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“I got a call last night asking if I thought you’d be interested in filming a Christmas movie in Asheville, North Carolina, at the Biltmore House.” I’d always wanted to visit there but never had the time. It was gorgeous at Christmas, decked out in hundreds of lit Christmas trees. “You’ll be playing the role of a princess if you accept,” Marisa added. “You’ve never done that before. The only problem is it’s not going to be a box office hit; it won’t be in the theaters. But it seems like a fun, lighthearted role to take.”
I glanced over my shoulder at Ethan, who had walked over to the edge of the patio with his focus on the black horizon. My mind was a jumbled mess. I didn’t know what to do about him or how I was supposed to feel. Did I want to find solace in his arms? Yes, more than anything, but I couldn’t, not right now.
“How long is the filming supposed to take?” I asked.
“They said filming will start as soon as you arrive, but you’ll get a break for Christmas and come back the day after. Filming will finish up right after the New Year.” It didn’t sound so bad. “Are you interested?”
Ethan turned to look at me, and I quickly moved my gaze away from him. If I had to look into his eyes, I didn’t know if I’d be able to make the decision. “Yes,” I said, rubbing a hand over my chest. “Call me when you have more details. I want to leave as soon as I can.”
As soon as I hung up, I could feel Ethan drawing closer. “Is everything okay?”
Nodding, I turned to face him, but I still couldn’t bring myself to look into his eyes. I didn’t want him to see how much I wanted him. I had no doubt he’d forget all about me once I left. The time away would definitely do me some good. Ethan Jameson was loyal, protective, and a great guy. We were friends, but that was all it ever would be between us.
“Everything’s fine,” I replied. “My agent told me about a Christmas movie she thought I might be interested in.”
“And are you?”
I stared down at my feet. “I am.”
“When would you leave?” he asked, his voice concerned. His hand gently grasped my chin, and he tilted it up, giving me no choice but to look at him.
“As soon as possible,” I answered, peering into his crystal blue eyes.
His fingers slid from my face. “I understand.”
Clutching my phone, I stepped away. “I should probably tell my mom. She’ll be the one accompanying me.” A part of me wanted to hear him tell me not to go or that he wanted to be the one to go with me. But instead, all we did was stare at each other. “Goodbye, Ethan.”
Not waiting for him to speak, I turned on my heel and headed inside, my heart hurting with each step. I thought our one-night stand would be fun and uncomplicated.
Boy, was I wrong.
CHAPTER7
ETHAN
FOUR WEEKS LATER
It was Christmas Eve, and Fightanium was closed to the public. As a result, Ripp and I had it to ourselves for the entire day. Everyone else was at my parents’ house, preparing for the big Christmas party. I planned to be there soon but needed to blow off some steam first.
Ripp bounced on his feet and stared at me with a shit-eating grin on his face. He was the same height as me, but we competed in different weight classes. I was a middleweight, and he was in the light heavyweight division. He may have a little more muscle mass than me, but I’d put him on his ass many times.
“Peyton comes back today,” he goaded.
I swung at him and missed, his smile widening at my failure to connect. He knew the mention of her would throw me off my game.
“Your point?” I growled, circling the ring.
Ripp smacked his gloves together and laughed. “No point, really. Just wondering when you’re going to sack up and tell her how you’ve been moping around for the past month.”
I charged at him and deviated at the last minute, swinging my leg across his and making him fall to the mat. I punched him square in the face. His head snapped to the side, and he burst out laughing. Growling, I pushed away from him and got to my feet. I never should’ve told him about that night in Vegas with Peyton.
“Why haven’t you called her?” he asked, his tone more serious. “I know you’ve been worried about her.”
Ripping off my gloves, I tossed them onto the mat. “She’s busy. I didn’t want to bother her.”
She hadn’t called me either. I took that as a sign that she didn’t want to talk to me. After everything that happened to her, I didn’t want to hover like I knew everyone else was, especially Reagan. She kept me in the loop about everything Peyton was doing. She was much better and enjoying her time in North Carolina. In just a few short hours, I’d be seeing her again. Hence, the reason why I needed to blow off steam. I hadn’t been doing it any other way.
Grabbing my gloves, I hopped out of the ring and shoved them into my gym bag.
