Page 128 of Mr. Picture Perfect
“Oh, I certainly won’t,” agreed my mom, “but Iwillput a bug in Reverend Trey’s ear, you’d better bet I will.”
Soon after that, Frankie announced the start of the auction, which everyone had most eagerly been waiting for all night. Then, to my surprise, Cole was ushered right back onto the stage, despite everyone having expected Dean to go first instead, honoring the usual order.
I was on the edge of my seat, staring at Cole.
And I knew it instantly: he had seen Anthony’s wound.
He was not okay.
“TJ …” I said under my breath, watching Cole. “He’s … He’s …”
“What?” murmured TJ back, distracted.
Frankie carried on blithely with the auction, Cole hooked to his arm, face pale and slick with sweat, his eyes unfocussed.
“Cole isn’t right,” I said. “He’s about to faint.”
TJ found that strange and almost laughed. “Huh? What do you mean faint? Why?”
Spotlights snapped on, shining on the two final men left in the bidding war.
I only now realized one of them was Mae’s brother.
Not only was Cole on the verge of fainting onstage with no one noticing except for a completely helplessmewho couldn’t do anything about it, but my own nightmare was playing out before my eyes.
It was Cole’s turn to be rescued.
He needed to be taken off of that stage.
He needed to be distracted from the nightmare that was quite likely playing out before his own eyes—a nightmare he didn’t understand, a nightmare born the day he came to my rescue, thefirsttime, when we were just kids playing in his backyard.
What could I possibly do from down here?
How was I going to help Cole?
“$800 going once …!” called Frankie.
I felt my stomach drop. I pried my phone out of my pocket and thumbed through my apps. I opened my savings account. My phone lagged—loading, loading, loading…
“$800 going twice …!” rang out Frankie’s voice over the mic.
All around me, his voice boomed like drums.
Going twice … going twice … going twice…
The number flashed before my eyes.
How much would I need to keep for bills? How much could I afford to part with? How can I possibly quantify how much Cole is worth against my own life savings?
I performed a quick calculation.
Fingers of fear squeezed my throat shut as I parted my lips.
I choked, my voice failing me.
No. I wasn’t going to let fear rule me another second. I rose to my feet, startling TJ. Then I stood atop my chair as a gasp issued from my mother behind me, who muttered my name.
And then I proved to be stronger than the fear that squeezed at my throat as the words finally rang out: “$1,367, give or take!”
