Page 39 of Faking it With the Player Next Door

Just as I was halfway through my entrée, an unexpected disturbance abruptly interrupted the peaceful atmosphere. The doors burst open, and suddenly, people flooded into therestaurant. Flashbulbs went off, voices rose in excitement, and I glimpsed a familiar figure amid it all.

My heart leaped into my throat. It couldn’t be... could it?

Before I could process what was happening, the restaurant’s sound system cracked to life. A love ballad replaced the soft background music—one that I recognized with a jolt as a song Van and I had once slow-danced to at a high school party.

All eyes in the restaurant turned to me. I felt my face grow hot as the whispers started.

“Is that her?”

“The girl from his hometown?”

“Oh, how romantic!”

I couldn’t take it. The attention, music, and the other diners’ shocked faces were too much. I stood up abruptly, my chair scraping loudly against the floor. Without a backward glance, I fled the restaurant, my half-eaten dinner forgotten.

I didn’t stop running until I reached the elevator, my heart pounding. As the doors closed behind me, I turned and leaned against the wall, trying to catch my breath. It was then that the reality of what had just happened hit me.

Van. It was Van.

He had come all this way, created this grand gesture... and I had run away. Again.

Shame and regret washed over me as I returned to my room. I collapsed onto the bed, my mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Part of me wanted to go back downstairs, to face Van, and finally have the conversation we’d been avoiding for so long. But another part—the part that had driven me to run away in the first place—was terrified.

Before I could talk myself out of it, I grabbed my phone and dialed Hunter’s number. He picked up on the second ring.

“Taylor? Is everything okay?”

The concern in his voice made my eyes well up with tears. “Hunter, I... I messed up.”

“What happened?” he asked gently.

I poured out the whole story—my arrival at the resort, the peaceful dinner, and then Van’s dramatic entrance. “And I just... I ran away, Hunter. He came all this way, and I couldn’t even face him.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. Then Hunter spoke, his voice soft but firm. “Taylor, listen to me. I know you’re scared. I know this thing between you and Van seems complicated. But you can’t keep running away from it.”

I wiped my eyes, sniffling. “I know, but...”

“No buts,” he interrupted. “Van cares about you. He cares enough to drive for hours and make a fool of himself in front of strangers. Don’t you think that’s worth hearing him out?”

I closed my eyes, remembering the glimpse I’d caught of Van in the restaurant. He had looked so determined, so hopeful. “You’re right,” I whispered. “I need to talk to him.”

“That’s my girl,” Hunter said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. “Now go find him. And Taylor? Whatever happens, I’m here for you. Always.”

“Thanks,” I said, feeling affection for my brother. “I love you.”

“Love you too, sis. Now go get your man.”

As I ended the call, I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what I needed to do. I stood up, smoothened my dress, and headed for the door. It was time to stop running. Time to face Van, and whatever came next.

With each step toward the elevator, I felt a mix of nervousness and determination. I did not know what to say to him, or how he would react to my earlier flight. But I knew one thing for certain—I couldn’t let this opportunity pass me by. Not again.

I took one last deep breath as the elevator doors closed. Whatever happened next, at least I was finally moving forwardinstead of running away. And right now, that felt like the biggest step of all.

Chapter Sixteen

Van

Istood in the middle of the resort’s restaurant, surrounded by the curious stares of strangers and the flashing lights of cameras. The love ballad I had chosen specifically for Taylor continued to play softly in the background, but it now felt like a mockery of my failed gesture. She was gone, having fled the room as if I were chasing her with a chainsaw instead of my heart on my sleeve.

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