Page 55 of Blue Gold

Elliot looked up from the necklace; his brows scrunched up while his eyes glittered with tears. “This is the most precious thing I have ever received,” he said, pressing the necklace to his heart. “I will cherish it forever.”

An immense sense of love settled deep in my chest, warming my body from the inside out. I wanted to live in this moment forever, but knowing I couldn’t, I asked, “Would you like to try it on?”

Elliot quickly shook his head, his eyes going back to the necklace. “No. I don’t want to waste wearing it the first time while I’m dressed like this.” He chuckled. “I want to be perfect when I wear it.”

I was about to tell him that he was always perfect when he’d already placed the necklace back in the box.

There would be other times.

With his bottom lip tucked under his teeth, he stayed quiet for a moment until he spoke. “Shouldn’t you get ready for the party now?”

“As a matter of fact, I should. We both should.”

“Y-yes.”

A smile that didn’t reach his eyes took over his lips before his stare dropped to the floor. Worried, I hooked my finger under his chin and nudged his head up.

“Do you not want to go?”

He shook his head, hesitation in his eyes. “I-it’s not that.”

“So what is it?”

He opened his mouth only to close it again, and the suspense was killing me.

Moving my hands to his waist, I pulled him closer.

“What is it that’s bothering you?”

He held my stare, and the worry on his face pained me.

“Claudia, she wanted to introduce me to someone tonight.”

Suddenly, my heart rate increased, but I kept calm. “She does. She wants you to meet figures from the industry so it will help you with your modeling career.” Instead of saying anything, Elliot remained silent, so I went on. “Isn’t it something you wanted?”

His eyes searched mine for a second before his brows pulled tight with worry. “What if it will make you like me less?”

His confession moved me, but knowing it came out of fear made me cup his face in my palms and hold him close.

“This decision shouldn’t be about me, Elliot.”

“But you get jealous when someone looks at me, and I—” His breath hitched. “I don’t want you to hurt.”

And while he was right, considering I didn’t want anyone else but me to admire him, I couldn’t be that selfish. Not with him.

With my thumbs caressing his soft cheeks, I smiled at him. “Like I said, this isn’t a decision regarding me but you and only you, Elliot. If you want to be a model, then do it. Talk to Claudia’s friend and start chasing your dreams.”

He leaned closer. “What if I want to keep working as your chef?” His lips curved up in a nervous smile. “You will need a private chef back home, too, right? You like my food, and I get along with Maya⁠—”

I cut his rush of words off with a tight embrace, which he quickly submitted to. With his face nestled in my chest and his arms wrapped around me, I held him tight.

“I would love for you to stay with me, but only if it’s truly what you want.”

He nodded. “It is. I just want to stay close to you.”

When Claudia had brought up the idea to my mom, I was terribly scared Elliot would leave. Learning that he shared my fears made me more comfortable in my feelings for him. And while I knew him staying as our private chef wasn’t a realistic solution for the long term, I’d have to think about it later. For now, I had him by my side.

With champagne flowing freely and Beluga caviar being carried around by the pounds, my parents’ Fourth of July party was in full swing. Just as expected, it was an A-list-only event that went from movie stars to famous singers, politicians, bankers, and other millionaires, all here to enjoy and celebrate the luxury of life. With the men dressed in black tuxes and the women in evening gowns, it was hard to tell us apart. Which was rather funny, given the fact that each outfit cost a fortune, only to end up looking the same.