form of darkness, I can see him because he is mine, and I am his. There was no other place for our hearts to go except to each other. I would like to think he is my light, but I know him better than that. I knew I wasn’t his light because we found each other in the darkness. But then light found us, so we could follow it together. And that’s how I know… without a shadow or a spark, I will never be alone in the dark again.
“I love you,” I say into his neck. Lachlan’s body tenses under mine, and he leans back from me to make sure he heard me right. He blinks rapidly, struggling to process my words.
“I never thought I would hear those words,” he says. A small smile grows on my lips as I take in his disbelief.
“I never thought I would say them,” I say. My voice is dry, and my heart is beating fists against my sternum. I’ve never said those words to a soul. “Wait, you were ok being with me even if I never said it?” I ask him.
He nods and clasps my face between his palms. “I was willing to live with it. All that mattered to me was that you were mine. Words do have meaning, but I know actions mean more to you. I would to continue to do both until you understood I meant it. I love you, too, Revna.”
A car horn honks, and I jump, popping our bubble. Lachlan’s face splits into a bright and sparkling smile and chuckles. “We should get back in there.” He says and helps me to my feet. Before we cross the street, he grabs my face, kissing me long and lingering. His thumb rubs my cheekbone, and I turn my head to kiss his palm. “I will never get enough of you, Revna Burke.” The butterflies swarm in my stomach, and all I can do is smile because he has left me speechless.
We get back into the hotel, and everyone is buzzing. We got back just in time.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience. This deliberation has been difficult. They all have been. But we will have five people that will make it to the final round back in New York. Thank you all for your hard work. It is clear this group is the next up-and-coming artists that will take the world by storm. Your talent is apparent, and your determination shines through your pieces.” The man pauses and opens a piece of folded paper.
Lachlan links his fingers through mine and leans down. “Whatever happens, happens. Regardless of it all, I love you, Revna Burke. I always will.” I face him and nod, my eyes burning, and I tilt my head to kiss him.
“The five finalists are Allison Renaldie, Connor Matthews, Elisabeth Whitmore and Oscar Coleson, Leah Kennedy, Revna Burke, and Lachlan McKay. Thank you, all. More information will be provided in the coming days. Bidding will begin in twenty minutes. Congratulations,” the man says. The light classical music resumes.
I’m frozen. My mind is blank, and I think I heard our name over the ocean in my ears, but I’m not sure of anything. “Babe, did I…” I mutter.
His hand squeezes. We’re both in shock. A couple walks up to us, and we both shake out of our stupor enough to thank them for coming. Lachlan answers their questions about how we came up with it. I’m too stunned to speak, and Lachlan is holding me up. If he weren’t, I’d be on the floor. “Are you together?” The woman asks me.
“Yes, we are,” Lachlan smiles down at me.
Her question shakes me out of my stupor, and I smile back, looking up at Lachlan while I say, “Yes, he’s the love of my life.” I’ve never been so serious about anything.
The woman gasps and presses her hand to her chest. Her eyes get teary, and she looks at her husband. “That is beautiful. We would like to place a bid on your piece. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” She shakes my hand, and they walk away.
“The love of your life?” he says.
I nod up and down, biting down on my lower lip because I want to scream it for the whole world to hear.
Chapter 71
Lachlan
Shetriestosmotherher smile while her teeth hold her lip captive. I lift my hand and pull it out. “Don’t hide that smile from me, muse. I want them all.” She beams back at me, and I feel ridiculous for the thought, but I didn’t know it was possible to be more in love with someone than you were before. I didn’t know I was capable of the capacity of love that I have for her in my heart. It’s only grown more and more every day.
Revna and I grab another drink before the bidding begins, and they roll in. I hoped for a few, and the couple that spoke to us earlier said they would, but I didn’t expect the numbers that came in. We may have to wait until the competition is over, but even if we don’t win the final round, we will have enough funds to keep us going for a while. Enough to give us time to get some pieces out into galleries.
