Living for the fat girl [Book 2]

Part 33

33. Arya

I wake up with a jolt the day of the exhibition. With my hair sticking to my sweaty forehead and eyes wet with remnants of stray tears, I peal myself out of bed. I hadn't talked to Seth after my slight panic attack yesterday and he isn't replying to any of my texts either. A bad feeling winds through my core but I have to ignore it in order to get ready for the day.

If the past two days were exhausting, today is going to take the cake, smash it to the ground and then rub my face into it!

There is absolutely no time to waste as Alex is already on my case about getting everything done. Even now as I have managed to drag myself into the bathroom to get ready I can hear him pacing around in the living area, giving orders on the phone. There is way too much to do still and not enough time to get it all done. If I could, I would split myself in half and try to get twice as much done as a single me ever could.

Knowing that I'll probably be working all day and not get a single minute to freshen up before the exhibition, I scrub my body viciously, use a bit too much hairspray to force my curled hair into submission and apply an extra layer of make-up. I make a mental note to put my deodorant and face powder into my purse and take a deep breath before joining Alex in the living area.

He acknowledges me with the hint of a nod, listening intently to whomever he's talking to on the phone. I grab my purse off the coffee table and quickly shove all the necessities for the day in. Next to my purse there's a to-go cup of coffee and a croissant waiting for me. I gratefully accept the coffee but can't even think about eating as my stomach is in knots.

"Are we ready for the day?" Alex asks, shoving his phone into his jeans pocket. For a second I wonder how he manages to squeeze his phone in there as his dark jeans are that sort of skinny that looks like it would allow no room for a huge smartphone.

"Arya?" He snaps me out of it and I realize I must have been staring at his crotch with a confused expression.

"Sorry. Yeah, I'm ready." My voice comes out cracked and shaky as I blush. Alex lifts one brow at me but shakes his head and turns toward the door.

"We should really get going. They're waiting for us at the gallery already."

"Wait, Alex," I stop him before he can open the door. "I've been thinking about what you said... about staying here."

I now have his attention as he fully turns towards me and crosses his arms in front of his chest. Taking a deep breath, I brace myself for what's to come.

"I'm not staying. I really appreciate the offer but I can't stay here." I am prepared to go into detail, apologize and make sure that he doesn't get mad at me but he cuts me off with a sigh and another shake of his head. I'm not sure if it is annoyance or disappointment on his face but whatever it is, I can tell that my answer is less than satisfactory.

"Well, I'm not making you stay. Your flight leaves tomorrow morning as we discussed. Be ready. I'll have a car pick you up and drive you to the airport so don't worry about that but now we really have to get going."

As I enter the hotel lobby, I catch of glimpse of the outside world. I had been too busy getting ready that I hadn't looked outside at all. It snowed! Although I thought it impossible, it's even colder outside than it was yesterday. The buildings are covered in white. Light penetrates the slight flurry and this couldn't be more beautiful. A true winter wonderland. 

There's a loud honk and I jump. That was a clear sign:

Stop enjoying yourself and get the hell to work!

I scurry into the car, trying not to slip on snow and ice.

Once I am inside, Alex is all business. The whole day is spent organizing, talking to the other artists and adding the finishing touches to the gallery. I am exhausted but the later it gets, the more adrenaline pumps through my veins. Any worried thoughts are banned from my brain and I try to ignore the nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that something's wrong. For once I need to ignore my intuition and just do as I'm told.