Page 52 of Faking It with My Bossy Ex

No answer. He’s probably working, in a meeting somewhere, and of all the people that decided to come to this event, someone else must be named Leo and purchased my painting for a ridiculous amount.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Dylan’s confident voice fills the space, quieting the soft murmured conversations and chattering. “Planning this event was a real pleasure. Especially considering that not only did we come up with the planned amount of money, but we went over by sixty thousand dollars.”

A collective cheer goes around the room, and I clap along with them.

If Leo was here, why wouldn’t he just talk to me and finally meet me, instead of keeping his identity a secret? Why go through all of the trouble to buy my painting?

“I also want to say I couldn’t have done it without my trusty helper, Amy. Let’s have a round of applause for her.” He holds his hand out toward me, and everyone claps and cheers. I think I'm going to die of embarrassment.

“She's a lot more than a pretty face and a killer assistant.” Dylan takes a deep breath. “She’s the love of my life. Eight years ago, I made a horrible mistake and let her walk away. I didn’t realize how much I was missing until I ran into her again.” His eyes find mine, holding me in their orbit, staring into my soul.

My cheeks are burning so hot they could roast marshmallows. I’m pretty sure my heart just skipped a beat—or five. Did he justsay ...? In front of everyone? Every nerve in my body is short circuiting. Is this real life or a romcom? And why is he staring at me like I’m the only person in this room?

“You might be wondering, why did she leave in the first place? That was on me. I made a terrible mistake. I thought I was doing the right thing, but actually did the worst possible thing.” Everyone is watching Dylan with all of their attention.

“I broke her heart. Working with her has made me realize that I can’t stay away and regret losing her for the rest of my life. All I can do now is accept my mistakes and hope that, somehow, she can find it in her heart to forgive me.”

He’s up there, taking the heat for everything he did. He owned up to it. No excuses, no blame. Just … vulnerability, laid bare for everyone to see. I’ve spent so long resenting him, thinking he didn’t care, and now here he is, spilling it all. I didn’t know he had this in him. Part of me wants to run, but another part wants to run straight into his arms.

“One more thing. Since I am so infatuated with Miss Amy Bennett, it only makes sense I am also in love with her art. She donated several great pieces to the auction, though one of them was certainly far superior to the rest, and I had the honor of purchasing it. Could someone bring it back out here, and could I get a chance for a picture with the artist?” His eyes find mine again, urging me to come up and join him.

Should I? Can I not?

My legs have a mind of their own as I stand and make my way to the front. I feel like I am a spectator of my body as it walks forward. The room blurs as I walk. My gaze locked on Dylan. My heart’s pounding so hard I’m half-afraid it’ll drown out whatever he’s about to say next. Everyone’s watching, but it’s like he and I are the only two people in this room. How am I supposed to process this?

What painting did he buy? It makes me wonder what painting he considers the most beautiful. Mr. Anthony comes back on stage with the painting. As he turns the frame around, my breath gets stuck in my throat.

There’s no way …

Glistening white snow. Two pairs of skates, to young kids in love. The skating painting. He bought it. For fifty thousand dollars, and he called himself …

“Leo?” My voice is barely a whisper. I’m barely a foot away from Dylan, and yet it feels too close and too far away all at once.

“I know you have a lot going on right now and a lot to figure out, but the truth is, I love you. I’ve never stopped loving you. Being back near you, you’re like a magnet, and as much as I knew I probably should, I can’t let you walk away again. This doesn’t make up for anything, but I hope it shows how much you mean to me.”

He turns back to the rapt crowd. “Thank you everyone, for donating to the fundraiser, and for giving me this moment.”

He leads me off the stage in a daze, off to the side door of the room, and out of the hall. The noise fades until it’s just us, lost in a quiet bubble where nothing else exists.

“You’re Leo?” My voice cracks.

Chapter 26

Dylan

“I’m Leo.”

So maybe revealing who I really am up on stage was not the best idea.

“I’m sorry. I never meant for it to happen. I promise I told myself I’d leave you alone, let you live your life. Then one day, I saw one of your paintings. I bought it and you sent me a thank you email.”

The day is fresh as rain in my head, and I think about it often.

“I thought we could be friends.”

“So for the past almost six years, you’ve been myfriend?”

“Yes. It was never supposed to be more than that. Then we ran into each other here, and …” I shake my head. “Please don’t be mad.”

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