Page 53 of Faking the Face Off

I glance at Mia, who squeezes my hand under the table.

The waitress drops the check on the table, and I grab it before anyone else can. “I’ve got it.”

Les waves me off. “Stop it, kid.”

“Nope, allow me,” I reply. “Thank you for telling us. Can I ask where you saw him?”

I can feel Mia’s eyes searing a hole into me as she watches my every move. She knows why I’m asking. I need to brace myself, and possibly Anna, for him to appear suddenly.

“I have my own limo service, chauffeuring. I picked him up at the airport when he landed from Boston.” He chuckles. “He was as surprised to see me as I was to see him.”

“Where did he have you take him?” Mia asks, tentatively.

“That’s the thing. He wasn’t happy with me when he left my car. He booked me to take him to a casino on the other side of Richmond, but instead, I took him to Harmony Hills.”

I almost spit out my water. “The rehab?”

Les nods. “I let him out and told him if he wants to ever have a crack at living again, he needs to think about checking in there. Then I took his money for the ride and left him.”

My lips twitch. “That’s the best place he could be.”

“If he stays,” Les says, while Mia nods in agreement.

“Do you think he’s hit rock bottom?”

“Kid, he looked it.” Les shrugs, stretching his hands out in front of him. As he does, I notice his fingertips are stained yellow, probably from a gluttonous amount of cigarettes over the years. One thing I learned from the guys at GA is that leavingbehind gambling, and usually drinking, some of them will have smoking as the only vice left. And boy do they hold onto it as long as they can. “I pray it was his rock bottom so he can start going up from here.”

Mia lets out a rush of air. “Well, only time will tell. His MO is to get in touch with Ollie, usually to ask for money.”

“When he does, Ollie, stick to your guns.” Les looks at Mia. “You, too. And warn your siblings, even your mom. He could come knocking on everyone’s door. I’m glad you both agreed to see me. I know it’s…a lot.”

The three of us peel ourselves from our seats in the booth and rise to leave. Mia and I exchange a look, and for the first time all morning, I feel a flicker of something that might be hope.

As we step outside into the crisp morning air, I glance back at the café, the weight of Les’s advice settling into place. My dad’s path is his own, but mine? Mine is to keep moving forward. And right now, that means talking to someone about all of this. I want this person to hear me, to tell her about what just happened, and I want to hear what she has to say, too.

I want to find Anna.

CHAPTER 18

ANNA

Iwalk into the executive offices with a stack of paperwork for the suits, feeling lighter than I have in a while. The morning has been busy, but things are finally starting to fall into place, and there’s a bit of an extra skip in my step. It’s not just because I’m getting things done—it’s Ollie.

He’s back, yet we’ve only managed to text so far. All I want is to see him, to give him a big hug and welcome him home, and it feels…nice? I’ve noticed in our conversations while he’s been gone that he’s not just talking about hockey or pushing himself for the game anymore. It’s for me. I can feel it in the way he threads subtle mentions of his games into our conversations or in the glint in his eye when I catch him looking at me when we’ve FaceTimed, like he’s silently asking,Are you watching?It’s a deliberate kind of charm, an intentional effort, and I know exactly what it is:Ollie Decker is wooing me.

The thought sends a spark of warmth through me, one that clings even as I head down the hall. There’s something undeniably thrilling about being the focus of his attention—knowing that all his talent and charm, all that easy confidence, is being directed at me. It’s a heady feeling, almost dizzying, like standing at the edge of something I don’t fully understand yet.But one thing is clear: Ollie isn’t trying to impress me anymore; he’s showing me that I’m worth the effort. And that thought stays with me, making the day a little brighter.

Sutton spots me as I approach Jimmy’s office, her face lighting up when she sees me. “Hey, you. What are you doing here?”

I smile, adjusting the papers in my hands. “Dropping off some stuff on Ben’s behalf. He’s behind on admin and out of the loop on a few things since they were out of town.”

Sutton gives me a knowing look. “And because Ben doesn’t like Jimmy, huh?”

I laugh, shaking my head. “Nailed it.”

Her eyes widen slightly, then she chuckles. “Well, you can bring those papers to me. I’m glad you’re here, saves me a phone call.” As I step into the office to hand over the papers, Sutton follows me in, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed. “You know, that fake-dating thing you’ve got going on is really working.”

I raise an eyebrow, surprised. “Oh yeah?”

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