Guilt rips through me as the reality of my choices steps up to the stage. I’ve just chosen Finn over my best friend. And he’s chosen me over his sister. What kind of people are we? Who are we that these are the choices we’re making without even batting an eyelid? Wasn’t one of the main reasons for us avoiding a real relationship all these years because we were trying toprotectWren?
Wren’s face softens as she places a hand on top of mine. “I would have never let anything change between us, Lee. I would have just been happy that both my brother and best friend are happy.” I flip my hand over so I can hold hers. “But because it’s all happened out of nowhere, I’m now struggling.”
My worried gaze meets Finn’s. I don’t think he expected this kind of reaction from anyone in his family. Out of the corner of my eye, I see his hand tap his leg three times.
“What can we do to ease your mind?” I ask, my eyes refusing to leave Finn.
She’s contemplative as she scans the both of us. Eventually, she sighs and says, “Just promise me that this is for real, because I don’t want to get excited for you both and it just happens to be a lie.”
My mouth goes dry and fuses my lips together in protest. Yes, I’m lying to her, but to promise that I’m not? I can’t do it, and the look I send to Finn conveys just that. Making me promise is asking too much of me. Standing out of his sister’s eyeline, he nods.
“You have my word, Wrennie. This is real, I promise.”
ChapterTen
FINN
Inever expected Sam to want to meet anywhere other than the Sweet Cinnamon Café in Eaglewood. Not when meeting here gives him a perfect line of sight to Jamie, the café’s barista, our friend, and Sam’s love that he refuses to act on.
I’m not entirely sure I’ll have his full attention, but I’m thinking that may actually make this conversation easier.
“So, you’re thinking of selling Southwick Construction?” he asks, his gaze firmly planted on the redhead behind the counter.
“Highly considering it, especially after the offer your guy shot my way last week.”
Last month, Sam came into a ridiculous amount of money. Like, an insane amount. He sold his company that designed sports equipment and became a millionaire overnight. When I mentioned in conversation one day that I was thinking about selling my company, he told me that he’d been looking into construction and saw a lot of promise in the industry. The next day, his associate—some guy called Clarke—sent me an email with a seven-million-dollar offer.
“You went a little high there, don’t you think?”
“Doyouthink I did?” Sam counters, a smug smirk on his face.
“My company is not worth seven mil, Sam.”
“You’re right, it’s not. It’s worth ten, but thankfully you qualify for the friends and family discount.”
I pause bringing my coffee cup to my mouth. “That’s not how it works, Dumbass.”
“It’s how it works with me. Now, tell me what has you contemplating.”
I chug the rest of my coffee to delay any reply I could possibly give. Sam has become a very good friend over the past few months. From what I hear, he used to be a real piece of work—always starting fights, always complaining about everything. But he left Eaglewood a few years ago and only came back shortly before I met Gus and Bash. When he came back, according to Bash, he came back different, calmer. The Sam I know has always had a good sense of humor and a fresh outlook on life. He’s a lot like Bash but with a maturity that Bash occasionally lacks.
Jamie motions to me from behind the counter, asking me if I want another coffee. I offer a stiff nod and turn back to Sam.
“My mom.”
He leans back in his seat. “What about her?”
“I don’t think she’s really on board with the whole thing.”
“Does she need to be?”
I want to say yes. I want to say that of course she does because she’s my mother and she raised me; gave me a chance to live and thrive outside of the foster system that could have separated me from my sister. What stops me are the words that Dad told me after I picked them up from the airport.
“The one thing I think you need to hear is that sometimes it really doesn’t matter what your mother and I think. Even if we don’t agree with the choice you’ve made, we will always be proud of you for making the decision yourself and going after what you want.”
Something tells me that Sam will say the same thing.
“I don’t know,” is my final answer, but we both know that my mind is kind of one-track right now.
