Page 44 of Faking it With the Player Next Door

There was a beat of silence, and then her voice, soft but steady. “Van... I’m sorry. I should’ve stayed. I should’ve listened.”

I braced myself for whatever was coming, unsure if she was about to let me down gently or something worse. “Taylor, I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking about ambushing you like that. I wasn’t sure if you wanted to hear from me again.”

“Please don’t apologize. I let fear get the best of me and didn’t handle things as I should have.”

My grip tightened on the steering wheel.

There was a brief pause before she continued, her voice softer now. “But I want to fix this. I want to hear what you have to say. Can you come back? Please?”

Relief washed over me so strongly that I nearly had to pull over to catch my breath. “Of course, Taylor. I’ll turn around right now. I’ll be there in about an hour.”

“Thank you, Van. I’ll be waiting,” she said, and I could hear the slight smile in her voice.

I hung up and immediately made a U-turn, my heart pounding in a way it hadn’t all day. This wasn’t over. I still had a chance to fix things.

The drive back to the resort felt like a blur, my thoughts racing ahead of me. I kept replaying our conversation, wondering what Taylor would say when I saw her. That she even wanted to talk in person gave me hope, but I knew I had to be careful this time. No more grand gestures, no more making assumptions. I just needed to listen.

When I finally pulled into the resort’s parking lot. The place was quiet. Most of the guests were likely retired for the night. I parked my car and grabbed my jacket, excitement, and nerves both vying for control of my emotions. I hadn’t felt this kind ofanticipation in a long time—not since that kiss months ago that had changed everything.

I burst through the lobby doors, slightly out of breath. A young man with a name tag reading Paul glanced up from the reception desk.

“Can I help you?” he asked, straightening his tie.

“Yes, I’m looking for Taylor Miller,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “She’s expecting me.”

He tapped at his keyboard, the clicking echoing in the quiet lobby. “Ah, yes, Ms. Miller. She’s in room 342.” He pointed toward the elevators. “Third floor, turn right; the room will be halfway down the hall on your left.”

“Thanks,” I managed, already heading for the elevators.

“Sir?” he called after me. “Would you like me to call and tell her you’re coming up?”

I shook my head. “No need. She’s waiting for me.”

I took the elevator to her floor and walked toward her room, my pulse quickening with each step. When I reached her door, I knocked softly, trying to keep my nerves in check.

But there was no answer.

I knocked louder this time, waiting for any movement, and still nothing. My stomach dropped. Was she not here? Had she changed her mind?

I checked my pockets for my phone, realizing with a groan that I’d left it in the car. Of course. The one time I needed it.

Not wanting to make a scene by knocking again, I headed back downstairs to the car to grab my phone to call her. Maybe she was just somewhere else in the resort.

As I reached the parking lot and approached my car, something—or rather, someone—caught my eye. Taylor stood just a few feet away, bathed in the soft glow of a nearby streetlight. Her eyes met mine, and for a moment, neither of us moved. The night air crackled with electricity, as though thespace between us was charged with all the things we hadn’t said, all the moments we’d missed.

She took a hesitant step toward me, her face a mix of emotions—nervous, maybe even a little scared, but as well... hopeful?

“Van,” she started, her voice quiet but sure, “I was looking for you.”

As I approached, my heart pounded in my chest. “I was looking for you, too. I went to your room and knocked on your door, but there was no answer.”

She smiled softly, the smile that made me feel like everything would be okay, even if I didn’t know how yet. “I guess we were just missing each other.”

And then, there we stood—her framed by the soft streetlight, me frozen in place, waiting for what would come next. The massiveness of the moment hung between us, but for the first time in a long time, I felt like everything was about to change.

Chapter Nineteen

Taylor

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