Page 8 of Faking it With the Player Next Door

Chapter Eight

Van

“ E llie,” I moaned and threw my hands up in the air. “There is no us . We are over.”

“Oh, come on, Van,” Ellie’s lips turned pouty, and she frowned. “You weren’t serious about all that…” She waved her hand in a spiral. “We’re still going to the awards show back in L.A., and I have…”

“Stop, Ellie,” I shook my head and strode across the room. “I told you months ago we were over, and I never once gave you any indication that we’d reconcile.”

“Oh, you were just speaking out when you were too emotional,” Ellie whined. “I get it. I’m emotional too, and you’d never tossed me to the curb.”

“This isn’t tossing anyone to the curb, Ellie, and that’s a terrible analogy,” I snorted, glancing over my shoulder at her.

“Always nitpicking,” Ellie giggled. “I came here…” She held out her hands. “To this forsaken backwoods town to make sure you were coming back to…”

“No,” I shook my head. “I’m here recovering, and even if I wasn’t, I’m not coming back to L.A. regardless.”

“You don’t mean that,” Ellie sashayed towards me, and the way she seductively sauntered wasn’t lost on me.

Sadly, being a man, my body reacted to her tempting sexual expertise, and I had to glance away. I didn’t want Ellie to get the wrong idea. I meant it when I said we were over and no longer an item.

I had broken up with her before coming home, and when I had, I thought I saw a glimmer of relief from Ellie. I had been injured, had just had my surgery, and was beginning my therapy. There was chatter on the sports shows and in the tabloids that my career was over.

I saw the lonely gaze in Ellie’s eyes when she thought I’d be a nobody, a washed-up has-been, and have lost my multi-million-dollar contract and endorsements. At that moment, I knew I didn’t want to be with Ellie or any other woman like her.

I wanted someone who appreciated me for me, who wasn’t here for the fame my name brought to the table, and someone who had my back during good times and bad. Ellie was definitely not that girl.

Glancing out the kitchen window, I thought I saw movement next door, and wondered why Taylor still hadn’t answered any of my messages or calls. She’s been standoffish since we walked along the trail, and I had no idea why.

I called Hunter earlier, and he said he spoke to her yesterday, and she was planning on cooking dinner for him, but she canceled within an hour. He continued to say that he’d spoken with her briefly after I called her earlier, and then I got sidetracked when Ellie showed up unannounced.

When I heard someone at the door, I got excited that it was Taylor, so I dashed through the house to open the door, but imagine my surprise when Ellie crossed the threshold and attempted to kiss me, to which I turned my head, and her lips grazed over my cheek. She pouted, set her little purse on the side table in the foyer, and tilted her head to one side.

Seeing her in this sulky mood, made me sigh. I didn’t want her around, and I thought I’d made that very clear in the grocery store yesterday. I had gone shopping and when I turned the corner on an aisle, there was Ellie.

But at that moment, all I could think about was that I hoped Taylor wasn’t near a window in her Gram’s house and would see Ellie here. The last thing I needed was for Ellie to be why Taylor and I didn’t get together.

She was all I could think about anymore. Taylor, that is, not Ellie.

“Ellie, go back to L.A.,” I repeated.

“Come with me,” she whined, fluttering her eyelashes.

Those things reminded me of a giant spider, but every woman I saw over the last few years had false eyelashes. I didn’t understand all the beauty regimes that women felt were needed. I preferred the natural look. Little to no makeup. No two-inch long nails painted with some colorful nail polish.

Someone like Taylor.

Lowering her head, Ellie walked up behind me, wrapped her arms around my waist, and laid her cheek on my upper back. Granted, Ellie was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, and dated, but she wasn’t the girl for me. I didn’t need all her pouty behavior, nor did I want a future with her. She wasn’t, as my mom would say, marriage material.

Ellie Parsons is a swimsuit model, and we were introduced last year at a sports award show. We hit it off, dated, and were sometimes inseparable, but I’d grown tired of her high-maintenance lifestyle, her neediness, and, to be honest, her whiny voice.

Hearing about her friends , and how they dissed each other when the other was absent, made me shake my head. Women were so catty and competitive, and soul-sucking for me. I couldn’t handle being around Elle’s group, especially when a few of her model friends hit on me.

That bothered me to no end. Some of the women Elle considered friends and acquaintances were bad choices, which, in my mind, said little for her integrity. These women had no qualms about throwing the others under the proverbial bus if it meant furthering their careers.

“Van…” Ellie whined.

“I can’t do this right now, Ellie,” I scolded. “Go back to your hotel. Go back to L.A. I don’t care.”

Running a hand through my hair, I wanted nothing more than to go next door, pound on Taylor’s door, and see why she’s been avoiding me.

“Fine!” Ellie spat, stomped across the house, grabbed her purse, and stopped at the front door. She spun around to face me and then continued her tirade. “You know I can ruin your good boy image? I can make your life a living hell.”

“Do whatever you feel like,” I countered. “I don’t care.”

Huffing, she stepped outside and then slammed the front door in her wake. Rolling my eyes, I counted to twenty, giving Ellie enough time to leave, and then I raced for the back door to go out to the deck for some fresh air.

***

Someone was pounding on the front door, but I was sitting in the backyard on the deck. I stood from the chair, took my half-empty beer bottle to the driveway, and circled the house to see who was visiting me.

From the vantage point of the driveway, behind the tall bush, I could see who was on the front porch, but they wouldn’t be able to see me too easily. If it was Ellie coming back to argue more and give me some pathetic reason to go back to L.A. with her, I could avoid her.

