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“Do you have the list?”
“Of course.”
“I’m sure my name is on it. Chloe Conrad.” Rosemary didn’t mention I’d have any difficulty getting to Finn.
“I’m sorry. It’s not.”
My heart sinks. “Could you check again, please?”
She gives me a withering look, but takes a second glance at her computer screen. “It’s not here.”
I think about pleading with her. Promising her I’d be welcome and this is just some sort of oversight. Instead, I spin around and walk out the sliding glass door into the cool fresh evening air. The entry is flanked by beautiful flowering shrubs and inviting wooden benches. I sit on one. There are two reasons why my name isn’t on that list. The first is Finn doesn’t want to see me. The thought kills me, mostly because it’s my own fault. I kept my distance this past week and that wasn’t very nice of me. The second is Finn doesn’t want to see anyone and there is no list outside of his immediate family. That possibility is almost worse. It means he’s hurting and pushing away the people who love him.
“Chloe?”
I startle at the deep male voice and lift my head to see Finn’s brother walking out of the hospital. “Drew. Hi.”
“Hi. Are you here to see Finn?” Surprise flavors his low-pitched question.
“I was hoping to, yes, but my name isn’t on the magic list.”
Drew runs a hand over his jaw. “Yeah. Sorry about that. Privacy is always an issue we have to be careful with.”
“I understand, but do you think…” I trail off, not sure I have the right to ask for his help.
“You want me to take you up to see him.” It’s a guarded statement and the reticence stings.
I jump to my feet. It’s time to show everyone I’m here to love Finn with nothing less than everything I have. He’s stitched in my heart, my soul, my future. “I would love that.”
Drew regards me, his hand holding his chin. “But do you love him?”
I want Finn to be the first person I say the actual words to, so I respond with, “I promise,” hoping that earns me Drew’s trust.
“That’s good enough for me. Come on. The guy is being a complete ass. If the sight of you doesn’t cheer him up then nothing will.”
My cheeks heat. “Finn’s talked to you about me?” We pass the reception desk where a man is getting a visitors’ pass, but I guess I don’t need one with Drew as an escort.
“Sort of.” Drew leads me past the main elevators, around a corner to a smaller lift and presses a code into the waist-high numbered panel. The door slides open. “Is that lasagna?” He nods to the Tupperware while pushing the button for the sixteenth floor.
“Homemade,” I say cheerily, wondering what he meant by ‘sort of.’
Crazy appealing light blue eyes observe me. Drew is gorgeous—almost as hot as Finn. “You know,” he says playfully, “I’m a lot more fun than Finn. How about I steal you for a night to show you.”
I laugh. “You try and steal all your brother’s girl…” I cut off since I’m not his girlfriend. I’m a girl. And his friend. And we’ve had sex. And laughed together. Had fun together. Learned from each other. Spent a lot of time together. Had amazing sex together. (That bears repeating.)
“He’s never had anyone to steal before.”
“Oh. Right.”
“He had a serious girlfriend in high school, but back then I was the little brother and not half as charming as I am now.” He winks at me.
Finn’s high school girlfriend. The girl who crushed his heart with cruel words to her friends, making Finn feel used and unintelligent. My unexplained silence while I was in Sacramento was unkind, too, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make it up to him.
The elevator door glides open. Drew puts his arm out to hold it in place. “It’s not too late,” he says around a smile. “Cranky Finn or Lovable Drew. I know which option gets my vote.” His teasing is cute.
I step into the hallway. “I’m kind of head over heels for Cranky,” I tell him, saving the L word for Finn, but putting my feelings out into the universe. A giant hell hole doesn’t swallow me. The ceiling doesn’t crash down. All good signs my renewed confidence is leading me down a safe path.
“Make sure you tell him that.”
