A Twist of Fate (Complete)

Ch. 46 - A Serious Talk & Christmas Day

The thought of having to choose between Keaton and her dream broke her heart and Everly dropped her head into her hands and started to cry. 

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked softly, stepping closer and pulling her hands away from her face.

"Keaton," she said, raising her watery eyes and looking up into his. "My dream has been to open an art gallery in New York City since I was a little girl and I've spent so many years plotting and planning how I'm going to run it. I worked my ass off to earn a scholarship to NYU so I could get my art degree and make it happen. I even gave up Brad for it when we had been dating for four years. I love you so much, but I can't give up on my dream. I just can't," she said, feeling her eyes filling up with tears again. "But I don't want to lose you either. That's the last thing I want. I don't want to have to choose between you."

"I'm not asking you to give up your dream for me. I would never do that. I'm not a selfish asshole like Brad. I want you to be happy and have everything you've ever dreamed of," he said, taking her hands and looking down into her eyes. "What if we compromise? Maybe you could open up your art gallery in London instead? Art's extremely popular here, probably even more than it is in New York, and we're just a two and half hour train ride from Paris, the art capital of the world. Your paintings would sell for a LOT of money there."

She thought about it and let out an exhale. "I don't know," she said hesitantly. "I've always pictured my gallery being in New York City."

"Well you could always do what my father does. He's got part of his company in New York and part of it here in London. He just hires people he can trust to run the New York offices for him and he meets with them virtually and flies there to visit from time to time. Maybe you could do the same, have a gallery in New York City and one in London."

She considered it for a minute and finally said, "Yeah, I guess you're right. That could work."

Right then they heard a ding as the ride ended and the doors slid open, allowing the people to exit. Keaton took Everly's hand in his and they started walking out and she looked up and noticed a light snow starting to fall. The flakes were huge and they were falling so slowly that it looked like something off of a Christmas card.

They walked down the sidewalk that was lit up by antique streetlamps and Keaton told her, "You have to see the view from the middle of the London Bridge."

"Okay," she nodded, as he pulled her hand that way. There was a lot of traffic and crowds of people walking back and forth on the side of the bridge on a walking path. 

When they got to the middle of it, they stopped and looked out, seeing the city of London around them lit up by Christmas lights. He was right. The view from up here was pretty incredible. He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on the top of her head. 

"It's really beautiful," she said quietly, tilting her head back against his chest and taking it all in with an exhale. She just wished London wasn't so far away from home and so far from her family. They stayed there like that for a few minutes just holding each other in silence.

"Everly," Keaton finally said, loosening the hold of his arms around her. She turned around to face him and he looked down at her and said, "You've been really quiet ever since I told you about moving to London. Tell me what you're thinking.."

She took in a deep breath and let it out, looking down at the ground for a few seconds, thinking. She finally raised her eyes again and looked up into his. 

"I'm a planner. I always have been and moving to London is just so different from the way I've always pictured my life going that it's going to take me a while to adjust and get used to the idea. I mean, just a few months ago I had my entire life planned out," she said with an exhale. "Before everything changed."