Page 12 of Faking it With the Player Next Door

Chapter Twelve

Van

I paced around the kitchen, adjusting the last of the candles, and rechecked the table, even though I knew it was perfect. The warm scent of pasta filled the air, mingling with the soft flicker of candlelight. The room had just the right glow—simple, intimate, exactly how I wanted it.

Tonight wasn’t just about dinner—it was about finally telling Taylor my feelings for her. I’m done hiding behind this fake relationship. I couldn’t pretend anymore.

A soft knock on the door broke my focus. “Come in, it’s open,” I called, trying to sound casual.

I heard the door creak open, followed by the quiet click as it shut. Her footsteps padded softly across the floor, and I turned just in time to see Taylor walk in. Her eyes swept the room before landing on me, widening slightly as they took in the candlelit table.

“This is… really nice, Van,” she said, her voice gentle, but I could hear the hint of surprise.

I couldn’t help but grin as I crossed the room to meet her. Leaning in, I pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. Her familiar floral scent wrapped around me—soft and sweet. It was like breathing in spring. For a second, I just stood there, soaking it in.

“You smell like spring,” I teased, my voice low. “And you look like you’ve been stealing all the sunshine.”

She blushed, a quiet laugh escaping her lips as she glanced away, clearly flustered. “Oh, stop,” she murmured, smoothing a hand over her dress, trying to compose herself. “You’re laying it on thick tonight.”

I chuckled, stepping back enough to pull out her chair. “What can I say? A quiet night with the best company deserves a little effort.”

She sat down, still smiling, but I could see something else flicker across her face—something more serious. The charm did not fool her. She knew tonight was different.

“Thanks, Van. This… this is really thoughtful.”

I took a seat across from her, my smile softening. “We should talk.”

Her smile faded a little, her expression growing more guarded. She was bracing herself for something. She could sense it, the same as I could. But she nodded, ready to hear me out.

Dinner started quietly, the clinking of silverware the only sound between us. I kept glancing at her, watching how the candlelight danced over her face. I had so much I wanted to say, but every time I tried to form the words, they stuck in my throat.

Halfway through the meal, I set my fork down, leaning forward. I couldn’t wait any longer. “Taylor, I’ve been thinking a lot. About us, about everything that’s been going on—“

Before I could finish, a loud voice boomed from outside, cutting through the calm. “Taylor! Taylor, where are you?”

My stomach dropped. I didn’t recognize the voice, but Taylor’s freezing and tensing up like she had been struck told me all I needed to know.

I followed her gaze to the window. Her face had gone pale, her fork frozen in mid-air. She whispered a name that sent a surge of anger through me.

“Travis.”

I stood up, my heart racing. So, this was him. The ex-fiancé who’d broken her heart, the guy who had no business being here now. Taylor pushed her chair back, moving toward the door stiffly like she was preparing for battle.

“I’ll deal with him,” she mumbled, her voice hardening.

I followed her, my fists clenched at my sides. I’d heard enough about Travis to know he wasn’t welcome here. The thought of him just showing up, like he had any right to be in her life again, made my blood boil.

Outside, Travis stood by the porch, hands casually stuffed in his pockets, a cocky smirk plastered on his face. “There you are, Taylor. Took you long enough.”

Taylor stopped a few feet away from him, her body rigid, every part of her on guard. “What are you doing here, Travis?”

“I wanted to see you,” he said, his voice dripping with entitlement. “I need to talk to you. You’ve been avoiding me long enough.”

My patience snapped. I stepped forward, ready to end this, but Taylor shot me a look that told me to stay back. She didn’t want me to get involved. Not yet.

“I’ve been avoiding you because there’s nothing left to say,” she replied, her voice strained but steady.

“Oh, come on, Taylor,” Travis said with a dismissive wave. “Don’t be like that. We were engaged once, remember? You can’t just pretend I don’t exist.”

I took another step forward, fists clenched, but Taylor raised her hand, her voice calm but strained. “Enough, Travis. Just leave.”

Travis’ eyes flicked over to me for the first time, and his smirk widened. “So, this is the new guy, huh? What’s his name again?”

