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He casts me a nervous smile and shakes my hand. “Yeah, you too.”
“Finally!”I hear Ellie call, and then she’s rushing past Nate and throwing herself into my arms.
I hold on tight, dipping my head down and breathing in the gorgeous vanilla and honey scent of her hair. “Fuck, I’ve missed you.” I pull back from her and reach up to frame her face with my hands. “Promise me we’ll never be away from each other for this long again.”
Ellie smiles up at me, those beautiful sea green eyes full of the kind of love and affection I’m sure I don’t deserve. “Promise.”
I duck my head and brush my lips softly against hers, but pull away before we can get too caught up. Despite Ellie’s ability to kill all my brain cells, I’m still very aware that her brother is standingrightthere.
“Come on, let’s get your things,” I suggest, taking her hand and tugging her into the apartment. “Are you all packed?”
Ellie nods. “Yep, we’re both ready. Everything’s over here.”
She leads me into the living room where several bags of luggage are sitting by the sofa. Nate strides over and collects one of the bags—a large duffle bag with wheels on the bottom. He starts wheeling it toward the hallway, stopping briefly at the kitchen counter to retrieve a lap top bag that’s sitting there.
With Nate’s bag gone, that only leaves an explorer backpack and a powder blue carry-on sized suitcase.
“That’s it?” I ask, incredulous. I’m not surprised that Nate doesn’t have much luggage; he’s only been here a few weeks, after all. But Ellie’s been living in New York formonthsnow.
Ellie just chuckles. “Finn, I’ve been living out of a backpack for the better part of ten years. How much stuff did you think I had?”
I just give a wry shake of my head and offer a fond smile. “You’re a constant wonder, Ellie Fox.”
Needless to say, it doesn’t take long to get the car packed, so once that’s done and Ellie has left the keys with the building’s manager, we’re ready to be on the road.
“So…we just need to make a quick stop in Brooklyn first,” I say as I start the car. “I need to visit my sister.”
“Cait’s about your age, Nate,” Ellie says. “Or…maybe a couple years older. But she’s really cool. I think you’d like her.”
“Are you trying to set me up?” he asks awkwardly.
I chuckle. “I don’t think her boyfriend would like that.”
Nate’s pretty quiet for the rest of the drive to Cait’s place and I can’t help but marveling at how different his personality is from Ellie’s. It’s not until I’m pulling up outside Cait’s building that Nate speaks up again. “Uh…you guys don’t actually need me to come in, right?” he asks hesitantly. “I’d kind of like to check out that comics place.” He gives a nod to the other side of the street where there’s a small comic book store.
“Yeah, of course. Go for it,” I tell him. “We’ll come get you when it’s time to go.”
“Cool.” He gives us a nod and then exits the car, darting across the street.
I smile at Ellie. “I like him.”
“Yeah…he’s alright,” she says wryly.
I grab Dylan’s birthday present and we head over to Cait’s building. One of her neighbors is exiting as we reach the steps, so we slip inside through the open door rather than ringing the buzzer. Then we head up to the fourth floor, where Cait and her boyfriend, Jeremy, live in neighboring apartments.
I have my hand raised and am about to knock on Cait’s door, but then I catch something from the corner of my eye; Jeremey’s door, which is only a couple yards down the hall from Cait’s, is open a crack, and I can see a sliver of movement inside.
“I think she’s next door,” I say to Ellie, dropping my hand and stepping toward Jeremy’s apartment. I place my hand on the door, ready to push it open.
“Should we knock?” Ellie asks.
I shrug. “The door’s already open. And she’s expecting us.”
I push the door open, and it only takes one second for me to realize that while Cait might have been expecting us, it sure as hell looks like Jeremy wasn’t. Not if the way he’s making out and grinding all over someone who isnotmy sister is anything to go by.
I have no idea why he decided it would be a smart move to leave his door both unlocked and open a crack, but that’s the last thing on my mind as I stalk across the room and grab the little turd by the back of his t-shirt, hauling him off the guy—yes,guy—he was so passionately making out with.
“Oh, my god!Finn!”Ellie cries, clearly shocked at my caveman-like behavior.
