Page 21 of Accidentally Checked By My Brother's Best Friend

A tinge of pink touches Duncan’s face. And my smile grows a bit brighter at how adorable he is. Yesterday at the rehearsal dinner was the first time I’d seen him in a couple of years. The man standing in front of me is different from the boy I remember—yet still the same.

“In this old suit?” His eyes dance at me, and the sense of ease I’d always felt around Duncan fills me.

“You’re going to have women falling at your feet when you’re in Florida.” Duncan was just drafted into the NHL and will be playing for the Florida Panthers. “What do you think they’ll call themselves? Duncan’s Divas?”

“Did you just come up with that, or is it something you’ve been thinking about?” His green eyes twinkle. “Did you want to be the founding member?”

My eyes widen and laughter flies from my lips, causing people to turn and look at us. When my gaze lands on Duncan again; he' s smiling, and my stomach swoops.

I could count on one hand how many times I’ve seen this expression from him. It’s like finding a four-leaf clover. And when it happened in the past, I always felt special. That feeling hasn’t changed.

But today, it makes my heart skip a beat.

“I love you.” Duncan’s sudden confession has my heart racing and a sense of dread runs through me.

No…please don’t,I silently beg. My stomach swirls and my smile falls. “Duncan. I’m sure you—”

“I always have,” he continues, above the pounding in my ears, “I know I’m younger and David’s brother, but I feel like there’s always been a—”

The tips of my fingers gently cover his lips, needing to stop the flow of words falling from his mouth.

How can I tell him that he deserves someone amazing? Someone worthy of the heart he has? How do I do that without hurting him?

Too late. Before I can find the words, I see a deep pain swimming in his expressive green eyes. A heavy tightness takes over my chest, but I can’t find any words.

Then the music stops and a hardness comes over Duncan’s expression.

“Thank you for the dance,” he says coldly before walking away.

Watching his back, I know things will never be the same.

Staring ahead of me at the sun setting through the bare trees, I work to slow my pounding heart.

Since that moment, Duncan has been kind and courteous but always distant. And every time I see him, it stings. If he ever wanted an opportunity to get back at me for hurting him, now would be his chance.

I’m pretty sure that won’t be the case; he’s not petty and has never held a grudge. I’m sure that if he says no, it’s because he feels he needs to. But the fear of him saying no is daunting.

“Okay, A. It’s time to see if Duncan will pretend to be your boyfriend.”

Blowing out a deep breath. I work to slip into the confident version of myself; the one who learned that ‘no’ doesn’t really mean ‘no’. I didn’t become the famous rom-com movie star Ava Norris by stopping at my first no.

I can do this.

Before I can change my mind, I slide out of the car and walk up the steps to Duncan’s house. Once there I immediately knock, afraid I’ll lose my nerve if I think too much about what I’m doing.

The door swings open to a grumbling man wearing a pink apron that says, “Time To Make The Donuts.” A huge smile spreads across my face. I glance up to see Duncan’s surprised wide eyes and a pink flush creeping up his neck.

Chuckling, I point to his apron and watch him glance down. The flush turns a bright red.

“Scarlett got it for me,” he says shyly, a sheepish grin crawling across his lips. “She calls me Uncle ‘Dunkin Donuts’.”

My eyebrows shoot past my hairline as what he said sinks in, and I cover my mouth. Trying to keep the laughter from bubbling out. “Well, I’m pretty confident I’ve never seen someone wear pink so well before.”

To my surprise, Duncan laughs with me, and the sound sends tiny tingles to my toes. When his gaze lands back on mine, my breath catches. The air between us lights up. My eyes drop to his lips, and I notice his Adam’s apple bob.

Whipping my gaze back to Duncan’s, I feel heat creep up my face when I am caught, only to find heat filling his eyes. Warmth spreads across my belly in response, and my heart starts to pound.

I clear my throat and break eye contact. “I wanted to thank you for your help yesterday.”

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