21. Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Eighteen
Ava
As soon as we walk into the arena, Duncan’s Wolverines’ PR rep, Stacy, and his agent, Finn, greet us. Stacy immediately starts informing us where we’ll be going and the estimated length of the press conference, but I barely register any of it with my heart pounding in my ears.
This isn’t my first press conference; I’ve done hundreds. It doesn’t make sense why I’m so nervous, yet I can’t stop fidgeting.
A warm hand wraps around mine, and I glance up to find Duncan watching me with a knowing look. The one that sees through the front I’m putting on for the rest of the world, and my stomach swoops.
Giving him a relieved, shaky smile, he twines his fingers with mine. Looking down at our entwined hands, I blow out a breath, letting his calmness ground me.
“Thank you,” I mouth to Duncan, only to have him give me a nod.
“Can I get you anything, Ava?” Stacy asks as we stop in a room next to where the press conference will be.
“Water would be great,” I say, working to give her my everything-is-fine-smile. Duncan gives my hand a squeeze, and another layer of tension slides from my body.
Having him by my side and knowing how private he keeps his life is mind-blowing. In the past, when I was curious about what was happening with Duncan, it was nearly impossible for me to find out anything unless I asked David or Fiona. So for him to be here now, opening his private life to the press, for me, is humbling.
“Of course. If you’d like to sit, feel free to make yourself comfortable.” Stacy points toward a couch to the left of us, and I nod. The only place I want to be right now is next to the man beside me, and I have no intention of moving away from him.
“Hey, Ava,” Finn says, reaching his hand out to me, an easy smile spreading across his face. “I’m Finn Mitchell. It’s nice to meet you finally.”
Regretfully letting go of Duncan’s hand I reach out and shake Finn’s. Narrowing my eyes at him, I tease. “So you’re the one my agent’s been colluding with.”
“Guilty as charged. Though Caro wasn’t that hard to convince.” He grins and winks at me.
“Caro, huh?” Beside me, I feel Duncan before I see him, and he gently places a hand on my lower back. The warmth from his nearness moves through me, cutting a chill I didn’t know I had. “Your idea is right up her alley. I’m just glad it wasn’t as crazy as some of the other ideas she’s had in the past.”
“It’s right up Finn’s alley, too, apparently,” Duncan grumbles. But when I look up at him, I see a glint in his eyes. The corner of my lip lifts, and my heart expands at how handsome he is. When his gaze slides to mine, my breath catches in my throat. “He’s made two successful matches.”
“Two very successful matches,” Finn jokes. He then looks back and forth between us, his eyes dancing. “Can I add a third to my record?”
“Are you looking to change your profession?” Duncan needles Finn while keeping his eyes on me.
A nervous giggle falls from my lips, and Duncan’s gaze lingers on my face for a moment longer before shifting back to Finn.
“Not at all,” Finn says, slapping Duncan on the shoulder and laughing. “I love working with athletes. And as long as they’re willing to let me ‘help’ them out of sticky situations, there’s no need.”
A gleam of humor lights his eyes just as a look passes between the two of them that I can’t decipher.
“Duncan, can I talk to you for a minute?” Finn asks, nodding his head away from us. “Ava, I promise to have him back to you quickly.”
“Sure,” Duncan responds. He then leans in and whispers. His breath on my skin sends tiny tingles to my toes. “I’ll be right back.”
“Ava, here’s your water,” Stacy says, just as Duncan walks away with Finn. Handing me the bottle, she calls out. “Duncan, they’re ready for the two of you.”
Duncan glances at Stacy and nods, letting her know he heard her, while Finn continues with whatever he says.
“I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but I’m a huge fan of yours,” Stacy raves. “ Web of Love is my all-time favorite movie.”
“It was a really fun movie to make,” I smile and glance at Duncan, wondering if I would be here today if it weren’t for Nathan and his jealousy.
My mind wanders to how Duncan feels about being here. I’ve been afraid to ask. Does he regret agreeing to help me?
“You know, these last few weeks are the first times that any of us have seen Duncan with a smile.” She nods at him and Finn. “He’s a phenomenal hockey player and has a great heart. But trying to get a smile out of him is like trying to pull teeth. Literally.”
