Page 9 of Faking It with My Bossy Ex

My eyes dart around, totally not looking for a certain someone. Nope. Not at all.

Oh, come on. You're about as subtle as a neon sign.

I'm just being vigilant. Watching out for icy patches. And wayward reindeer. And devastatingly handsome exes. You know, the usual winter hazards.

Turning the corner, I fish out my phone, praying for a signal. Hallelujah! Two whole bars. I'm practically living in luxury.

A red notification catches my eye. My heart does a happy dance when I see it's from Leo. Good old Leo, my art sponsor, turned into a friend little by little. Being friends with a supporter is tricky business, but Leo made it so easy. He’s a welcome distraction from everything going on.

I tap the screen, curiosity gnawing at me like a famished squirrel. The subject line reads, “BIG NEWS - Open this ASAP!”

Leo with the dramatics. Last time, his “big news” was finding a pizza place that delivered paint supplies with their pepperoni. But still, my finger hovers over the email. What if it's about that gallery opening we've been talking about?

The world tilts as my foot hits a patch of ice and I'm falling, my phone flying from my hand. As I brace for impact with the snowy sidewalk, a strong pair of arms wrap around me.

I look up, right into those familiar blue-green eyes, sending a shiver down my spine.

“Whoa there, Ames. Falling for me already?”

Chapter 4

Dylan

Amy’s eyes widen and a devilish grin sweeps across my face. I didn’t expect to run into her so soon, or quite so literally. My hands tighten around her waist.

“Let me go.” She slaps at my hands.

I drop my hands and step back. “If you insist.” I chuckle. “It's slippery out here.” Who had her so interested in her phone she almost fell flat on her back?

“You didn’t have to catch me. I was just fine.” She glares, like I was the one who pushed her instead of the person who just saved her.

“I’m sure you were. It looked like you were going to recover from that in great condition.” I tuck my hands into my pockets. If she doesn’t want me holding onto her, no use freezing them off.

The idea of holding her sends a bolt of heat through me.

Keep it together. Mind out of the gutter.

“If you would have been watching where you were going, you wouldn’t have run into me.”

She could’ve been furious, embarrassed even, but there she was, crossing her arms, hopping from foot to foot like she couldn’t decide whether to storm off or stand her ground.

There was something about Amy’s clumsy charm and that spark of fire that lit up a room, even when she was mad at me.

“If you’d wait up, I’ll give you a ride.” The sight of her sitting in my passenger seat, bickering back and forth, fills my head with thoughts that are best kept private.

“No thanks,” she calls over her shoulder. “I’m just going to the library. It’s right around the corner.”

I smirk as I watch her rigid back retreat. Just wait until she finds out we’re heading to the same place. So far, I haven’t even gone out of my way to be in her path, and she’s landed right in front of me twice. That’s got to be fate.

Taking my time, I wait until she’s out of sight before going back to my car and taking the roundabout road to the library. Amy’s furious face, the way she’ll scrunch her nose and look at me as if she wants to strangle me, conjures up a comical sight in my mind.

Pulling into the library parking lot, anticipation bubbles up inside me. Warm air greets me as I enter the small, book-filled building. It's obvious why Snowfall Springs needs a community center. A dedicated space for classes and activities would benefit the town's youth immensely.

When we were younger, there were activities at the school gym. Which ones? I wouldn’t know since I rarely participated. Hanging out with my friends, spending nights in the town, and getting into trouble were some of my favorite past times.

Ironically, one of the first times I went to the gym was for an extra art day, which was mandatory, and also where I struck up my first conversation with Amy. She was hot, and my friends dared me to get her number. She turned me down flat, looked me up and down and said that she didn’t have time forguys like me.

But she changed her mind, eventually. Those years with Amy became the best of my life.

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