The way he said it, like I didn’t matter as Taylor had somehow traded down—it took everything in me not to punch him right there. But I held back, catching the warning in Taylor’s eyes.

Travis shrugged, clearly enjoying the situation. “You traded down, sweetheart. But that’s what happens when you can’t handle the real thing.”

I took another step forward, unable to keep the anger out of my voice. “You heard her, Travis. Leave.”

Travis looked between us, that smug grin never leaving his face. But he didn’t push it any further. “Fine. I’ll be around, sweetheart. Don’t think you can avoid me forever.”

He turned and walked away, and I let out a breath I didn’t even realize I’d been holding. Every part of me wanted to go after him, to finish what he’d started, but Taylor’s quiet voice stopped me.

“I… I need a minute,” she whispered, not looking at me before retreating into the house and locking the door behind her.

I stood there for a moment, staring after her, heart pounding.

The night I had carefully planned shattered, and I didn’t know how to handle the mess of emotions that replaced it. I grabbed my jacket and keys and headed for the tavern without thinking.

I needed space. I needed a drink.

***

Sitting at the bar, I stared at my half-empty beer, the frustration still simmering. The noise of the tavern blurred into the background as I kept replaying the scene in my head—Travis showing up, the way Taylor had tensed up, the look in her eyes. I hated it.

I hated him.

I felt eyes on me. The usual tingling of attention. It didn’t take long for someone to notice me whenever I walked into a place like this. Normally, I’d be okay with it, maybe even signing an autograph or taking a picture. But not tonight. I kept my eyes on my drink, hoping whoever it was would get the message and leave me alone.

The barstool next to me creaked as someone sat down. I didn’t bother looking until I heard Hunter’s voice. “Van? What are you doing here alone? Where’s Taylor?”

I sighed, rubbing a hand over my face. “She’s home.”

Hunter studied me for a second, clearly sensing something was off. “Something happened?”

I hesitated, then finally glanced over at him. “Travis showed up tonight.”

His reaction was immediate. Hunter’s eyes narrowed, and his jaw clenched. “Travis? That scumbag is in town?”

I nodded, feeling the anger rise again. “Yeah. He showed up at her place like he still had some kind of claim on her. Like nothing ever happened.”

Hunter slammed his drink down on the bar, fury flashing in his eyes. “That guy has some nerve. Where is he? I’ll deal with him.”

I grabbed his arm before he could get up. “He’s gone. He already left.”

Hunter muttered under his breath, but settled back onto the stool, still seething. “Unbelievable. After everything he did to her, he thinks he can just show up like that?”

I nodded, taking another sip of my beer. “It was bad, Hunter. The way Taylor reacted… I’ve never seen her like that.”

His expression softened, concern flickering in his eyes. “Taylor’s been through a lot, man. Travis messed her up. Took her a while to get back on her feet.”

Hearing the protectiveness in Hunter’s voice only made me feel worse. I hadn’t realized how deep the scars went, how much she’d already been through. And now I was making it worse. Between Ellie showing up, the lies, the confusion—I felt like I was pushing Taylor back into the same hurt she’d just barely crawled out of.

Hunter’s voice broke through my thoughts. More serious now. “Look, Van, I gotta ask. What’s going on with Ellie? Is she still in Coleman?”

“I don’t know, man.”

He frowned, clearly not satisfied with that answer. “Taylor has said little, but I can tell something’s bothering her. I think she’s beginning to see you the same way she sees Travis. And that’s not a good place to be.”

My stomach dropped. “Ellie and I… it’s over. It has been for a while, as I said last time. I haven’t even talked to her since she showed up at my place a few days ago.”

Hunter raised an eyebrow, his expression skeptical.

“Then you need to make that clear to Taylor. She went through hell with Travis’ deceit. If she thinks you’re hiding something, even unintentionally, it will reopen all those old wounds.”

Hunter’s words hit me harder than I expected. I hadn’t realized how much the shadow of Ellie might still loom over everything. Right now, I felt like I was heading towards becoming another person who hurt Taylor, which was the last thing I wanted.

I need to fix this. Somehow.