10. Chapter Eight
Chapter Eight
Ava
Scarlett’s excited chatter muffles right before I hear the front door close. I throw the covers off but don’t attempt to get out of bed. The thought of hiding in my room all day and pretending the outside world doesn’t exist is tempting.
Equally tempting is the rich aroma of fresh coffee David brewed right before leaving with my name written all over it. Unless I’m mistaken, he didn’t just use fresh coffee grounds but also made sure the grounds were a mixture of hazelnut and caramel.
Throwing the covers back over my head, I groan only to have a pair of concerned green eyes flash across my mind.
Duncan.
Grumbling, I toss the covers off again and throw my feet on the floor. Not only do I not want to deal with whatever is being said about me and Duncan, but I don’t want to address the fact that my sleepless night was caused by a continuous replaying of every little detail from last night.
I can still feel the solidness of him under my hands, his heat warming me when he pulled me against him. I felt safe and cared for.
“Ugh!”
Pushing myself from the bed, I rub my hands up and down my face. Coming to Maple Ridge was supposed to be a sanctuary of sorts; instead, it’s a pot of emotions that has me examining my life. Running a hand through my hair, I grab my phone from the nightstand before heading to the kitchen.
The house's silence is deafening, with all the thoughts stomping around in my head. Thoughts of Duncan and the feelings surfacing. Fear of how Nathan will react when he sees the image of me and Duncan.
And the most worrisome is this overwhelming feeling that I am losing a handle on my well-scripted life.
Picking up the mug David left out, I watch the brown liquid fill the cup. Working to stay in the present moment, I focus on each little task. Grabbing sugar. Pouring cream. Mixing them together.
The tension in my shoulders starts to ease a bit as I make my way to the strip of sun covering a corner of the couch. Sitting on a folded knee, I inhale the coffee before taking a sip. The warmth from the coffee and the sun work together to dissolve the chill that’s been a constant companion since ending my engagement.
Ten minutes later, I finally whip up the courage to power on my phone. Almost immediately, alerts start pouring in, and my stomach churns. When the sounds finally stop, I look to see the damage.
Not surprisingly, Nathan has been on a rampage. He’s called numerous times and left multiple messages. He’s also sent a ridiculous amount of texts. I’d forgotten how he hates to be ignored.
Caroline has also called and left a message. I hit play. It’s a simple message for me to call her back, but her voice lacks its usual lightness, leaving my palms sweaty and my heart thrumming.
Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I dial her number.
“Ava! Thank goodness.” Relief floods her voice. “I was worried about how long it would be before you reached out.”
“I told you to call David if you needed me,” I spit out, pulling nervously on the collar of my shirt.
“I did. But he told me he was out and wouldn’t be back until later this afternoon.”
“Well, you’ve got me now,” I say, trying to sound cheery, hoping the worry I’m feeling doesn’t come through. “What’s up?”
“What’s up?” Caroline sputters. “I’m guessing you haven’t seen any pictures or read Tea Time ?”
“ Tea Time ?” I ask, pulling my eyebrows together.
“Pleasant Hollow’s local gossip column?” Her voice is aghast. “Remember the Mavericks’ star wide receiver Josh Owens?”
“Maybe? You know I barely listen to you and all the gossip you try to fill me in on, right?” I tease. “Besides, you’re the one who’s supposed to be letting me know what’s happening.”
“How about you tell me what happened with you and Duncan last night?” Her voice takes on a tinge of amusement, and I feel heat creep up my neck. “I may have underestimated just how sexy that man is.”
You’re not the only one.
Keeping that thought to myself, I give her the facts and only the facts. “I was waiting for David and Scarlett to come back so we could wait outside the locker room for Duncan. But the press found me first. Then Duncan intervened.”
“I’ll say he did,” Caroline’s sultry voice carries over the phone, and I roll my eyes. “That picture is causing quite a stir.”
The picture is causing quite a stir? How about the man in the picture and the stir he’s causing me ? My heart races for a different reason as I once again recall the feel of his arms wrapped around me. The musky scent of cedar radiating off him. It’s all but branded in my memory.
He’s branded in my memory.
Dropping my head in my hand, I grumble. “Is that a bad thing?”
“Depends on who you’re asking. I, however think this presents us with an opportunity—”
“Caroline—”
“You haven’t even heard me out yet!”
“This time.” I rub my hand up and down my face. “I’ve been a part of your schemes before.”
