Chapter 61

EMILIA

The silence makes my skin crawl.

I anxiously drum my fingers against the railing, while Adrian stays quiet on the other end. It takes a few long, fumbling seconds before I finally hear him breathe out, “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Um—shit. Sorry. I just… wasn’t expecting this. At all.” He sounds like he’s scrambling, words tripping over each other. “How are you? Wait—no, is that even the right thing to ask? Should I still call you Emily? Or it’s Emilia now, right? God, I’m messing this up, aren’t I?”

“Adrian,” I laugh softly, almost despite myself. The awkwardness in his voice is achingly familiar. Some things really don’t change. “Emily, Emilia—it doesn’t matter. And you can relax. My parents still don’t know you’re the one with the rest of his sculptures.”

I hear the nervousness leave him all at once, like a balloon deflating. “Oh. Well… that’s a relief.”

“Did I catch you at a bad time?” I ask, guilt creeping in. “I can call back later if—”