Faking It with My Bossy Ex (Sweet Christmas Kisses)

12. Dylan

Chapter 12

Dylan

I can’t get Amy’s look out of my head.

Those careful eyes. The way she trembled, close enough to touch. I wanted to kiss her, really kiss her.

It took me too long to realize that I was playing for keeps. I didn’t want to risk kissing her with a secret between us.

It’s been eating away at me for a while, and looking into her eyes brings up all the guilt I have. I can’t kiss her without her knowing the truth.

My phone dings, and I dig it out of my pocket, reading the headline.

Oh my goodness, you'll never believe what just happened, flashes across the screen. My stomach sinks at the same time as butterflies explode in my chest.

Amy's probably going to write to Leo … about me.

She doesn't know Leo is me since we only contact through email. Otherwise, she'd have blocked me.

I never intended to fall into a friendship with Amy like this. I held myself back from even looking her up until two years ago, when I came across one of her paintings at an auction site. It took my breath away, and I bought it. Next thing I knew, she sent me a thank-you email, and it all started from there.

I’m sitting on the little couch in the lobby of the Cozy Haven Inn. I thought she went to the bathroom, but it seems she wanted a moment away from me to write to Leo, well, me.

Leo, can I ask you something crazy? I kind of need a guy’s perspective on something a little weird.

Her email makes me smile. I can almost hear her saying it in my head.

Sure, what’s up? Ask me anything.

There have been times in the past when we’ll email back and forth, almost like a chat. I used to lie in my bed, under my blanket, waiting for her next email like a teenager with a crush.

So, remember my ex? Dylan? He kissed me on the forehead. Can you believe that? Not on the lips. Why would he do that? I mean, if he was going to kiss me, wouldn’t he just go for it? But instead, it’s a forehead kiss. Do you think that’s, I don’t know … weird?

I know this is dumb, and you probably have way more important stuff to do than worry about what’s happening to me over here. Please write me back and give me the guy’s perspective.

She’d be mortified if she knew I’d just read that. The real guy’s perspective is that if Leo was anyone other than myself, he’d be pretty jealous about now.

I chose Leo as the name to sign my emails with when we started our anonymous online friendship. When we were in high school, we had a creative writing assignment, and she wrote a story about a prince who rescued a princess. She named the prince Leo.

Movement near the entrance to the bathroom catches my eye. It’s Amy. A grin tugs at my lips as she walks into the lobby.

“Something funny?” she asks as she tucks her phone into her pocket.

“Nothing at all,” I say, clicking out of the email. I'm working up the courage to tell her who I am. Obviously, I have to come clean, but it has to be the right moment, or it will shatter whatever friendship we’ve built up with each other these past few days.

Now that I want to win her back, I’m not about to jeopardize it.

“Something must be funny because you’re smiling like a goofball,” she says, looking me up and down.

“I swear it’s nothing you’d find funny.”

A hairy barrel of energy shoots through the front door of the lobby, which someone must have left open, bringing with him a flurry of powdery snow.

“Pepper, out,” Mrs. Parker bursts into the room. “You know you can’t be in here like that. Come on, out you go.” She points at the yawning doorway. “Naughty, naughty dog.”

Pepper hangs his head in shame, wagging his tail as he slinks back toward his corner.

Amy and I exchange a smile. Poor Pepper—of course, he wants to curl up by the fire.

We both know that while Mrs. Parker may keep up strict appearances when it comes to Pepper, she lets him in at night so he can sleep by the fire.

I turn my attention back to Amy, trying to ignore the words she just sent me in an email. Did she want me to kiss her lips? Because I would if I had another chance. Here I was trying to spare her when maybe what she really wanted was for me to go for it.

“So, how hungry are you? Shall we get dinner to celebrate our win?” I hold up the two cards for a free spa day. She frowns and shakes her head.

“Actually, I think I’m going to retire early tonight. I already asked the kitchen to pack me my food to go.” Something resembling an apology fills her eyes, and then she shakes her head and nods at the doorway. “But it doesn’t look like you’ll be eating alone, anyway. Aren’t they here to see you?”

I turn to find my best friend, Sam, and my sister, Emily, at the entrance of the lobby, waving wildly at me. They’re bundled up to the nines, just their noses and eyes poking out. They must have ridden Sam’s snowmobile. He always was the type to be prepared. Now he’s officially part of the family, engaged to my sister, of all people.

“I didn’t know they were coming. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if you joined us.”

“I’m actually really tired.” She takes a step back, and something I can’t quite decipher flashes in her eyes. I think back to her email to Leo, and another grin takes over with a mind of its own.

“We can't be joined at the hip all the time.” She rolls her eyes. “A little distance is good, even for a couple.” She chuckles as one of the kitchen staff brings her a wrapped-up order of food.

“Food for Amy to go.”

“Thank you.” She scoops it up out of his hands. “I'll see you at the cabin later,” she says, not giving me a chance to protest before she flits out of the lobby without another word.

She says a quick hello to Sam and Emily and disappears into the swirling outdoors. I approach them with a sigh. I love my sister, and Sam’s my best friend, but I want to follow Amy.

“Bad time?” Sam asks, clapping my shoulder with a firm slap.

“The worst, but that's how you like it, right?” I shake my head. Sam and I have been what they call “thick as thieves” since we were kids, always getting into trouble and making trouble when there wasn't any to get into.

It's just my luck he's also engaged to my sister.

“We didn't mean to pick a bad time,” Emily says, ever the peacemaker, “but we knew if we didn't barge in on you, you'd probably forget all about us. It's not like you're planning on being in town for that long, from what I hear.”

“What did you hear?” I ask, cocking an eyebrow. Seems news gets around this town before a person even knows it themselves.

“Well, I've heard plenty of things about you and Amy, for one.” Emily waggles her eyebrows. “How long has that been back on?”

“Back on?” An uneasy feeling tightens in my chest returns, and I remember how worried Amy was about her friend thinking we’re a couple. “A couple of days, you could say. It's all been rather impromptu.”

That’s one way to put it. Realizing I want to make things real is new, and I’m not sure how to make it happen.

“Well, we'd like to hear all about it.” Sam motions to one of the tables in the diner.

I follow him over reluctantly, wishing I could have convinced Amy to stay, or that I had a good reason to barge in on her private time back at the cabin. I wonder what she's going to do. She certainly was in a hurry to leave.

“So, tell us what's going on with you two lovebirds?” Emily says after we've ordered and it's just the three of us at the table. “You were so close in high school and college and then …”

She leaves the rest unsaid. We hashed it out after she threatened to cut me off for abruptly breaking up with Amy. Even after I explained my reasons, it took a lot to convince her to understand and make a promise not to tell Amy.

“Actually, nothing,” I sigh. I've never been able to keep things from my sister. Even though it's going to put our cover at stake, I can't help but tell her the truth. I want to know if I'm crazy for wanting to make our fake relationship into a real one.

“It's all kind of a lie. I mean, we're not really dating again … though I want to be.”

“Now that's interesting,” Sam says. He leans forward, taking an extra-long drink from his straw.

I give them the rundown of everything that’s gone down between me and Amy since we’ve been back. When I’m done, silence settles over the table, leaving me looking between them.

“So, you think I got a shot?”

“I don't know,” Emily laughs. “It sounds like you've made a bit of a mess of it. Maybe you should just tell her the truth.”

I will. But first, I need to talk to the other person involved.