Chapter 17

We finish our breakfast and I head out, when I checked the time is was 9:15 I asked Ben to meet me downstairs so he could drive me to the gallery then come back for Dastan, by the time I get to the gallery from the mansion it’s 9:40, I am obviously the first to arrive so I let myself in and lock the door behind me.

I get to my office and fetch my phone from my bag and I see I have Eleven missed call which are all from my brothers, I slump back into my chair and release a breath before deciding on which of them to call back first, okay Troy my baby brother would probably be the most dramatic of the three, Thorne would be the most domineering as the eldest so we will go with Thristan.

I take a deep breath and hit the call button on his number and he picks up on the second ring.

Well hello their baby sister

H-hey Tris

I hear a bit of shuffling in his background then some whispered bickering before an ow.

Storm Burgesse! My eldest brothers voice booms through the phone making me jump and almost dropping my phone.

Hi Thorney

Don’t hi Thorney me Storm, how come you’re engaged and your brothers have to learn of it along with the rest of the world?!

I-I I’m sorry Thorney, I was just so caught up in my moment and it truly didn’t dawn on me that the the media was there taking pictures and recording.

And what about last night after you got home hmm? Went straight to the sheets then knocked out okay but what about all morning this morning?

........ I’m sorry Thorne

Don’t tell me you’re still hiding the facts of who you truly are from the man Storm Burgesse! You said yes to marrying him! That means he’d be marrying into us! And he still has no idea you have a family!

...... I’ll find the right time to tell him I promise

The right time to tell him has passed, it passed the moment you decided this man was the one you wanted Six years ago! You are six years in, what on earth is keeping you back from telling him the truth? It is because you’re afraid of his reaction of being lied to all these years Storm, you know it’s wrong! Look how long it’s been since we’ve seen you and been able to spend time with you just to help you keep this farce up!

.....I have no words, no rebuttal as shames washes over me, I don’t mean to but I sob as tears spill from my eyes, not from my brothers harshness but from the weight of his words as he speaks nothing but the truth.

Look what you did Thorne, you made her cry

I didn’t mean to, it was not my intent I was just being honest, I am sorry if I hurt your feelings Storm but it really is time you get yourself together, because now that it’s hit the media it is only a matter of time before someone from our city sees and recognizes you, who do you want him to learn the truth from? You or an outsider? Think about that, we need to go, I love you.

I love you too

We love you too Stormfly! I let out a cry laugh when I hear my little brothers voice come through before the call ends.

I lay my head down on my desk and cry some more before pulling myself together and washing my face in the bathroom when I hear voices from outside my office door, the others must have arrived.

My door creeks open as I leave the bathroom ah Stormie is here already, she is? Dom’s head peaks through above Mercedes yeah she’s here, alright folks shall we get to work? Yes ma’am!

We spend the entire morning cleaning and packaging the art pieces that were bought last night so we could get them shipped out to the buyers in a timely manner.

After huddling together on the floor of the gallery and having our lunch together and chat a bit we get back to work to finish up and throw all the garbage away.

It looks so empty now, we’re going to have to close for a while Stormie

Why do you think so?

I suppose it’s because most of our pieces were sold and the walls are mostly empty

Don’s sass me Malachai, there’s more than enough painting and other things to bring from my private storage and put in the gallery.

His eyes light up really? Can we go have a look now please?

I suppose you’ve earned the right to see what my collection looks like, alright then let’s go and bring the trollies so we can load them up one time.

Okay!

He jogs over to the back room and gets the trollies and everyone follows me, I get my key from my bag and we get into the lift up to my collection room, I unlock the door and switch the lights on.

Holy mother of paintings! Stormie! Why did you keep all these things here and not auction them last night?!