Seeing Hunter pounding on the door, I stepped out so he could see me. “Hey, there,” I chuckled. “You’re gonna knock the door off the wall. What’s the urgency?”

“You sonuva…” Hunter shouted, then jumped off the porch, running full force in my direction.

“What?” I grimaced and held up my hands. “What’s wrong?”

Hunter didn’t answer; instead, his body collided with mine, and we fell to the lawn. My beer bottle flew out of my hands, and I heard it crash to the cement in the driveway, shattering. Hunter struck me that the wind got knocked out of me, and my first thought was my arm.

“G-Get the hell off me, you jackass!” I panted, pushing Hunter away. “What the hell’s gotten into you?”

“Me?” Hunter growled and pushed up.

He was straddling me, and his knees were at my side. Laying here, I didn’t feel any pain in my arm or hand, but I was petrified to move it as I thought Hunter might have hurt me.

“What the hell, H-Hunter?” I stared at him; his nostrils flared, and his chest heaved. “What’s going on?”

“Taylor…” he gasped, trying to catch his breath from the blow.

“What about her? I h-haven’t spoken to her in two days,” I swallowed hard.

“Who the hell was the brunette?” He growled.

“Huh?” I frowned. “What brunette?”

“The one you’ve been hanging all over with? In the store?” He narrowed his eyes.

“Oh, her? She’s nobody,” I frowned, wondering how he knew Ellie was in town. But Coleman was a small enough town that word could spread like wildfire.

“Didn’t sound like a nobody…”

“Hey!” I exclaimed. “How did you know about Ellie?”

“Ellie?” Hunter frowned and pushed off me.

He stood, wiped his hands off on his thighs, then held a hand out to help me up.

“Ellie Parsons, that model I was dating until a few months ago,” I let Hunter heft me up. “How did you know she was in town?”

“Taylor,” he snarled.

“Taylor?” I narrowed my eyes. “How did she know about…”

“She saw you two in the grocery store hanging all over each other,” Hunter spat. “Why did you hurt her?”

“What Taylor saw was nothing like it seemed…”

“Well, explain it,” Hunter challenged.

“I’d never hurt Taylor,” I murmured.

Glancing at Hunter, who had his arms crossed over his massive chest, and whose glare could have melted the Antarctic ice caps, I began telling him about Ellie, and how she showed up in Coleman, much to my disgruntlement. By the time I was done, Hunter stood without saying a word.

“Come on, Hunter,” I held up my hands. “Why would I hurt Taylor?”

“I don’t know,” he shook his head. “But from where I stand, you must see how this looks.”

“I can imagine,” I mumbled. “I never meant for Ellie to show up here. I’d broken it off with her months ago.”

“So, why would she come here?” Hunter cocked his head.

“I have my suspicions,” I snorted. “But regardless, we are not a couple, and what Taylor witnessed was Ellie being Ellie. Overzealous and needy.”

Hunter nodded, loosened his arms around his chest, and seemed in deep thought.

I shifted on my feet and wondered what else to say.

“You’re going to have to talk to her,” Hunter replied.

“Who? Ellie?”

“No, Taylor,” he shook his head. “She’s devastated.”

“Man,” I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “I never meant to hurt her, and I had no clue that she saw Ellie with me.”

“Has Ellie left?”

“I hope so, but knowing her, I doubt it,” I grumbled.

The memory of her warning me that she’d ruin me came to mind. I wonder what she meant by that. I knew Ellie could be quite vindictive when it came to her career, and how she was two-faced with other models, or people she thought would slow down the advancement of her career.

I should be concerned with Ellie and her revenge, but my main thoughts were on Taylor and how I had hurt her without knowing it. Now I knew why she wasn’t answering my calls and messages.

“So, what do you plan on doing when you talk with Taylor?’ Hunter broke into my thoughts.

“Tell her the truth,” I nodded. “Nothing else can I say.”

“While Taylor can be good at letting another person tell their story, be prepared for her not forgiving too quickly,” Hunter replied. “She’s still hurting from… Well, from what happened in D.C.”

I nodded, knowing what Hunter meant. This Travis character had been a real jerk and hurt Taylor more than anyone deserved. While I didn’t mean to hurt her, I was no better than Travis. What made it even worse was that I’d unintentionally hurt her more when she was still recovering from her broken engagement.

I felt like such an ass and had to make this right. I wanted nothing more than to make Taylor happy, and I’d give anything to make it up to her. I had to explain how Ellie was a woman out for herself, and that I had no interest in her.

“Let me know if you need anything,” Hunter said. “Not sure how much help I’ll be, ’cause Taylor’s pretty upset right now, but I’ll help in any way I can.”

“I appreciate that, but I have a feeling I need to do this alone,” I mumbled and glanced at Taylor’s place next door. “Do you think I should go over there now?”

“I don’t know, dude,” Hunter winced. “I’d give her a day or so before attempting.”

“Ouch,” I grimaced. “If Taylor’s temper is still like it used to be years ago, I believe I’ll wait a day… maybe two .”

Hunter snorted, “Yeah, it sucks to be you.”

“Always,” I shook my head.

“Can I give you some advice?”

“Please,” I sighed.

“Make sure this Ellie is out of the picture, as in, make sure she’s returned to California,” Hunter replied. “Because if you apologize to Taylor and Ellie comes around again, it’ll all be for nothing.”

“Agreed,” I nodded.