Page 19 of Faking it With the Player Next Door

Chapter Nineteen

Taylor

V an stood under the streetlight, the soft glow illuminating him in a way that made my heart ache with longing and relief. He looked at me, his eyes searching, vulnerable, and full of everything we hadn’t said for so long.

I didn’t wait. I closed the space between us, my feet moving faster than my thoughts, my heart pounding. The cool night air seemed to hold its breath, the world narrowing to just us.

Before I could say anything, he pulled me into his arms, wrapping me up in the warmth I’d been craving. The feel of his body against mine was familiar and comforting, yet charged with something more. I rested my head against his chest, his heartbeat strong and steady beneath my ear.

“Taylor,” he breathed, his voice rough and filled with emotion. “I’m so sorry.”

I lifted my head to meet his gaze, and before I could stop myself, I reached up, cupping his face in my hands. “Don’t be sorry,” I whispered. “Not for this.”

Our eyes met, and suddenly, everything else seemed unimportant. The past drama, my lingering doubts, and all those years we could have been together but weren’t—all of it faded into the background. At that moment, only our connection mattered. It was just us. Finally.

And then he kissed me.

It wasn’t the slow, tentative kiss from years ago. This was different—more certain, more urgent, as if we both knew this was our moment. His lips were soft and warm, and I melted into him, feeling the weight of every unsaid word, every hidden feeling in that kiss.

When we finally broke apart, my heart was racing, my breath shallow. I stared up at Van, my hand still resting on his cheek. “Van... I love you.”

He blinked, his eyes wide, like he hadn’t expected those words but had been hoping to hear them for a long time. “Taylor, I...” He paused, taking a breath. His voice was low and thick with emotion. “I love you too. I’ve loved you for so long.”

The honesty in his voice made my heart squeeze painfully in my chest. All this time, and we had both been afraid to say it. I laughed, half in disbelief and half in joy, feeling tears prick the corners of my eyes.

He smiled at me, his thumb brushing away a stray tear that had slipped free. “Why didn’t we say this sooner?” he asked softly, his forehead resting against mine.

“I don’t know,” I murmured. “I guess we were both afraid.”

His arms tightened around me as if he couldn’t bear to let me go again. “Never again,” he promised. “No more running.”

“No more,” I agreed, feeling a sense of peace I hadn’t felt in months, maybe even years.

We walked back to the resort together, hand in hand, the silence between us comfortable and full of unspoken understanding. When we reached my room, I invited Van in, and we settled onto the couch, his arm around my shoulders as I curled into him.

“I wasn’t lying, you know,” I began quietly, staring at the flicker of light from the lamp in the room’s corner. “I really have had a crush on you since we were teenagers.”

Van shifted slightly, his fingers tracing gentle patterns on my arm. “Since high school?”

I nodded, feeling my cheeks heat slightly. “Do you remember that party at the Farmer’s field? The one where we kissed for the first time?”

He let out a soft chuckle, his hand stilling on my arm. “I’ve thought about that kiss a lot over the years.”

“I never forgot it,” I admitted, glancing up at him. “It was the moment I realized I wanted more with you. But... I don’t know. I guess I was scared that I would ruin our friendship. And then, when you started dating other girls, I convinced myself you didn’t feel the same.”

His eyes softened when he looked at me.

He said, “I felt the same way, but didn’t know how to express it. I was an idiot.”

I smiled at him. “We both were.”

Van sighed, his expression turning more serious. “I realized I loved you back in high school, too. But I thought you were out of my league. My friendship with you and Hunter seemed to stop me each time I changed my mind, and then life just... kept happening.”

I rested my head against his chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat calming me. “I wish we’d said something sooner.”

He wrapped his arm tighter around me, placing a kiss on the top of my head. “It doesn’t matter now. We’re here. We’ve finally said it.”

I took a deep breath. “I finally told Hunter the truth - that our relationship wasn’t real. I explained everything to him.”

Van nodded silently, his face unreadable, but his body language relaxed. Neither of us seemed to need words at that moment.

We sat like that for a while, wrapped up in each other, the silence comfortable. At that moment, it felt as if the last wall between us had crumbled, leaving our hearts truly open to each other for the first time. The weight of pretense had lifted, and in its place was something that felt genuine and right.

But I knew there was one more thing I had to tell him.

Taking a deep breath, I sat up, pulling away slightly to face him. “Van, there’s something I need to tell you. About Travis.”

His brows furrowed, and he nodded, his eyes attentive. “Go on.”

I exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of what I was about to say. “When I broke up with Travis... it wasn’t because he was cheating on me with another woman.”

Van’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes darkened with concern. “What was it then?”

I hesitated, my fingers fiddling with the edge of the blanket draped over the couch. “I caught him doing drugs. I did not know he was involved with that thing until I walked in on him. He wasn’t who I thought he was.”

Van’s eyes softened, and he reached out, taking my hand. “Taylor... I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“I should’ve told you the truth earlier,” I whispered. “But I was too embarrassed. And angry. At myself, mostly.”

Van shook his head. “You don’t have to be embarrassed. Travis was the one who messed up, not you.”

“I know,” I whispered, squeezing his hand. “I didn’t want you to think I was running from a relationship or commitment because of something trivial.”

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Taylor. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

I leaned into him again, resting my head on his shoulder. “What about you?” I asked quietly. “Ellie?”

He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “Ellie and I met about a year ago. Despite our regular dates and time together, I couldn’t shake the feeling that our relationship was missing the deep connection I craved. She called me tonight after... everything that happened at the restaurant. She offered to, you know, be there for me.”

I frowned slightly, feeling a jolt of jealousy, even though I knew there was nothing between them anymore. “And?”

“And I turned her down,” Van said, his voice firm. “There’s only one person I want to be with, Taylor. You.”

I smiled, feeling the warmth spread through me at his words. “I’m glad.”

We sat in comfortable silence again for a moment before Van turned to me, his expression serious. “Taylor... I need to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

He shifted slightly, turning to face me fully. “Earlier, you said you told Hunter the truth. About us.”

I nodded, my heart racing. “I did.”

Van’s hand tightened around mine, and his gaze softened. “Then let’s make it real.”

My breath caught in my throat, and I stared at him, wide-eyed. “What?”

“Taylor, I don’t want this to be fake anymore. I want you to be my girlfriend. For real. No more pretending, no more hiding.”

Tears of joy welled up in my eyes as I smiled at him. “Van, I... I want that, too. More than anything.”

He smiled that warm, genuine smile that made my heart flutter. And then he kissed me again, slow and sweet, and this time, I knew for certain that everything was real.

As we pulled away, I rested my forehead against his, both breathing hard, the air between us electric with the promise of what was to come.