Page 51 of Faking It with My Bossy Ex

“I don’t know yet. Originally, I was heading out tomorrow, but because of the snowstorm and some changes, my plans are flexible. How about you?”

“I haven’t decided yet.” She looks over to where Jake and Tyler are sitting towards the front with their friends. “My brothers being here, I think they’d like to spend Christmas together.”

“You put up the last painting for sale.” I have to bring it up. I saw how she looked at it back at the cabin like it was a part of her.

“Yeah. I thought about it for a while, and even though I love that painting, I came here with the intention to say goodbye to it for the fundraiser.” She smiles, though sadness touches her expression. “It’s for the best.”

Before I can answer, Mr. Anthony, the man who was selected to handle the closing ceremony, takes the makeshift stage and taps the microphone.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am so happy to see such a great turnout this evening. Why don’t we get started with some of our smaller auction items?” He brings out some of the smaller things while people finish getting situated and finding their chairs.

As he starts to call out the winners, the people who won the bid walk up to the front of the stage. I told him to save mine for last.

Each time he calls a name, my heart jumps in my chest.

“I wonder if it sold. When I went through the hall, there wasn’t a single bid.” Amy’s voice has a nervous shake to it.

“Are you talking about the skating painting? That’s your best one, in my opinion.” Her eyes get big, and she parts her lips.

“You don’t have to say that just because I love it.” She tucks a strand of her perfectly silken hair behind her ear. “I understand that it won’t mean that much to everyone else.”

“It means a lot to me. That day on the pond, I still remember it like it was yesterday. You were so breathtaking I couldn’t focus on skating at all. I could only think about you, how to get closer to you, and what it might be like to kiss you.” My gaze drops to her lips, then right back up to her eyes. No one is paying attention to us. They’re all too focused on what’s going on up front, clapping and cheering for every winner of every bid.

“I couldn’t think about skating either,” Amy says breathlessly.

“Up next, we have one of our last items, but certainly not our least. This item brought in more money than any other tonight, at fifty thousand dollars.” A collective gasp goes up around the room, and Amy’s attention is yanked off me as she turns in her seat to peer up at the front of the room.

Mr. Anthony holds up a familiar painting of two young teenagers staring into each other’s eyes as they skate around the pond, hopelessly in love.

Chapter 25

Amy

I must have heard wrong.

There’s no way that someone paid fifty thousand dollars for my painting. My chest squeezes and my breath comes in short bursts. What is going on?

I’m elated and overjoyed that it sold and at such a generous price. Why is there a tiny poke of sadness in my heart? Maybe because that painting has been where I can see it at all times for the past eight years. It’s a part of me, and letting go of it was part of my journey.

“Would the new owner of this painting put their number up, please? Leo? There’s no last name.” Mr. Anthony clutches the microphone and gazes out across the crowd.

My heart pounds. I must have heard wrong. Leo? He can’t meanmyLeo.

“Leo? Are you here?” Mr. Anthony shakes his head. “It seems Mr. Leo is not here at the moment. As for all of the items that are not verified, they can be paid for and picked up from the donors at the end of the event.”

Movement at my side makes me turn. Dylan starts to stand with a wink.

“There's something I want to say before the end.” He smiles that smile, then hurries past me to the stage. I can't help but follow him with my eyes.

Goodness, keeping my distance from him has been absolute torture lately. When he's not around, there's this silly little ache in my chest that just keeps growing. It's like he's the only one who makes sense in this crazy world.

He asks Mr. Anthony for a moment with the microphone while I watch someone whisk my painting off the stage.

Who bought it? Curiosity is killing me. I pull out my phone and open my email.

Urgent

Are you here in Snowfall Springs?

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