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I want to look away, but my stubbornness won’t allow the satisfaction.
“I’ll keep this short, unlike this night, amirite?” He snorts—at leasthefound the joke funny. The hardness in his gaze softens a fraction when he peers down at the couple again. “You guys are seriously perfect for each other, and you deserve every opportunity life gives you. I mean it.”
We all may be dressed to the nines, but Finn’s rage turns to a ten when Cole leans over and kisses his fiancé on the mouth. A quick peck, but that’s all that was needed.
The room’s distracted enough, clapping their approval, but I’m not as naive. Jealousy rages, burning from Finn’s every pore.
Finn’s jaw clenches, but the envy is wiped away as quickly as it takes the crowd to die back down.
He lifts his arm in cheers. His smile is overgenerous. “To love. If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with…hello, love,” he confesses to his glass before tossing back the last of his drink in one solid, satisfied swoop.
My eyelids shutter.
I would like to say being stunned by his confession is what keeps me in my seat, but it’s a lie. It’s the pounding of my heart and the fullness of the blood inside my mouth. A solid chunk of my cheek now missing because I gnawed it off.
forty-seven
Finn
“Yoman,whatthefuck!”
“What the fuck do you mean, what the fuck?” Eli hisses, slamming the French doors behind him. The coolness of the air outside the house is a nice change from the stiffness inside.
Dying, Hailey was killing me in there, and I doubt she even noticed.
I thought I could handle it, control tonight, but after seeing herandseeing Cole and Rory…I don’t know. I guess I got jealous. I want what they have.
“What the fuck was that in there?”
“A speech.”
Eli’s nose pinches in utter disgust. “You smell flammable.”
I reach, wanting to run my finger across the indents between his brows, when he swats my hand away. I harrumph my disappointment while fixing the lapels of my jacket. I blame it on the alcohol.
“Are you purposefully trying to ruin your sister and friends’ rehearsal dinner?”
“Relax.”
“Yourelax,” he spits right back. Scoffing, his eyes find the moon, his one arm stretching behind his neck in agitation. “Stay out here a moment. The chill in the airmightsober you up a bit.” His lip curves up mischievously. “Better yet, a toss in the pool could work even better.”
My eyes narrow before they widen as I protectively hug my suit. He wouldn’t. This outfit’s designer.
“Are you guys okay out here?” a screech of a voice no one asked for inputs, closing the door behind her.
I smirk. “We were actually just discussing a dip in the pool. Wanna go first?” I snark, not the least bit apologetic, because what the hell was Eli thinking volunteering to bring Madison to this? This is a private party, not a social at the country club.
My eyes go wide, and I swear they meet my hairline at my discovery. Stretching, they reach higher than when Eli threatened to mess up my outfit.
Nuh-uh, no way!
First, she comes here out of the blue as Eli’s supposed date, and now,nowshe has my son. Holding him like she has any right to touch him.
Fuck. No!
“Give me him,” I demand, already grabbing him from her too-thin arms.
I didn’t have a say in her coming tonight, but I damn sure have a say in who gets to hold my son. Hailey’s parents may be more lax about who holds Aiden, but that doesn’t mean I am.
