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But Aliyana sitting here now, telling me she loved the piece, that it was her favorite out of allfloored Floored that out of everything I’d created, Aliyana loved my mamma’s dedication most

"I was in Austin, Texas, at The Blanton Museum of Art, but when I learned that your piece would be at the Met, I jumped on a plane and flew out for a whistle-stop stay of forty-eight hours just to see it up close" She laughed "The saet this job actually"

That blush was back on her cheeks, only this time I enjoyed every dip of her eyes, the flush of her cheeks, the quiet sighs she exhaled I was just enjoying Aliyana, period

"It sounds stupid, Elpi, but seeing your angel changed me I don’t knohat it was, but… but… ah, it doesn’t ruffly I really needed her to finish that fucking sentence I needed to understand what she saw in , drawn-out s but aze with her brown eyes and said, "I felt you I felt you in its every curve I felt like I was looking straight into your soul I felt the love you poured into that sculpture… Itin my life… It made me want more… it’s difficult forupward to rub over er, but fros I didn’t deserve… that she didn’t want to get wrapped up in

"Did I say too much?"

I drew my hands down ht intohere with me now"

Aliyana’s eyes widened "What do youI’d scared her Good She should be scared of uy for her I’d only justher standards a fucking her than me

"Exactly what I said If you knew the real ht the fuck now"

"Wh-what have you done?" Her eyebrows pulled down to form a frown "Why are you so hard on yourself?"

"Penance A whole lotta fucking penance I need to pay"

"But I can’t believe that of you"

"You’re wrong"

She shook her head adaoff whatever she was gonna say "You know fuck all ‘boutother than a ruht think you knowinfor the check

Aliyana didn’t say anything else In fact, she picked up her purse and walked straight out of the café

The servers watched her go, nudging each other as they stared at her ass I jumped from my seat, pulled out a fifty, and pounded over to where the Italian punks stood gaping and slammed the note on the countertop

As soon as they laid eyes on h Their faces drained to white, seeing howme off and I marched out of the café to see Aliyana beside my Camino I pulled out a s a soothing drag For once, I eray sky

As I reached the car, Aliyana kept her head down and slid silently into the passenger seat

My stoot back to the gallery, I’d burned through three suilt But it was for the best I was no one a girl should get with, especially one as good as her

As I pulled the car to the shadowed side entrance, I waited for her to get out But she didn’t move The air in the cabin of the Camino seenant tobacco-filled air built until it was unbearable I could hear every single breath that came out of Aliyana’s mouth, and with every soft inhale and exhale, my cock seemed to harden more and more, the feel of it trapped under ht Aliyana faced forward, gripping her purse tightly on her lap with both hands

It was only lance, one last look at her before she left allery, leave, and never come back