Page 81 of Fake-Off with Fate
“You did buy me,” I remind her.
“I did.” She gestures for me to sit down.
Sliding into the booth across from her, I ask, “What are you doing here?”
“Aren’t we on a date?” She looks confused.
“What are you doing back in Maple Falls? I thought you didn’t plan on returning.”
“I didn’t, but I changed my mind.”
“Why?” I want to know.
She lowers her eyes until she’s looking at the table. “I forgot something,”
“Your clothes?” I ask.
She shakes her head.
“Your toothbrush?”
Her eyes suddenly meet mine. “I forgot that I was starting to believe in fate.”
I quirk an eyebrow in response, so she continues, “I got to thinking that a lot of events had to occur for you and me to find ourselves in Maple Falls at the same time.”
She doesn’t give me a chance to respond. Instead, she says, “Allegra isn’t the woman for you, Jamie.”
While I know this, I still feel the need to ask, “Why do you say that?”
“Because I am. I think I’m the woman for you.”
Well, what do you know? I did not see this coming, but I want to hear it from her. “Is that so?”
“I know you were with her at the lodge, and you didn’t let yourself be auctioned off because you’re back with her, but it’s the wrong decision, Jamie. She’s hurt you before, and she’ll do it again.”
I sit silently for a moment before announcing, “Allegra and I are not back together.”
Ashlyn looks disbelieving. “What do you mean you’re not back together? I saw you at the auction with her.”
I take a sip from the water glass in front of me before telling her, “We weren’t together.”
“She was sitting right next to you,” Ashlyn says accusingly.
“That’s because she’s been in town since the day after you left. She’s been stalking me in order to get me to change my mind about going back to New York with her. She was waiting for me when I showed up at the auction and she followed me in.”
Ashlyn doesn’t seem to know what to believe, so I tell her, “My heart hasn’t been on the market since the night I met you.”
Her upper lip quivers with emotion. “That wasn’t a date.”
“Maybe not, but I knew deep down my life would never be the same.”
“Because of me?” She blinks her green eyes, setting loose a single tear.
“Because of you, Ashlyn. I never wanted you to leave Maple Falls, and when you did, I wanted to go with you. There hasn’t been a minute where you haven’t been on my mind.”
Reaching her hands across the table, she gently touches my forearms. “Are you serious? You want to date me? Even after you told me you weren’t interested in dating anyone?”
“I want to date you, Ashlyn. I want to date you very much.”
