Page 8 of Accidentally Checked By My Brother's Best Friend

Like I said to Duncan at Fi and David’s wedding, he deserves someone so much better than me. I may not be the same girl who said those words, but the scars from my father’s abandonment still linger.

It’s the reason Nathan and I worked. He never wanted more from me than I was willing to give, which was little. The freedom to have fun without delving deeply emotionally was ideal.

But somewhere along the way, that changed.

Playing multiple main characters who could be emotionally open to receiving a deep, true love made me crave it. At some point, I started to believe that happy endings didn’t only have to be in movies. Then Sean got into my head. Now, here I am, believing it’s possible.

But Duncan?

Duncan’s thumb on Scarlett’s cheek, the gentleness in his eyes—

“No!” I chastise myself for even considering him as a possibility. “Duncan is off-limits.”

“What about Duncan?” David’s voice comes from behind me. My feet leave the ground, and my hand lifts to my chest, working to keep my now-pounding heart from leaping out. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

Narrowing my eyes, I give him a playful glare at his chuckle. Then I shrug. “It’s not you; I’ve been on edge lately.”

It’s not a lie; ever since Nathan’s reaction to our breakup, my nerves have been threadbare. Between him calling me day and night, along with the media, I’ve practically jumped every time my phone rang. So I turned off my phone.

I let Caroline know I’d check messages a few times a day and if there was an emergency to reach me through David.

Nathan showing up in Maple Ridge is unlikely, but, to be honest, I’m not sure he won’t show up here. With every message he leaves, he seems angrier. More desperate. I’ve never seen him like this, and it’s starting to scare me.

I watch David as he places some grocery bags on the counter and grabs the items to put away. Walking around the counter I start to help. The comfortable silence and mindless task are just what I need to calm my nerves.

“When did Scarlett start calling Duncan ‘Dunky’?” I laugh, recalling the expression on Duncan’s face. “Hehatesit.”

“I called him ‘Dunc’ a few weeks ago. The next time he came over, I heard her calling him ‘Uncle Dunky,’” He says as he places a box of cereal in the cabinet next to the fridge. “The look of horror on his face stayed with me for days. Not to mention the scowl he gave me for laughing.”

I’ve witnessed the scowl David’s talking about, and I can’t help but laugh, too.

I grab one of the empty bags and start folding it.

David slips a half gallon of milk in the refrigerator, leans against the counter, and turns toward me. “How are you doing?”

I lift one shoulder and continue to fold the bag. “I’m doing okay, all things considered.”

“Want to tell me what happened?” Glancing up, I see David’s hazel eyes full of concern.

“Nathan was unhappy about the press my co-star, Sean, and I were getting.” I reach my arm across my chest and massage one of my shoulders, thinking about the last fight Nathan and I had. “I got tired of him complaining about it. I’m an actress. It’s my job to make people believe my part is real.”

Shifting back to the bag on the counter, I glance at David over my shoulder to see his eyebrow quirked. Turning and handing him the folded bag, he puts it away.

“So what made this time different from all the other times he’s done this?” He asks quietly, knowing he’s breaching a no-go zone.

I wrap my arms around my waist and lean back against the counter. I peek through my lashes and see David placing mugs on the counter. He turns on the electric kettle quietly, waiting for me to continue.

A coldness comes over me, and I rub my hands up and down my arms to get rid of the chill.

“Too many romance movies and a meddling co-star.” A sheepish smile crosses my lips, and I scoff. “You have to know Sean O’Connell. When he gets fixated on something, it’s hard to get him off it. Being that this is the second movie we’ve made together, he wasn’t hesitant to point out how bad he thought Nathan was for me.”

“He’s right,” David grumbles, holding out two boxes of herbal tea. “Lavender or ginger?”

“Lavenderandginger, please.” I smile. I see a brief flicker of sadness touch David’s eyes, and I remember that Fiona would mix teas, too. I see he still misses her as much as I do. I take the mug from his hand, lean back against the counter, and wrap both hands around it, hoping some of the heat will transfer to my body. “I know. Which is why, after this last incident, I ended things.”

A tiny gleam replaces the sadness in David’s eyes, and a smile curves his lips. “I think I like this Sean character. Any chance—”

“No!” I put a hand out to stop him before he can finish. “I adore Sean, but he is not the one for me. It’s nice to know I have a friend who cares enough to be honest, though. Even if it completely annoys me.”

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