Accidentally Checked By My Brother’s Best Friend (Accidentally In Sports #3)

22. Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

Duncan

Did I just admit out loud that I’ve always had a thing for Ava?

If the look on Ava’s face is any indication, I did indeed do that. The next question thrown out confirms it.

“Are you telling us you’ve always been in love with Ava?” Asks the woman in the blue shirt.

Swallowing hard, I look out over the crowd of people waiting for my response. I glance at Finn and see him holding up three fingers, a smirk on his face.

Last, I turn my head in Ava’s direction, and my heart starts to pound against my chest so hard I swear it’s going to bust through my ribcage. It feels like I just ate a wad of cotton, and words that were easily flowing are now stuck in my throat.

Ava’s eyes hold questions I’m not ready to answer for myself, let alone for her, even if all the answers are probably yes.

“It’s safe to say there’s always been a soft spot in my heart for her,” I hedge. Avoiding a direct confirmation of where my feelings for Ava stand. “Seeing her again brought them to the forefront.”

Ava’s hand shifts in mine, and I realize I’m still holding it. Staring at our hands, I feel tiny prickles on my face. Lifting my gaze to hers, I find a host of emotions swirling, leaving me unable to form a cohesive thought.

“Sometimes it’s all about the timing,” Ava says softly, breaking through my haze. Then, turning to the people in front of us, she shrugs. “At least that’s what my niece keeps telling me.”

The room breaks out in laughter for the second time today, and the corner of my lip lifts.

“She’s a niece to both of you, right?” Asks a man in the back with his hair in a man bun and wearing a t-shirt that may say Tea Time , but I can’t be positive from this distance. “Your brother and her sister were married to each other?”

“Yes,” Ava and I say together.

“Scarlett is also our goddaughter,” Ava offers, which sends out a flurry of questions about David and Fiona.

“Last question,” Stacy yells out before pointing to a woman with red hair in the front row. “The team has to get on the road so they don’t miss their flight.”

“Duncan, your brother was married to Ava’s twin sister, Fiona?” I nod again, not sure which direction this question is going. “Does it feel weird that the two of you are dating now?”

I stare at him for a second with narrowed eyes, shifting in my seat.

Is it weird that I’m dating my brother’s dead wife’s sister? Maybe if I wasn’t in love with her before David and Fiona got together.

“I’ve honestly never looked at it like that. Ava was David’s best friend before he and Fiona were a couple.” Glancing over at Ava, I see her eyes watching me intently. “Not to mention that I was the younger brother who was always tagging along.”

The room is silent, waiting for the rest of my answer. While I try to process all the thoughts moving through my head, I hear Ava’s voice.

“I think what Duncan is trying to say is there’s always been a connection between the two of us, but the difference in our ages, the fact that his brother is my best friend, who then became my brother-in-law, made things…unconventional.”

“One more question?” A person raising her hand in the middle asks Stacy.

“Last one,” She says firmly. “And make it quick.”

“When you say ‘connection’, Ava, what do you mean?”

I turn to Ava and notice her biting the inside of her lip and running her thumb over the back of her fingers—a sure sign she’s uncomfortable with this question. As much as I want to comfort her, I can’t because I am just as curious about what she meant.

I’ve always felt that there was a connection between us. I just never dared to hope she did, too. Especially after her reaction to my feelings for her.

She lifts a shoulder and glances at me before quickly looking back at the person who asked the question. “Duncan and I have always understood each other. There were moments when he seemed to know me better than any other person. Even my twin sister at times. I don’t know how else to describe it other than to say ‘connection’.”

People start calling Ava’s name, but Stacy cuts them off, letting everyone know that that was indeed the last question.

“Is that true?” I ask, holding my breath. My gaze pins hers as I wait for the answer.

A vulnerability crosses over her face, and my heart clenches. She blows out a breath, nodding her head, and softly says, “Yes.”

A rush of emotion runs through my body from this information. I reach out a hand to take hers just as Finn slaps me on the back.

“I think that went well! You both did a great job getting the focus away from the accusations made by Nathan.” His grin is mischievous, and he laughs. “But I think you made them more curious about your history.”

“As long as it’s helpful and not hurtful to the Wolverines, I’m okay with that,” Ava responds, before throwing a thumb over her shoulder. “I’m gonna head to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

My eyes follow her as she asks Stacy where she can find the restroom. She glances in my direction and gives me a small smile, causing my pulse to quicken.

Is it possible that Ava feels what I feel? Has always felt it?

