AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m actually glad you showed up,” I say, and I mean it.
“I’m her only friend,” Lennon announces, and I throw a pillow in her direction. She’s still laughing and undeterred. “Ellis has too much anxiety to hang out with other people. Thank God you’re friendly. I can’t be the only one to bear the burden of friendship.”
I’m laughing now. “You’re literally so mean.”
“Yes,” she says, a smile firmly fixed on her face. “I am.”
Cass is laughing too when a knock sounds at the door. My brow furrows, and I slowly stand up, considering grabbing the largest book I own for protection.
“Who would knock on your door this late?” Cass asks.
Lennon’s smile falls, sarcasm dripping from her lips. “We’re about to get murdered.”
I shake my head, opening the door and gasping when a very tall, and very familiar man greets me at the door.
“What are you doing here?” My voice sounds breathless, and I know Lennon is practically jumping out of her chair behind me.
Finn holds up a grocery bag filled with popcorn and other snacks. “I’m not staying,” he says. “I brought this, though.” I take the bag from him. “There was just something I wanted to ask you.”
I’m whisper yelling, but there’s no bite to my tone–not when I can’t stop grinning from ear-to-ear. “You couldn’t have just texted me?”
Finn rubs the back of his neck nervously, his cheeks flushing beneath my porch light. “It felt important?”
He shrugs, and I find my gaze dropping briefly to his mouth. By his smug smirk, he seems to notice it.
“Hey, Finn,” Lennon says from her spot on the couch, inserting herself in the conversation.
Finn waves and spots Cass on the couch. He gives me a questioning look, and I shrug.
“Good to see you, Cass,” he says.
I chuckle, closing the door behind me and moving to the porch with him for some privacy. For a moment, I think I hear a noise on the other side of the door–Lennon eavesdropping, no doubt.
“I want to take you out.” His voice comes out in a rush. “Not for your birthday.” He’s nervously fumbling over his words, and I can’t help how it warms my chest. “I want to take you out on dates, Ellie. Real ones. I don’t want to go back to being strangers, and I sure as shit don’t have any interest in anyone else.”
My cheeks are flaming despite the cold air outside. I can barely look at him. This is the stuff for the movies.
“Is it a yes?” he asks, his voice still breathless.
When I look up at him, I can’t help but see the hope in his eyes. I stretch up, planting a kiss on the corner of his mouth before dropping back down. “It’s a yes, Griffin.”
“Finn,” he corrects.
I nod, wrapping my arms around myself to fight off the cold. “Finn,” I say. “It’s obviously a yes.”
He pulls me in for a kiss before spinning on his heel and walking down the porch steps to his car, turning back no less than three times before getting in the Jeep.
Once he drives off, I open the door to find Lennon standing directly on the other side.
Cass is with her, and they both have the most amused expressions.
“That boy is down so fucking bad,” Lennon says, her eyes glittering in the living room light.
Cass giggles, tilting her head to one side. “Are you sure you guys just met?”
I pick up the bag of snacks and close the door behind me. “I’m sure.”
Twenty-Three
