4. Chapter Four
Chapter Four
Ava
Unable to drag my eyes from Duncan’s broad shoulders as he follows Scarlett out, I find myself hoping he’ll turn back to look at me one last time before leaving.
He doesn’t.
Lifting the water bottle to my lips, I take a swig and shake my head. A small chuckle escaping. That’s what I get for starring in one too many romantic comedies.
Where did that wanting for Duncan to look back come from? It’s Duncan—my best friend’s younger brother.
Duncan. The quiet little boy who was always on David’s coattails. Then, the sulky teen who barely ever spoke a word or smiled.
The corner of my lip lifts, and my heart skips as I think about how that grey Henley stretched across his muscles. He’s certainly not little anymore. However, he’s still sulky and quiet.
Except with Scarlett.
Listening to him banter back and forth with my niece was a shock. I didn’t know he could say that many words at once without grunting.
I definitely didn’t realize he had that many teeth, and I most assuredly had no clue he could laugh so freely.
That rich sound ran through me like the first blast of heat on a humid August day after being stuck in air conditioning all day. The gasp that left my body was pulled from me and stunned me just as much as it clearly bewildered Duncan.
When he turned his gaze my way, the adoration Duncan felt for Scarlett was so brightly on display. Those emotions, directed at me, had my knees nearly buckling. Breaking eye contact and turning away was the only thing to do with the tide of emotions swirling in my stomach.
Keeping my hands and mind busy seemed like the most intelligent thing at the time. Grabbing a bottle of water was the only thought that my muddled brain could come up with but it helped to ground me.
My heart was racing, and my palms were sweaty. It’s not a reaction I’m used to, but it’s certainly not something I expect to experience with regard to Duncan.
Emotionally, I’m not in any state to handle the feelings that have come up, but more importantly, considering them is unfair to Duncan.
I’ve never fully gotten over the hurt in his eyes after he told me he loved me at Fiona and David’s wedding. I can’t hurt him like that again.
I refuse to hurt him. I care about him too much.
Whatever this attraction is to the man who was standing in front of me, acting like the biggest mush, needs to be squelched.
Now.
Like I said to Duncan at Fi and David’s wedding, he deserves someone so much better than me. I may not be the same girl who said those words, but the scars from my father’s abandonment still linger.
It’s the reason Nathan and I worked. He never wanted more from me than I was willing to give, which was little. The freedom to have fun without delving deeply emotionally was ideal.
But somewhere along the way, that changed.
Playing multiple main characters who could be emotionally open to receiving a deep, true love made me crave it. At some point, I started to believe that happy endings didn’t only have to be in movies. Then Sean got into my head. Now, here I am, believing it’s possible.
But Duncan?
Duncan’s thumb on Scarlett’s cheek, the gentleness in his eyes—
“No!” I chastise myself for even considering him as a possibility. “Duncan is off-limits.”
“What about Duncan?” David’s voice comes from behind me. My feet leave the ground, and my hand lifts to my chest, working to keep my now-pounding heart from leaping out. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”
Narrowing my eyes, I give him a playful glare at his chuckle. Then I shrug. “It’s not you; I’ve been on edge lately.”
It’s not a lie; ever since Nathan’s reaction to our breakup, my nerves have been threadbare. Between him calling me day and night, along with the media, I’ve practically jumped every time my phone rang. So I turned off my phone.
I let Caroline know I’d check messages a few times a day and if there was an emergency to reach me through David.
Nathan showing up in Maple Ridge is unlikely, but, to be honest, I’m not sure he won’t show up here. With every message he leaves, he seems angrier. More desperate. I’ve never seen him like this, and it’s starting to scare me.
I watch David as he places some grocery bags on the counter and grabs the items to put away. Walking around the counter I start to help. The comfortable silence and mindless task are just what I need to calm my nerves.
“When did Scarlett start calling Duncan ‘Dunky’?” I laugh, recalling the expression on Duncan’s face. “He hates it.”
“I called him ‘Dunc’ a few weeks ago. The next time he came over, I heard her calling him ‘Uncle Dunky,’” He says as he places a box of cereal in the cabinet next to the fridge. “The look of horror on his face stayed with me for days. Not to mention the scowl he gave me for laughing.”
I’ve witnessed the scowl David’s talking about, and I can’t help but laugh, too.
I grab one of the empty bags and start folding it.
David slips a half gallon of milk in the refrigerator, leans against the counter, and turns toward me. “How are you doing?”
I lift one shoulder and continue to fold the bag. “I’m doing okay, all things considered.”
“Want to tell me what happened?” Glancing up, I see David’s hazel eyes full of concern.
“Nathan was unhappy about the press my co-star, Sean, and I were getting.” I reach my arm across my chest and massage one of my shoulders, thinking about the last fight Nathan and I had. “I got tired of him complaining about it. I’m an actress. It’s my job to make people believe my part is real.”
Shifting back to the bag on the counter, I glance at David over my shoulder to see his eyebrow quirked. Turning and handing him the folded bag, he puts it away.
“So what made this time different from all the other times he’s done this?” He asks quietly, knowing he’s breaching a no-go zone.
I wrap my arms around my waist and lean back against the counter. I peek through my lashes and see David placing mugs on the counter. He turns on the electric kettle quietly, waiting for me to continue.
A coldness comes over me, and I rub my hands up and down my arms to get rid of the chill.
“Too many romance movies and a meddling co-star.” A sheepish smile crosses my lips, and I scoff. “You have to know Sean O’Connell. When he gets fixated on something, it’s hard to get him off it. Being that this is the second movie we’ve made together, he wasn’t hesitant to point out how bad he thought Nathan was for me.”
“He’s right,” David grumbles, holding out two boxes of herbal tea. “Lavender or ginger?”
“Lavender and ginger, please.” I smile. I see a brief flicker of sadness touch David’s eyes, and I remember that Fiona would mix teas, too. I see he still misses her as much as I do. I take the mug from his hand, lean back against the counter, and wrap both hands around it, hoping some of the heat will transfer to my body. “I know. Which is why, after this last incident, I ended things.”
A tiny gleam replaces the sadness in David’s eyes, and a smile curves his lips. “I think I like this Sean character. Any chance—”
“No!” I put a hand out to stop him before he can finish. “I adore Sean, but he is not the one for me. It’s nice to know I have a friend who cares enough to be honest, though. Even if it completely annoys me.”
Lifting the mug to my lips, I take a sip. Warmth spreads through me, erasing the coldness that was lodged in my chest. I look up to David’s serious expression.
“Fiona would want you to be happy, Av.” I swallow hard as he continues. “She always hated that you could act the role of a woman falling in love, but at the same time, never let your guard down enough to find that type of love in real life. She always thought—–”
“David,” I say sternly, my lips thinning. “I don’t want to talk about this. Especially not right now. I can’t.”
Blowing out a breath, he gives me a gentle smile and pushes off of the counter. Reaching out to squeeze my shoulder, he walks past me into the living room. Leaving me alone to sort through the dirt he stirred up.
I sigh. He’s right. Fiona would hate to see me like this.
“Fi,” I whisper. “I wish you were here. I need you.”
A single tear falls down my cheek, and I stiffly wipe it away.
Crying isn’t going to solve anything. It never does.