Page 71 of Faking the Face Off

“No,” she argues, waving me off. “It’s vulnerable and romantic, and it’s the kind of thing girls talk about foryears.”

“Years,” I repeat flatly.

“Decades.” She smiles, all proud of herself. “You’re welcome.”

I shake my head. “Mia, no. I’m not doing any of those. But thanks for your input.”

“You’re making a mistake,” she says, throwing her hands in the air. The sound of the bell attached to the front door chiming alerts us that a customer has come in. Mia shoves the paper in my hands. “Here. Look it over and we’ll circle back as soon as I’m done with this person.”

I watch as she walks away, shoulders high and so sure of her ideas. Only the more I stare at Mia’s scribbled notes, anxiety begins to creep its way through my system. It’s a ripple effect beginning at the top of my head and spreading down through me like a bolt of lightning.

If anyone knows Anna well enough to plan a “grand gesture,” it’s me. But nothing on here, nothing at all that we’ve written down, sounds like her.

The bell rings again, signaling that the lone customer has retreated.

“You’re not feeling any of these, are you?” Mia walks by, screwing her face up as she picks up the sheet and starts to crumple it. “We can start a new list.”

“No.” I know what I need to do. It’s not about renting a truckload of fireworks and letting them off over the Riverwalk to prove something, nor is it about getting all of the guys on the team to practice for a flash mob, either—although, I’m gonna file that one away to try later, that’s for sure. It’s not about flooding her with flower deliveries (but, also filed away).

It’s about showing up how Anna would expect me to.

Mia holds up the half-crumpled paper, and I nod my head. “Go ahead and toss it.”

“You sure?”

When I point to the trash can, she shoots and scores, then spins around with hands on hips. “Okay, so what’s the plan?”

I take the pen and a piece of paper from the counter and start making my own list. Mia squeezes next to me, ooohing and ahhing as I write down each item, giving me her sisterly okay. When I’m done, I take the list and literally split it into two by tearing it apart and handing her half.

“Do me a favor, and go get all of the things on there and then meet me at the arena tonight around seven.”

She raises her hand and salutes me like a soldier would a superior officer. “On it. Do you have time to get everything sorted on your list?”

I glance at it once more. “We’ve got a night practice at five, but I can do it. If I have any hiccups, I’ll let you know.”

“Okay,” Mia says, giving me a hug. She grabs her keys and shakes them in the air. “Let’s go get your girl.”

CHAPTER 25

ANNA

The River City Arena looms ahead of me, its sleek glass façade reflecting the streetlights and the beautiful full moon that explodes across the sky tonight. The place feels eerily quiet, stripped of its usual game-night craziness—no roaring fans, no blaring music, just the low hum of life in the off-hours. A few cars are scattered across the expansive parking lot, their dark shapes like punctuation marks against the wide, empty expanse of concrete.

I pull into a spot near the entrance and cut the engine, letting the silence settle around me for a beat. I scan the lot, looking for Ollie’s car. He said he’d meet me here, but so far, I don’t see him—or anyone else, for that matter.

There’s a soft thud as my sneakers smack against the pavement as I step out of the car, the late winter air biting at my cheeks. I glance around again, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear as I try to shake the nervous energy buzzing in my chest. Ollie isn’t exactly the punctual type, but still, I can’t help feeling like I’m being watched—or maybe it’s just the empty stillness of the place getting to me.

It’s been days since we’ve seen each other, and we’ve not spoken. Ollie was respectful: he’d done what I asked and gaveme the space that I needed. Standing here alone now, I’m ready to tell him where I stand, why I wanted to take a minute to stay still. Because it’s all starting to fall into place now. At least, for me it is. I know what I want, and I can only hope I haven’t scared him off.

I head toward the entrance, my footsteps echoing faintly in the quiet. If Ollie doesn’t show up soon, I’ll just text him. But for now, I keep looking, my breath puffing out in little clouds as I search for any sign of him.

“He could be meeting you here tonight so he can tell you it’s over, Anna,” I mutter to myself as I stand on the sidewalk, my head swiveling. Seriously. No sign of life.

“Excuse me, hi,” a voice calls out from behind. I pivot on my heel to find a pretty brunette with bright blue eyes holding a bouquet of flowers. “You’re Anna.”

There’s something about her that’s familiar, in a way that you can’t put your finger on, but youknowthem. As I look at her perfect smile, showing off the whitest teeth I’ve ever seen, a memory of a photo in Ollie’s house of him with his sisters rushes to mind.

“You’re Mia,” I say, walking to her, arms outstretched. As I lean in to hug her, she tries to hand me the flowers. There’s a confused moment where I go to take the flowers, but she comes in for a hug until we both laugh and finally wrap our arms around each other.

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