Page 91 of Center of Gravity
Two months later.
Ihad trouble finding a parking spot and ended up wedged between a massive Escalade and a few traffic cones marking off a large pothole outside the main entrance of Holly Brook College.
The campus was quiet for a Friday night—at least the quad I was walking through was. The Arts building was sheltered off to the side of the main entrance by thick boughs of oak and Bald Cypress trees, with a cobblestone path leading up to the main doorway. Pulling the invitation from my coat pocket, I double checked that I was in the right place, as if the trickle of people through the door wasn’t enough of a clue. I was nervous, my mouth dry. I’d spoken to Alex intermittently since the funeral—a couple of brief, how-are-you-doing conversations that got longer over time, but always stuck within certain friendly parameters, or a few texts to check in. I was determined to let him lead, show him I still wanted to be connected without putting pressure on him. But, I’d only seen him once in those two months. I’d stayed the weekend on Nook Island a couple weeks back and was out for a jog with Winslow when I’d spotted the moving truck. As we’d gotten closer, Alex had come out of a house, his lanky frame weighed down with boxes that he stacked at the end of the truck, pausing to blow in his hands to warm them.
Winslow had started yipping and yanked on the leash. Alex looked up then, his honeyed gaze landing on me, doing all sorts of terrible things to my heart and body. His smile was conflicted, at first seemed reluctant and then became warm and welcoming. By the time he’d leaned down to scratch Winslow into a ceasefire of barking, it was a full-on magnetic grin that made my heart feel as if I was still sprinting down the pavement. Our conversation hadn’t been particularly meaningful, but I could tell he was doing better, that the shroud of grief was lifting. When I’d finally tugged on Winslow’s leash so Alex could carry on with the move, he’d said he’d like to get a drink with me sometime. Instead, a week later I’d gotten an invitation to his senior show.
Just inside the entrance of the gallery, I stepped off to the side to make room for the others coming in. Candles suffused the room with the scent of magnolias in bloom, and there were tables draped in cloth and festooned with hors d’oeuvres. Sculptures congregated in staggered groupings and covered the walls, and though I tried to feign interest in my surroundings, I really only cared about Alex’s work. I found it flanked by some geometric shapes that appeared to be carved from marble, and a series of abstract pieces made up of yarn. Or what looked like yarn. I was too out of my element to know otherwise.
Alex leaned against one of the nearby walls, his shirtsleeves rolled to his elbows, a clear plastic cup of champagne in his hand with bubbles that tilted when he laughed at something the guy standing beside him was saying. Alex appeared at ease, gut-wrenchingly handsome, and when the guy next to him leaned in to brush a kiss over his cheek before drifting off, a jolt of jealousy ran through me.
I touched the collar of my shirt, tugged at the sleeve of my coat, and started forward. Spotting me, Alex pushed off the wall, his expression brightening with a magnificent smile as he set his drink on a table in passing.
“You came.”
“You knew I would,” I countered.
There was an awkward moment of shuffling and indecision between a handshake and hug that ended with a light embrace. Much lighter than I wanted it to be.
“I brought a date,” I said, and was pleased when his expression dimmed.
He recomposed himself and pasted his smile back in place. “That’s great. I look forward to meeting him.” The lack of enthusiasm in his voice made me smile.
“Her,” I corrected. “My sister’s in town.”
In a flash, his features warmed again and he grinned broadly. “The yang.”
“The yang, yes. And theyangis always late. I left her at the house looking for an earring. She does always eventually show up, though,” I assured him, sketching a glance toward the doorway.
“Do you want a drink and then I can show you around?”
“Absolutely.” I wanted anything he offered to me, but mostly I wanted his presence.
We stopped at one of the tables for champagne and then Alex led me through the different exhibits, his hand tucked inside the crook of my elbow, leaning close when he gave explanations about the pieces. I listened and tried to appear attentive to every place he pointed, but it was hard to drag my gaze away from his profile, the way his mouth moved when he spoke, the energy of his gestures.
Along the way, we met up with his mom and Lainey.
“Did you bring Winslow?” She gave me a hopeful smile.
“I did, but he’s at home.”
“Does he have any friends?”
“Er…” I wasn’t sure where this was going. “Winslow’s not exactly a social butterfly.” Whenever I took him to the dog park, he ran around snarling and chasing other dogs from whatever arbitrary patch of grass he deemed his kingdom.
Lainey wasn’t dissuaded, though. “Good, because Miley needs friends.”
“And Miley is?” I glanced over at Alex.
“My new puppy. She’s a boxer, so she’s going to be pretty big.”
I laughed. I could see how a meeting between Winslow and Miley would go. “Well maybe she can knock Winslow down a few pegs. Next time I’m in town, I’ll let your mom know and I can bring him over, see how they get along?”
She bounced excitedly and nodded.
We found Summer once we’d made our way back to Alex’s exhibit. She was bending over the placard in front of the piece Alex had titledSparrow.I made introductions and Summer promptly usurped Alex’s attention, chattering about the way he’d used certain elements in the piece. She was the more cultured of the two of us, but I loved watching Alex’s face light up, the satisfaction and pride I could detect as he answered her questions and talked about why he’d chosen a certain object or medium. I was content to linger on the periphery and watch them.
Linda sidled up next to me. “I knew he’d finish.” She bent her chin close to me, keeping her voice low. “He told me at first he wasn’t going to, but I knew he would.”