“This isn’t a ‘scheme’. It’s a well-crafted idea, one that I think could silence Nathan...for good.”
The thought of getting my ex off of my back sends a sense of longing so deep that I nearly moan in desperation. But I know Caroline, and I’m afraid of what concoction her mind has come up with. She’s a fantastic agent, but she missed her calling as a screenwriter.
Whatever this ‘opportunity’ of hers is, I’m positive I don’t want to be cast as her leading lady.
“Okay. Spill. But please don’t make me regret considering this.”
“Really?” The excitement in her voice already makes me regret letting her present the idea, and she hasn’t even said anything yet. “Okay. So I spoke with Duncan’s agent, Finn Mitchell—”
“No,” I say, in a tone that brooks no argument. And one Caroline steamrolls right past.
“Finn and I thought that maybe you and Duncan could—”
“Caroline,” I growl.
“Pretend to date,” she finishes excitedly. Pretty sure she’s chewing the cover of her pen, waiting for my reaction.
“What?!” I screech. “Are you kidding me right now?”
“Not kidding. Social media is loving you and Duncan.” The glee in her voice has my stomach swirling. “Everyone loves the ‘Grumpy/Sunshine’ trope. And they loved seeing this grump of a man getting sappy all over you. He’s an internet sensation. They even have a nickname—”
“Stop. Caroline. Just stop,” I groan, leaning my head against the back of the couch, my palm planted on my forehead. “Duncan and I are practically family.”
“But you’re not family,” she says with way more enthusiasm than I can handle right now. “That’s the beauty of this. Besides, Finn says that it worked out magically for one of his other athletes.”
My mouth falls open. “What type of agent is Finn?”
“A good one. And one who cares about his clients,” Caroline spouts. “Just like me.”
“Hah!” I sputter. “This doesn’t feel like caring.”
“Sweetie, listen to me.” Her voice takes on a serious tone. “Nathan is out of control, and I’m not sure what he’ll do. How many times has he reached out to you today?”
Pulling in a deep breath, then slowly releasing it, I think about the hundreds of messages flooding my phone from Nathan. Not to mention the new ones that have probably come in since I’ve been on this call with Caroline.
“Exactly. You need someone like Duncan to keep you safe…from Nathan.”
I hate that what she’s saying makes sense, and yet there is no way Duncan would ever agree with this. “What about David? David could do it.”
“Ava. Everyone knows your back story. They know he’s your best friend, not to mention your sister’s husband. No one would ever believe the two of you are a couple. Especially Nathan.” I tug my bottom lip between my teeth, knowing she’s right. “Besides, it’s you and Duncan in the photo , and everyone is talking about it.”
I scrub my face with my hand again. “There’s no way he’d be willing to help me. Not after what I did to him,” I whisper.
“Based on how he was holding you in that picture, I’m pretty sure there’s nothing that man wouldn’t do for you.”
Her words knock the wind out of me, kicking my heart into high gear and setting the wheels in my head spinning.
Could Duncan still have feelings for me?
Yeah, feelings of extreme dislike. Maybe even hate.
“Caroline, whatever you think you saw from that picture, I can promise you, that’s not what it was. Duncan would never—”
“Just give it some thought, Ava,” she encourages. “I’ll do my best to work on a Plan B if Duncan disagrees. But first, you need to see if it’s a definite no.”
The hurt in Duncan’s eyes when I rejected him has my heart dropping to my stomach. Maybe letting him reject me is only fair?
I drop my forehead into my palm. I can’t believe I’m even considering asking him to do this. It’s insane.
“Okay.” I sigh, chewing the inside of my mouth. “I’ll consider it.”
“Great!” Caroline delights. Based on her reaction, you’d think I just told her I’m all in. “Tell me what he said after you talk to him. Toodles!”
“Toodles?” Three beeps sound in my ear, and I pull the phone away to stare at the screen. Sometimes, I wonder about my agent and her frame of mind, like if she’s actually sane.
Another text from Nathan pops up, then another. I turn my phone off and place it on the coffee table, my hands trembling.
Nathan’s behavior needs to be addressed, and soon. Before, he does something more dangerous than call or text excessively.
A realization strikes me.
I’m more afraid of what Nathan might do than I could ever be of Duncan not agreeing to this arrangement.
If he says no, it’s only what I deserve. And I’ll figure something else out.