Page 45 of Game of Love
“I studied fine art and fantasy at college. I do every kind of painting and sculpture you can think of and I really wanted to go to Europe to study more, work at a gallery and then open my own. I wanted to go to Italy. I would so love to live there. It’s beautiful and so me. But just being there to study and work even for a little while would be amazing. It’s been my dream forever.”
“That’s some dream. It sounds good. You sound good.”
“I am.”
“Well you know you’re going to have to follow that talk with evidence right?” He smirked, looking impressed. It was good to see the look in association to me.
“I’ll do a painting for you.” I promised. “As a thank you.”
“I’m not going to say no to a thank you from you. What happened? How come you never went to Italy for art? Sounds like it was in the cards for you well before now.”
The question brought the gloom of the answer with it.
“I was on track to do it and really thought it was going to happen. Then my father started acting weird. He just got more protective and demanding. Had me in his line of sight more and basically controlling.”
“Any reason why he just changed like that?”
“Not specifically. Do you know how my mother died?” I asked.
He nodded slowly. “I know. I was told.”
“He freaked after and I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere.” It was better to put it that way. “If anyone came to see me he needed to know about it. As time went by he calmed down some but never became the way he was back then. Not ‘til now. But I don’t know of any threat that would make him behave this way. He seems more powerful now than ever with so much money. There’s so much wealth and it’s all legit. All of it. With all the wealth at his fingertips I can’t imagine what had him worked up so much to treat me this way.”
“It’s a mystery.” He looked at me like he wasn’t sure what more to say to me.
I couldn’t blame him. I wouldn’t know what more to say to me given that we were talking about my father.
He looked out to the blue expanse of the lake before us and smiled.
“Here’s what we’re going to do today,” he began.
“What?”
“This.” He pointed ahead. “We’re gonna do nothing and pretend nothing else matters. We’re just going to talk and walk around the place and not give a shit about anything else.”
I considered it and smiled, liking the idea. I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear and straightened up. “I can do that.”
He opened the door and got out. I opened my side too but he insisted on taking my hand and helping me get out of the car.
He kept hold of my hand when I went to let go and held it up.
“You’re wearing heels on a quarry, don’t want you to fall over.”
I looked at my feet in the little three inch heels that were a tamer version of the stilettos I usually wore.
“Are you sure that’s not some excuse to hold my hand?” I teased.
“No.” He pressed his free hand to his chest. “Don’t get the wrong idea, remember I’m off limits to you?”
I smiled. “I remember Xander.”
“Good.”
I liked the sparkle in his eyes and the warmth of his hands on mine. It amplified the safety of being with him.
Chapter 11
Jia
