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With a fake laugh, I replied, “Vow to never love women again.”
A laugh came from the living room. We all focused in on Angie’s friend Alexia. “So you automatically blame the woman. Why?”
Flash was all over the young blonde. She wore black leggings and her hair was in two ponytails, which actually made her look sexy and not like a ten-year-old. If Angie had brought this girl around three months ago I’d probably have tried to get into her pants. Now I had no desire at all.
“They are to blame,” Wes replied.
“How so?” the young girl asked as she stood.
Pushing off the kitchen counter, I walked up to her. “We gave them our hearts, and they ripped them out.”
She pouted. “Aw, poor babies. Did you really think love was going to be all roses and sunshine? No, dipshits. You have to work on that shit. Anything that is worth having comes at a price. A cost that sometimes may seem too great too pay.” She turned to Wes, who had told Angie all about Mandy and his plan to move to Boston to win her back. “So you, Wes. You took a job in New York and the girl you loved didn’t follow you and ended up moving on with her life. Well, fuck her for wanting to have a life and follow her own dreams, right? I mean she should have given it all up and followed you to a completely different state so you could follow your dreams and have her by your side. No, sorry, dude, puppies do that shit. Not women.”
I glanced over to Angie, who stood silent, but had a huge smile on her face.
“And you, Finn. You’ve fallen in love with a woman who twenty-four hours ago begged you to remember how much she loves you. Then she all of a sudden gets a wild hair to break up with you, her daddy tells you it was all part of her plan, and you believe him? Oh my gosh. I’ve only heard bits and pieces and I can already tell you the father is controlling, probably has been this girl’s whole life, and she was forced into breaking up with you. Now she’s asking to talk to you and you say no?”
She knocked on her head with her fist. “Hello? Earth to Finn.”
Narrowing my eyes at her, I replied, “She’s an adult, Alexia.”
The girl lifted a brow. “An adult who kept her relationship secret from her father for fear he would find out. Now, I do wonder what in the world would make her so scared to tell her father she was dating you that she would keep it a secret, but obviously it was something—something she just reached out to you for help with.”
I wanted desperately to ask her to keep going, but instead I glanced over to Angie and said, “Don’t you think you should be taking Dr. Laura home or to school or whatever it is you guys do?”
Angie walked over to Wes. She hugged and kissed him goodbye. “Let me know if he destroys another phone.”
Wes winked. “I will.”
She made her way over to me. She looked at my black eye and shook her head. “You look like shit, Finn.”
I nodded. “Thanks, Angie.”
She hugged me tightly. “Don’t push her away, Finn. I know you’re hurt and angry, but trust me when I say you need to talk to her.”
As she gazed into my eyes, I said, “I can’t right now, Angie.” Glancing down at the floor, I repeated, “Not right now.”
She kissed me on the forehead. “Don’t wait too long, Finn. If you do, she’ll move on.” Not taking her eyes off me, she added, “Isn’t that right, Wes?”
My head snapped up to look at Wes. He frowned, then looked away.
Angie and her friend headed out, though not before giving Flash some love. Once the door shut, I reached down for an unopened bottle of beer.
“What the fuck do they know?” I mumbled as I walked to the door that led to the balcony. The cool air felt crisp and clean.
Wes nodded. “Yeah. What do they know?”
Glancing at the beer in my hands, I turned to Wes. “I’m going for a run. I need to clear my head.”
—
Two weeks after Rory had written me her breakup letter, I was lying in my bed at the station and staring at the ceiling.
“Ward? You up for a run?”
Colton had been doing whatever he could to get my spirits lifted the last few weeks. None of it had worked, because I didn’t give a fuck about anyone or anything. Every time I saw Captain Adams, I looked the opposite way. I figured he would be rubbing it in. Giving me a smile that said he won and I lost. He didn’t do that, though. In fact, he seemed to be avoiding me as much as I avoided him.
