Love Fool (One Night Only Season 2: Hunter's Story)

Chapter Fifteen

Paisley has outdone herself. I thought her telling us to get a room and insisting Deni and I kiss each other would be the height of her mischief today, but I underestimated what she had up her sleeve.

"Did you abandon Brooke to come hassle us?" I ask, choosing to sidestep the question. I sound unruffled, and let's hope I also appear that way, because Deni still has her gaze fixed on me.

"I came in to get water for both of us," Paisley replies. "Why are you changing the subject?"

"Why were you eavesdropping on my conversation with Trinity?" I counter.

"I wasn't eavesdropping. I was standing right behind you, waiting for you to finish talking so we could take family photos."

"Then you know I didn't say I was dating Deni. I said I was seeing someone. No names were given."

This is technically true, but Paisley isn't satisfied. "Are you seeing someone?" she asks.

I was hoping to be, but any optimism I had about Deni feeling the same way as I do died with this conversation. "No, I'm not. End of discussion."

I remove the cap from my water bottle and take a drink to punctuate my statement. Paisley undoubtedly has more to say on the subject, but she should know from experience that I won't budge, no matter what she asks next. This could be why she suddenly puts a lid on it, or maybe she caught a glimpse of Deni's frown and dazed expression and realized how awkward this has likely become for her. It's certainly that way for me.

How do I pivot us out of this and make Deni comfortable again? Sure, my ego is a little wounded that my crush is one-sided, but she didn't ask for me to feel that way about her or for Paisley to show up in the kitchen and interrogate both of us for no reason.

"I'm going back down to the lake," Deni announces. She avoids looking at Paisley and me as she marches past us and heads for the door.

"Good job," I mutter at my sister, keeping my voice low so Deni won't overhear. "It's one thing to pester me, but you could have left her out of it. What has she ever done to you?"

"Someone's mad about being friend-zoned."

"Why would I be mad? You're the one who made something out of nothing."

"Keep telling yourself that," she replies in a sing-song voice. "I think she's into you and denying it as much as you're denying how much you like her, if you want my opinion."

"I don't want your opinion."

She ignores me. "In fact, I'll bet if you get her alone again and keep doing what you were doing when I walked in--"

"Enough," I interrupt. "You can keep living in your dream world, but quit forcing it on our new neighbor, okay?"

I stalk out of the kitchen and make my escape outside. My parents have returned from their walk and are lingering by the camp, squinting at something in a nearby tree, but I don't stop to ask what they're looking at. Paisley's footsteps follow behind me, which only causes me to pick up the pace.

Deni is already in the lake, floating around on the raft again, when I get to the shore. Her sunglasses hide her eyes, and from here, her expression is unreadable. She doesn't acknowledge me when I join her in the water. A casual onlooker might think she's simply relaxed and basking in the sunshine, but her shoulders hunch up when I get close.

Observing her now, it dawns on me how deluded I was to believe she would consider something more than friendship between us. I was punching above my weight and also not accounting for the geographical logistics. Then there are the glimmers of her L.A. life she shared that I conveniently swept aside, including her recent breakup and what she experienced at the Cayden Indigo concert. Swooping in on her with romantic intentions was selfish of me, and immediate damage control is needed.