bread.
“Eat your bread, honey. They don’t want us to hear.” Mother handed Tyler a glass of water.
Tyler shook his head. “No, Grandma. I’m not thirsty.”
I kissed Tyler on the head and hugged him. He always made me think of what was most important in our lives—the people we loved and who loved us back.
After dinner, we took more pictures by the Christmas decorations in the lobby. I was ready to go home, but Abby wanted to check out the garden.
“Why are you walking so fast?” I fell behind Abby’s swift steps pounding on the marble floor.
Abby rounded the corner and halted in front of a ballroom.
“This isn’t the garden. Are you lost?” I looked over my shoulder at my parents, making their way to us with Tyler, and then back to Abby.
“Kate.” She inhaled a deep breath, her hands clasped under her chin. “Your life is about to change. Don’t be mad at me.” She kissed my cheek. “I love you.”
“Abby? What did you do?” My heart thumped faster and I reached for her arm, but she pushed the door open.
We stood in an empty room, but the walls were filled with twenty paintings and large, framed photos. They looked familiar. It took a moment for me to process that they were mine. All of them.
I walked up to the painting of Lee and Bridget I had wrapped and stored at the back of Lee’s painting room. I hadn’t messaged him about it yet. I had planned to after I left, but it was here. How?
And ... oh goodness, the painting Mr. Medici’s Shirt hung smack in the middle of the side wall, sticking out like a sore thumb. Not only from the grand size, but the muddy blobs of mismatched mixed together.
Who put it here? Abby? Why?
On the corner of the frame, a white tag said—sold. Price: $20,000. Name: Ian Bordonaro.
What? I blinked and looked at it again. Lee’s friend bought that painting? What in heavens for? Then I went to the next painting of New York City buildings.
It had a white tag that said sold with the name of the person who had bought it, and a price of $5,000. I went to the next frame—a wine bottle on a stack of books. Depending on the size of the canvas and the framed photo, they were priced from $5,000 to $20,000.
I had meant to blow up the pictures I had taken and give them to Abby to sell, but she had beaten me to it.
“Abby, when did you do this? What’s going on?”
I turned to find Abby when she didn’t answer, but I was stunned to silence. Lee stood where I had expected her, and my family was nowhere to be seen. I had been so shocked to see all of my work that I hadn’t heard anyone come in or out of the ballroom.
I wanted to cover up the photo behind me, one of my favorites. I had taken that picture of Lee by accident at the Poipu Plaza. The mistake turned out in my favor. He looked so dapper and natural, with his eyes directly at the camera.
“Lee. What are you doing here?” I swallowed and took a step back. Standing a few feet from each other had my pulse racing. Seeing him again brought back feelings I’d tried hard to suppress.
Lee took a step forward, his expression unreadable. “Why did you leave that night, Kate?”
His question and sternness intimated me a little.
“I-I wasn’t feeling well. I already told you.” I shifted my clutch purse to the other arm, needing something to do with my hands.
Lee’s frown told me he didn’t believe me.
His chestnut-colored eyes darkened and a hint of hurt came through his tone. “I think you were just fine. I think you ran away. I said something or did something that made you upset. Please tell me so I can explain. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m not like your ex.”
I glanced down to my black heels. This was the moment of truth. Lee was right. I had run away because I didn’t want my heart crushed again. After what Jayden had done to me, I had closed my heart and come up with reasons not to be with anyone else. But still, even with this revelation, I still made up excuses.
“I wasn’t running away.” With my chin up, I raised my voice a little, trying to sound strong. “It was my last day.”
Lee shook his head. “There’s something else bothering you. I