My stomach drops with a thud as doubt creeps in. Yes, it’s possible , but is it likely? The past rolls through my memory like a flash of images making up a movie. The moments we’ve shared. The ease with which we’ve always gotten along.

“You two keep looking at each other like that, and I will have an undefeated record,” Finn says for my ears only.

“Finn, she’s an actress,” I mumble. “A good one.”

“But you’re not. It’s obvious to anyone watching you that you’re in love with her,” he says, looking down at his phone and scrolling and placing an image in my line of vision. I see a photo of me and Ava. How do they get these up so fast? “Look at her expression. It’s not just you, Duncan.”

I let my eyes move over Ava’s face. What Finn says isn’t wrong. There’s a softness in her expression while watching me answer one of the many questions sent my way. The way her lips are curved up and a gleam in her eyes. My heart tugs, and hope washes through me.

How do I dismiss what I see?

“Exactly,” Finn says, taking back his phone. “No one is that good at pretending, especially without a script.”

I stare at him with an open mouth, no words forming to contradict what he’s saying or what I saw in the photo of the two of us.

Memories of our kiss after the game flood me. The feel of her pulled against me, my lips on hers, and how she responded to me. My heart jumps like a dead battery receiving a charge, and hope that I had buried years ago resurfaces.

At that exact moment, I’m surrounded by sandalwood, and a warm hand grabs mine. When I look down, I find blue eyes shining up at me. “So what’s the normal routine for the team leaving?”

“I have to run.” Finn grins, his eyes moving between me and Ava. “Duncan, come home with the win. Ava, I will talk to you soon, I’m sure.”

“Bye, Finn.” Ava gives him a smile just as Finn turns around and walks out. She brings her attention back toward me, wearing a shy expression. “What do girlfriends usually do? I know that press conferences aren’t normal, but what about players being dropped off by their significant others?”

I fight the smile my cheeks are working to make happen and shrug. “I don’t know. I’ve never paid attention to them. I’m not even sure if wives or girlfriends drop any of my teammates off.”

“Oh. Okay, ” she says, looking around. The sparkle in her eyes dimming a bit. “I guess I can just head out and let you do whatever you do before a game.”

“I’ll walk you to the car since I need to grab my bags.”

“You didn’t grab them when we came in?” She asks, with a tilted head and narrowed eyes.

“I forgot.” I start walking toward the parking lot, her hand still in mine. “But I don’t think I’d let you walk out alone anyway. Our lot is secure, but I want to personally make sure you get in the car safely.”

“Duncan, you don’t have to; I’ll be fine.” She tries to stop me from walking, but I nudge her forward.

“I know. I want to.”

A soft ‘oh’ falls from her lips as she falls in step next to me. She places her other hand on my forearm, and I feel the warmth of her body as she leans into me. My heart skips, answering a question that I’ve silently been asking.

Ava opens the car and slides into the driver’s seat. “Can you pop the trunk for me?”

A beep sounds as the tailgate opens, but instead of walking to the back, I gently close the car door. I’m about to walk away but an idea crosses my mind. I signal her to roll down the window.

“Did you forget something?” She asks, looking over at the passenger seat. “I don’t see anything here.”

When she meets my gaze, her brows are pulled down, and I can’t help the smirk that slides across my lips.

“I didn’t forget anything, but there’s something I’ve been thinking about.” Her head tilts, and the smirk turns into a grin. My heart is pounding so loud I wonder if she can hear it. Leaning my arm against the top of the car, I say, “I think if any of the guys had their girl drop them off, they would definitely kiss goodbye.”

“Oh?” Her blue eyes pop open, and the corner of her lip lifts slightly. “They would?”

“I think so,” I say as I move my arms to rest on the open window. “What do you think?”

A sparkle enters her eyes just as her gaze drops to my lips. “I think you’re onto something there.”

“I’m glad we’re in agreement,” I whisper, leaning in closer before suddenly pulling away to a shocked expression on Ava’s face. “Wait. Get out of the car.”

“Get out?” She asks as I open the door and help her out of the front seat.

Before her feet hit the ground, I snake an arm around her waist and slide a hand behind her head. A gasp escapes her just as I trap her lips under mine.

The feel of her arms sliding around my neck, her body pressed flush against mine, leaves me wondering why I wasn’t letting myself indulge more in this part of our fake relationship.

Kissing Ava is all I want to do. Forever.

Then I remember the reason…another heartbreak.

It’s too late to worry about that since my heart is, and always has been, hers.