Page 182 of The Lumberjack and the City Slicker

SOLD.

My breath hitches.

Of course it sold.

Of course it did.

It deserves to be fought over.

But the fact that it’s sold already—before the night even really begins—makes something tender bloom in my chest. And creates an ache because really—I wanted that piece myself.

But still, I am so proud of him.

He made something that shook the world.

And the world answered.

Greyson shifts beside me, his fingers tightening around mine for a second, like he’s reminding himself this is real.

Like he’s reminding me too.

I’m still floating when it happens.

A ripple through the room.

A sudden change in energy—like someone dropped a stone into a calm pond.

Conversations fade.

My skin prickles.

I follow my line of sight toward the entrance.

And my heart—my heart drops so fast it feels like it leaves my body.

Geoffrey.

He’s here. In a suit like he’s dressed for an investor dinner, not an art opening.

His mouth curved into that familiar, practiced smile—charming on the surface, rotten underneath.

And beside him—oh my fuck.

It’s my parents.

My mother in a sleek designer dress, pearls at her throat.

My father, tall and composed.

His expression unreadable in that corporate way that always makes people feel like they’re failing an exam they didn’t study for.

I love them dearly, but I wasn’t expecting them. Not here and not with that asshole.

For a moment, I can’t move.

It’s like the air in my lungs turns to glass.

This is my past walking into my present.