I stepped inside and spotted his assistant behind the counter. I actually smiled in relief, glad I wouldn’t have to deal with him.
“Back again?” She smiled before she looked at the painting in my arms. “Oh no. Is there a problem?”
“No, no problem at all.” I walked up to the counter and carefully set it down on the surface. “It’s a beautiful painting, and I still love it. But I wanted to give it back…it just didn’t work out.”
“Well, we have a strict return policy here. We don’t accept returns.”
“I don’t want my money back. I just want to give it back.”
She examined the image for scratches and damage. “Just give it back?” she asked, completely confused by what I said. “I don’t understand.”
I didn’t want to tell her my life story. It would be inappropriate since Antonio was her boss. “I’m moving, and I don’t have room for it at my new place. I couldn’t bear the idea of throwing it away, so I thought if I gave it back, you could find a better home for it.”
The front door opened, and since I was the unluckiest woman on the planet, Antonio walked inside.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
He halted when he recognized me at the counter. Wearing a blue collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up and dark jeans, he looked exactly as I remembered. With a hard jawline, sprinkled fuzz along his mouth, and deep brown eyes, he was a handsome Italian who mirrored my own appearance. Looking at him reminded me that he was exactly what I wanted before I met Bones, exactly what I imagined in a husband.
But then I met the man I couldn’t live without, even if he wasn’t right for me.
The gallery turned quiet.
Tense.
A bit awkward.
He recovered from his surprise quickly and came to the counter. He spotted the painting and deduced what was transpiring. “Give us a moment.”
His assistant grabbed her purse and walked out, probably taking her early morning break a little sooner than she’d planned. But she didn’t challenge him about it.
Antonio looked down at the painting again, admiring his own work. “I’m hurt you don’t want this anymore, but I suppose I understand.” He picked up the painting and placed it in the back on a larger surface. His back was turned to me, so I couldn’t see his expression. He took a moment to look at it before he came back to me. “But don’t expect me to give you back the painting I bought from you.” His eyes weren’t kind the way they used to be. He was slightly hostile, like looking at me made me him angry. It’d been a little over a week since we last spoke, and that obviously wasn’t enough time for him to come to terms with what happened. I didn’t blame him. I took off without telling him what happened, and then I got back together with my ex without even telling him about it. After how patient and kind he was to me, I hadn’t treated him right. If I weren’t so happy with Bones, I would feel worse about it.
“I don’t want you to give it back.” My hands rested on the edge of the counter, my heart heavy from his sadness. I felt terrible that I’d hurt him, and I felt terrible for making Bones jealous. I never suspected he would figure out the painting before I had a chance to get rid of it. He was too observant. “Antonio…I’m so sorry about everything. I really am.”
He broke eye contact, looking out the window instead of at me.
I wasn’t sure what I expected him to say. He shouldn’t absolve me of my guilt, not when I was entirely at fault.
He turned his gaze back to me, but it was still full of the same melancholy.
“I was hoping I could give this back without running into you.”
“I wish I didn’t have to see you either.”
Now I broke eye contact, feeling the sting of his words. “I don’t want my money back. I just want someone else to have it, someone who will love it. This deserves to go up in someone’s home. I couldn’t throw it out…I just couldn’t.”
“Am I supposed to be flattered by that?” He rolled up his sleeves more.
This conversation wasn’t going anywhere. The longer I stood there, the worse the situation became. Antonio didn’t want to talk to me. He didn’t even want to look at me. I should just leave him in peace. “I’m sorry that I bothered you…” I turned to the door, eager to get away from him. I hated the cold way he treated me, but I hated deserving it even more.
He sighed loudly from behind me. “Wait.”
I stopped by the window and listened to his footsteps behind me. When I turned around, he was in front of me, rubbing the back of his neck with remorse in his eyes.