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Guilt…

I looked at the sculpture again, this tier, a sin theapart because of his guilt

"You… you ever felt guilt like that, Aliyana?"

My heart fluttered at the way Elpidio spokearound the Spanish pronunciation perfectly As I aze implored me to answer his question

Sadly I shook uilt portrayed in this piece In fact, I doubted ot to his feet and darted for the exit

"Are you leaving?" I asked, my voice laced with disappointrowled low His voice was broken, but I didn’t think it was in anger, more in distress

I sensed how badly he wanted to leave His hands clenched into fists at his sides and his broad ht under the thin o I wanted him to explain every piece to ers I wanted to see this world he’d created through his eyes I wanted to talk to the man whose work I cherished more than any collection I’d ever studied or seen I wanted him to explain his life-journey so I could create the exhibition his genius deserved And if I were being true to et to know him too

"Please," I whispered desperately and Elpidio cautiously turned to faceIn fact, it could only be described as downright threatening But I had an insatiable need to knowinside ofwas true I knew his work I’d had a glih every curve of hishair, but he couldn’t hide what he displayed in plain sight His sculptures were hi to the world that he was flawed

"You never naitation I stepped forward, looking up nervously through ive theed, but that flash of insecurity--or was it reluctance?--I’d seen earlier, again washed across his face I stepped forward again He didn’t back away as we stood toe to toe

My hands were shaking He was so beautifully fascinating… that Latin skin, those forbidding facial tattoos, the heavy coating of ink that covered the real man who lay beneath

"Why?" I asked "Why leave your beautiful pieces naives thelared atrattled But Elpidio, this time, leaned forward to me, and a chill ran downthe real," he whispered, his hot breath skirting past ue, but Elpidio cutdeserve all this I deserve none of this shit… Believe ot it all the dae body towered over me I fluttered my eyes to meet his His almost-ebony eyes flared with heat

"That’s not true," I whispered His work, more than anyone’s, deserved to be on display People should see his works of art

"You don’t know ritted teeth

"I know your work," I countered, ression and his condescending use of the word ‘girl’ "More than anyone else, I know your work…"

Elpidio watched ht of his stare Then, to my utter surprise, he dropped his scowl and his eyes dulled with defeat His hand reached up and took a strand of ether, before his gaze locked on toaround us, until Elpidio dropped h it were a naked fla expression set clearly on his face, like he was shocked he’d just touched me

He quickly turned on his heel

This tiardless of my protest As he threw open the heavy curtains, I asked, "The titles…?"

Elpidio’s fist wrapped around the black material and his head dropped "Do you really need them that much?" he asked shortly