Pure Belleza | ✔️

(74)

It had been two weeks since I came back to New York. I ended up spending one extra week in California so that I could hang out with Spencer and Nathan, as well as Flynn. Since I'd been here, Flynn and I hadn't spoken a lot at all. We'd exchanged a few texts here and there but for the most part, we were taking this space thing seriously. I was surprised to find how well I was handling it.

Although, I had been occupied with my lawyer, Bex. She would be representing me when I take the stand tomorrow and so far, she'd been an absolute blessing. She was in her late thirties with short cropped, white blonde hair, sharp cheekbones and golden brown skin. She reminded me of a blonde Halle Berry. She wanted nothing more than to see justice served and I truly felt as though she cared. It made a big difference to how I felt going into all of this.

I trusted her. She hadn't said it out loud, but I could tell this was personal to her.

It was Sunday night and Amalia, Max and I were at the Delgado's for dinner. Arpita, Bernie's friend had just been and collected her Sari for her sister's wedding, which began tomorrow, and she could not have been happier. We'd updated our Instagram page with a photo of the happy customer and no surprise, Bernie was being praised for her gorgeous designs. We were at ten thousand followers now.

Before, I would have been obsessing over that. I would have been obsessing over each new follower we gained. I would have been obsessing over the likes and comments on the photos, wanting more, hoping for approval and finding worth in the compliments. Now, it was a different surge of excitement. It was the pride that I had in Bernie and the thrill of watching her business grow. But it wasn't that desperate longing and finding self worth in the numbers, it was peaceful.

"Uh, sir," Max said to Elias. He was beside me, Amalia beside him and on the other side of the table was Kiara, Elias and Bernie. "I was wondering if I could close the New York store tomorrow? For the afternoon?"

Elias furrowed his brows. "For what?"

"Oh," Max looked at me. "It's—"

"I'm testifying in court tomorrow," I filled in so that Max didn't have to feel as though he was exposing me. "Against Avery Hale."

His mouth parted and he nodded with understanding. "Sí. Of course. Just tomorrow. One day is no trouble."

"Thank you, sir," Max said.

Amalia leaned around him and pouted. "I wish I could be there. You know that right?"

"Stop," I tipped my head back. "You do not need to stress. It's fine. I understand."

Amalia couldn't get off work because her partner at the parlour was in Australia with his wife and child. She couldn't shut it either because people had prepaid bookings. It really didn't upset me but she seemed to shoulder some major guilt, as if I felt unsupported. I did not.

"Nattie and I would really like to go," Bernie said, spoon full of soup hovering in front of her hopeful smile. "Can we?"

Elias stared at her. "Nattie is none of my business. She can ask her own papá."

Bernie rolled her eyes. "Obviously. Can I go?"

"Sure."

"I'll be thinking of you," Kiara said.

"Thank you all," I nodded and hoped that the conversation would change pace. The fact that I would be in court tomorrow, in the same room as Avery, speaking up about what he put me through, well, it was sending my stomach into my throat whenever I thought about it.

To say that I was nervous was an understatement. The nausea was the worst and it meant that I was struggling to eat. I stirred the soup in front of me and picked at the bread but my knotted mess of a stomach wouldn't allow me to have more than a bite once every five minutes. Max nudged me.