A small smile tugs at my lips as I watch Duncan talking to Finn. Duncan glances over his shoulder and meets my gaze. The tug becomes a full-blown grin, and I watch his eyes soften, sending a wave of emotion through me.
“It’s obvious to everyone that you make him happy,” Stacy adds.
“The feeling is mutual.” Duncan puts his hand on Finn’s shoulder and then heads our way.
“Shall we get this over with?” Duncan asks, looking first at me and then Stacy. Stacy starts off toward the door and just when I start to follow, Duncan places his hand on my arm, halting me. “How are you feeling?”
I shrug one shoulder. “It’s not my first rodeo. I’m sure it will be fine.”
He keeps his hand on my arm and pins me with his gaze before giving me a slight nod. “Let’s do this.”
Five minutes later, we’re sitting at a table in front of a room full of reporters. Stacy made it clear that everyone is free to ask whatever they want but to ensure they keep it respectful.
An arm reaches over my shoulder, and I see a new bottle of water. “Thank you,” I say, grabbing it with trembling hands and sipping. Keeping it in front of me, I play with the label.
Multiple people are calling my name, but I point to the younger man sitting in the front row with the glasses.
“Ava, did you come to Maple Ridge because of Duncan?”
Here we go.
Swallowing hard, I shake my head. “I was coming to visit my brother-in-law, David, and my niece, Scarlett. I honestly forgot Duncan had been traded to the Wolverines. I’m not that big of a hockey fan.”
I shrug and smile sheepishly, placing my hand on Duncan’s arm. “Sorry, Duncan.”
The room erupts into laughter, and from the corner of my eye, I see Duncan press his lips together.
The yelling starts again, and I point to a woman in the back wearing a blue shirt with her brown hair pulled into a high ponytail. Holding her phone in front of her, she asks. “Can you tell us why you ended things with Nathan Vaughn, Ava?”
I pull in a big breath and slowly let it out. “Most of the time, relationships end because they’ve run their course or served their usefulness. I guess the same could be said for me and Nathan.”
“Usefulness?” She questions. “Can you explain what you mean by that?”
“That came out wrong.” I pause and look down at the water bottle in my hands. “I meant more like a season. All seasons come to an end. Our season came to an end.”
“What about Nathan’s claims that you cheated on him?” Someone else yells out.
“Those are just rumors. My dad’s infidelity destroyed my parents’ relationship and left our family in ruins when I was younger.” My heart is ramming against my ribcage. This isn’t something I usually talk about, and I’m left feeling completely exposed. Duncan slides his hand on my back and gently rubs. The simple touch helps me to remember that I didn’t do anything wrong and gives me the strength to continue. “Knowing the pain that it causes firsthand, I would never hurt someone I cared about like that.”
“He’s been pretty adamant that you cheated on him.” Someone from the middle of the group yells.
“He has,” I say simply. “But that’s not the case, as my co-stars have confirmed. I’m sorry he’s hurt by the way things ended. But they didn’t end because I cheated on him.”
“Duncan!” Someone from the back calls out. “What about Nathan’s claims that the two of you were seeing each other before Ava came to town?”
“As Ava said, just a rumor.” Duncan turns to me and lets his eyes roam over my face. The unexpected heat in his gaze turns my knees to jelly. “We haven’t talked or seen each other in years. Especially with me being on the East Coast through the end of last season. And with her dating Nathan.”
“If that’s the case, how did the two of you get together so fast?” A voice from the back asks. At this point I’m no longer paying attention to the faces in the crowd. I can’t drag my eyes from Duncan.
“Us getting together is as big of a surprise for me as it was for all of you.” He gives me a crooked grin, and my heart jumps. “Maybe more so since I’ve had a crush on her since we were kids, but she refused to give me the time of day.”
He then leans over, places his lips on my cheek, grabs my hand, and kisses my palm. Heat creeps up my cheeks, and my eyebrows shoot up as suddenly the world knows that Duncan has always had a thing for me.
What is he doing? But more importantly, is he trying to kill me in front of everyone?
And just like that, the press conference has gone in a completely different direction, with Duncan and his ‘crush’ being the main focus.