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F O R T Y T W O
- Finn -
I exhaled as soon as I reached the kitchen, my face relaxing for the first time since I arrived. Not that my insides matched. I was downright nauseous until the moment Maeve made her big announcement, and though it had been well received, I somehow felt worse than ever.
“Why don’t you let me do that,” I said, plastering a smile on my face again as I went to help Brie with the dishes.
She glanced over her shoulder, keeping her dripping hands over the sink. “Don’t be silly,” she said, rinsing another plate and loading it in the dishwasher. “Go back in there.”
“You shouldn’t have to clean up after making such a nice meal.”
She lowered her voice. “I bought most of it.”
My brows lifted. “Really?” Her presentation looked so authentically homemade. “Fooled me.”
“Keep my secret?” she asked, looking up at me hopefully.
She was short. Shorter than Maddy even. But there was something spunky about her. Like she’d be the first to throw a punch if one of the people next door got caught in a brawl.
“I’ll keep yours if you keep mine.”
I cocked my head. “Pardon?”
“You can trust me,” she said, glancing at the kitchen doorway. “The rest of them are thick as thieves, but if you want a secret kept from the Masons, I’m your girl.”
Had I missed something? “I’m afraid I don’t have any juicy secrets to tell you.”
She shook her head, tutting towards the plate she was rinsing. “Play it that way, if you want, but I thought you’d be relieved to have someone to talk to.”
I pulled the drawer hiding the garbage can farther out and took over plate-scraping duty. “About what?”
“About the fact that you’re crazy about Maeve, and she’s about to get knocked up by some other guy.”
I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stiffen but tried not to let my frustration show in my face. “It’s not like he’s doing the knocking up,” I said, as if that was any consolation.
She took an empty plate from me. “Does she know how you feel?”
“Do you?” I asked, half seriously.
She shrugged. “Fair point. Forget I said anything. It’s really none of my business.”
No shit.
“It’s just—”
Oh, here we go.
“I’ve known Maeve a long time.”
I felt an and coming on.
“And I’ve never seen her so comfortable around anyone. Not a man, anyway. I mean, she’s used to James and Quinn, but I’ve never seen her…emote like that.”
I bit my tongue, hoping she would elaborate.
“That was by far the most public display of affection I’ve ever seen her engage in, and she did it so naturally.”
“What’s your point?”
