“Thank you, Stella,” Damian said, looking my way. “For believing he deserved another chance. For believing I did, too.”
I moved over to him and wiped his tears away. “Merry Christmas, Damian.”
“I’m falling for you,” he replied, the words somersaulting off his tongue. “Sorry.” He grimaced. Then he paused and shook his head. “Wait, no. I’m not sorry. I’m happy to know you, and I’m lucky to be around you. You’re ridiculous and kind, and I am falling for you. You’re beautiful and funny, and I am falling for you. You’re my first thought in the morning and the last one at night, and I am falling for you. Stella…” He held Milo in one arm and gently caressed my cheek with his other hand. “I am falling for you.”
“I—”
“Wait.” He cleared his throat. “You don’t have to say anything back, just because I said it to you. You can wait. I know you got out of a relationship not that long ago, and I never want to pressure anyone to say any type of words to me and—”
“I’m not falling for you.” I took his free hand into mine. “I already completely fell.”
He pressed his forehead to mine and closed his eyes. “I didn’t know I could have this.”
“Have what?”
“You.”
My heart swooned in ways I didn’t know hearts could swoon.
“And Milo is ours?” he murmured as if he was still unsure if his new companion was real.
Ours.
Us.
We.
Cinderstella and the Beast.
“Yes,” I replied.
He kissed me, and his lips tasted a bit like dreams coming true.
“Can I show you my gift for you now?” he asked me.
“Yes.”
“Okay, but you need to put some shoes on, and I have to drive us there.”
I sat back, a bit shocked. “You’re going to drive?”
He smirked and cleared his throat. “I might have gotten my driver’s license a few days ago.”
“Damian! No, you didn’t!” I playfully slapped his arm.
He laughed. “Don’t cry.”
“I won’t.”
“You are.”
“I know.” I laughed, wiping my tears. “I’m so proud of you.”
He kept snickering, shaking his head toward me. “Let’s go. Milo can ride in your lap.”
After driving for about fifteen minutes he pulled up to a property.
He parked the car—with amazing driving skills, might I add—and looked up at the building. “I found this while I was showing a few clients some real estate properties. When I investigated it, I knew it was meant for you.”
“What do you mean it’s meant for me?”
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a key, and he placed it in my hand. “I bought you an art studio.”
My heart.
It flipped.
It twisted.
It soared.
“You what?”
“I mean, if you hate it—”
“You what?!” I exclaimed again, stunned by his words. “You bought me an art studio?!”
“Yeah. I know you don’t have as much space to work and figured since you’ll probably be doing a lot more commissions since your gallery show, you’d need the space to make it happen.”
“Damian.”
“Yes?”
“I adore you.”
He laughed and lifted Milo from his lap. “You haven’t even seen it yet. You might hate it.”
“There is literally no way in which I would ever hate this.” I started getting giddy and rubbing my hands. “Can we go look at it?”
“Of course.”
We headed inside, and right as I turned the doorknob, my heart got caught in my throat. It was beautiful, with so much natural light shining through the space. It was all painted white with floor-to-ceiling windows and had different stations where I could set up my supplies.
“It’s over three thousand square feet, and I figured you can have your own showcases here to display your artwork. You can have your fancy galas with your this-time-priced-correctly pieces. I made you a few business cards, too, over here. If you hate the design, you can change it, of course, but—”
I cut him off with my lips on his. He placed Milo down and then he pulled me into a hug.
“You like it?”
“I love it. I don’t deserve this.”
“You deserve everything good in this world, Stella.”
And just like that, the love for this man deepened within my soul.
After spending some time in the studio—my studio—we headed back home. Milo spent most of the day cuddled up between Damian and me. When nightfall came, we put Milo to bed and walked out toward the ocean.
Damian held my hand as we allowed the water to wash over our toes. In my mind, I thanked Kevin for bringing Damian into my life. Quietly, I told Mama how good it felt to be happy for maybe the first time in a long time.
I didn’t even have to wonder anymore if Damian felt the same way about me because every time he touched me, I knew.
We made love on Christmas morning and made love in the sand on Christmas night.
26
Stella
* * *
A few days after Christmas, I was still on a high from the holiday. Milo and Damian were inseparable, and every time I saw them together, my heart would soar. I spent the morning getting everything organized for my studio. I sat at my computer, making lists of things I’d need and deciding how I’d set up the space. There were so many possibilities for how the studio could be used, and I was more than excited to explore them all.
As I was sitting at my computer, I gasped when an email popped up. Followed by another. And another.
A flood of commissions began to hit my inbox, and I felt an overwhelming sense of excitement. “Oh my goodness,” I muttered. I rushed from the living room to see Damian, and without any lead-up, I shouted, “Five!”
He raised an eyebrow from his own work. “Five?”
“Sorry. Excited. I mean, firstly, before I explode, hi, how are you? How was your day?” I asked, trying to control my excitement.
He snickered a little. “Good and good. Now, tell me your news before you explode.”
“I got five commission pieces to do!” I did a little jig and clapped my heels together as I jumped.
His eyes widened in shock as he stood from his desk. “Holy shit, that’s amazing!”
“I know. I mean, I just put up my website, and I hardly promote it on social media. So I’m just blown away that it’s even happening.”
“You’re amazing. It’s not shocking that people are taking note of it.”
I felt my cheeks heat a little as they always did whenever Damian paid me a compliment. “I know it’s not a lot. I mean, people probably get a lot more projects than that and—”
“No.”
I raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean, no?”
“I mean, no, we aren’t going to do this.”
“Do what?”
“Diminish your excitement about how big of an accomplishment this is.” He walked around his desk, then he sat on the edge of it and crossed his arms as he looked at me. “We should celebrate tonight. Let me take you out to dinner.”