Page 49 of Faking it With the Player Next Door

I waited until he was out of earshot before turning to Amelia, eyebrows raised. “Okay, what was that?”

“What?” Amelia’s eyes went wide with faux innocence, but the pink tinge to her cheeks betrayed her.

“Don’t play dumb with me. The blushing, the hair twirling—you were flirting with my brother!” I teased, unable to contain my laughter.

“I was not!” she protested, though her cheeks turned an even deeper shade of pink.

“You were,” I said, leaning in with a conspiratorial grin. “And he was flirting back. Is there something you want to tell me?”

Amelia glanced over at Hunter’s table, where he was now engrossed in conversation with his client, then back at me. She bit her lip, a gesture so uncharacteristically shy that I was momentarily taken aback. “Okay, fine. Is your brother seeing anyone?”

I almost choked on my drink. “What? Hunter? No, not that I know of. Why? Are you... interested?”

Amelia hesitated a bit, then a tiny smile tugged at her lips. “I don’t know... maybe. He’s charming, successful, and he smells good.”

“Ew, Amelia!” I laughed, wrinkling my nose. “You can’t tell me my brother smells good!”

She laughed, too, holding up her hands defensively. “Sorry, but it’s true! He does! And he’s got that whole, confident, put-together thing going on.”

I shook my head, still grinning. “What about Brian? You’re not single!”

“Don’t worry,” Amelia said, her voice taking on a more serious tone. “I’ll make sure Brian and I are over before I even think about looking in Hunter’s direction. I’m not that kind of person.”

“Well, who knew? You and Hunter, huh? I could get behind that.” I mused, trying to picture it.

“I have said nothing, Taylor. You are jumping the gun!” She said defensively, but I could see the spark of possibility in her eyes.

We both laughed, the tension from our earlier conversation dissipating. As our laughter died down, I decided to shift gears. “So, how is it going at the resort?”

A shadow passed over Amelia’s face so quickly that I almost missed it. “Business is slow, but I can’t complain,” she said, her tone suddenly guarded. “How are your plans for the practice going?”

I noticed her abrupt pivot in conversation, filing it away to ponder later. For now, I decided not to press. “Hunter has been invaluable in guiding me through the business setup process,” I said, grateful for the chance to share my progress. “I don’t know if I could navigate all the paperwork and regulations without his expertise. I found a building I think is ideal for office space in the neighboring town of Borewood, but we’ll see how it all pans out.”

Amelia’s face brightened, seeming genuinely excited for me. “Wow, Taylor, that’s wonderful news. You’re making progress.”

“Yeah,” I nodded, allowing myself a moment of pride. “I’m hoping we can open by summer.”

As we continued chatting over dessert, I couldn’t help but notice how Amelia’s eyes kept drifting over to Hunter’s table. Interestingly, he never glanced in our direction, fully focused on his client. A small knot of worry formed in my stomach. For Amelia’s sake, I hoped she wasn’t reading too much into that brief exchange with Hunter. It was hard to tell if there was any real interest on his part. But then again, what did I know about all this? I couldn’t tell that Van had been in love with me all these years!

As we prepared to leave, I found myself lost in thought. Amelia’s confession about Brian, her apparent interest in Hunter, and that momentary guardedness when I asked about the resort–there was a lot to unpack. I made a mental note to keep a closer eye on my friend. Something told me she might need support in the coming weeks, whether she was ready to admit it or not.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Van

Icouldn’t stop grinning as I waited at the players’ entrance to the stadium. Taylor’s flight had landed an hour ago, and the driver I’d sent should arrive any minute now. My teammates kept teasing me about my mysterious visitor, but I barely noticed my eyes fixed on the road.

Finally, I saw the sleek black car pull up. My heart raced as Taylor stepped out, looking slightly overwhelmed but excited. She beamed when she saw me, and I couldn’t help but hug her tightly.

“Welcome to LA,” I said, breathing in her familiar floral scent.

“This is incredible, Van,” she said, her eyes wide as she entered the massive stadium.

I led her to her seat, right behind our dugout. Throughout the game, I couldn’t help but glance up at her between innings. Every time I did, I saw her cheering. Her face lit up with pride. It gave me an extra boost, knowing she was there watching.

After the game, I brought her down to meet some guys. I kept my voice casual as I made the introductions. “This is Taylor, my physical therapist from back home,” I said, hoping the guys wouldn’t make a big deal of it.

No such luck.

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