Page 55 of (Un)Expected

Javi followed behind me, propping his hip against the counter as I turned on the faucet. “Liar, liar. Are you blanking on a little conversation we had under the stairs last month?”

No, I hadn’t, but I hoped he did.

“That was me being stupid,” I muttered, rolling my eyes. “I was seeing signs that weren’t even there. Cole does not see me as anything other than Adam’s girlfriend.”

“Yeah, that’s bullshit,” Calla said, earning a confused glare from me. “I talked to him after our double date. That man is crazy about you, Alex. You’d have to be blind not to see it.”

“Or deep in denial,” Javi added.

I stared blankly back at them, unable to clearly process what they were saying. A small glimmer of hope rose in my chest, wondering if all those moments weren’t as in my head as I had imagined.

After the last disaster with Cole, I’d shoved down every feeling, refusing to think about him as anything at all. Still, I’d be lying if my heart didn’t do some weird somersault whenever Cole came around. It was different with him than any other people I had dated. Where I once sought comfort, Cole made me feel on edge, like I was teetering on a precipice, unsure of what awaited me on the other side. It should frighten me.

Instead, it made me feel alive.

My hand abruptly stopped rinsing the glass.No. I wasn’t going there. Not again.Cole had slammed the door to anything more between us multiple times, taking my insecurities and wielding them like a weapon.

Even if Cole had feelings for me, which I was having a hard time believing, he’d gone out of his way to make it appear the opposite. No matter what he said to Calla, there was no taking his words back.

“No,” I said firmly. “Even if he does, it’s a non-starter. I’ve tried to open up to him twice, and he’s left me feeling like a fool. I’m not giving him the chance for a third.”

Calla sighed into her wine glass. “Fine. But if the sparks I saw between the two of you are anything close to real, I think you’re making a mistake.”

“Maybe,” I said, effectively ending the conversation. “But it’s my mistake to make.”

TWENTY-THREE

Adam was avoiding me.

It had been over a week since we’d spent more than five minutes in a room together. It didn’t matter if we were in our villa or on set—the moment I walked into a room, Adam immediately walked out of it.

I tried to tell myself this was normal. This was how Adam always was when filming. He’d get so invested in his role, he’d forget about his real life. Adam tended to take on a lot of his character’s burdens and channeled them into every scene. He spent all his free time scouring the dailies, checking his performance.

Even after the movie wrapped, it took time for him to get back to his usual self.

Normally, I’d push for him to talk to me, to get his head out of the role for at least a few hours a day, but my head was so fucked up lately that the distance was a relief.

Ever since that double date, I hadn’t been able to get Alex out of my mind. She invaded my goddamn brain, chasing me down even when I purposely tried to forget her.

Calla exposed a raw nerveI thought no one else noticed, and when she called me out about my feelings for Alex, it made them too real. It made me feel like the world’s worst friend.

Usually, Adam was the one I went to when I needed to sort my shit out. This time, though, I couldn’t. My fucking head was all wrapped up about the girlhewas dating.

Suddenly, the room started to feel too small, robbing the air from my lungs. My hands began to shake, and my vision blurred. I needed air.

I stumbled out of the villa, my hands landing on my knees when I got outside. Even the open air offered no relief. Being at the hotel only reminded me of Alex. She’d tainted every piece of the property, making me constantly on edge.

I needed to get out, even if it was just for a few hours.

There had to be something in this damn town that could take my mind off of Alex.

Hopefully.

The walkin the woods did little to clear my clouded mind. Usually, being away from people allowed me to breathe and let down my guard for a small amount of time.

Now, all I felt was alone.

Coming to Saint Stephen’s Lake was supposed to be a break from reality, a chance to support Adam while he tried out his new dream.

---