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Finn narrowed his own eyes. “Guilt tripping much?”
Gary’s smile dawned, dimples peeping in his cheeks. “Is it working?”
Finn swallowed against a square-feeling lump.That’s what swallowing your pride feels like, I guess. “I don’t really have the room to refuse. So thank you. Although…”In for a penny. “I’d feel much better about this if you’d join me with your own beverage of choice.”
Gary nodded appreciatively. “Nice job avoiding assumptions. I’ll be right back.”
Finn’s gaze followed him as he rose and trotted around the pastry case toward where Melina and Peyton both stood behind the counter.
Gods, he’s so beautiful. Back in the day, when Finn’s ego and heir-presumptive sense of entitlement had given him a false sense of his due, he would have made a play for Gary. But now? He had nothing to offer anybody, even himself.
So he turned back to his own tea and poured a cup, doctoring it with a packet of raw sugar and a dollop of cream.
As he took the first blessed sip, Gary slid another tray onto the table, this one with another teapot and cup and a plate of assorted scones.
“There,” Gary said. “Now we’re set.”
Finn inhaled and closed his eyes, letting the aroma of lemon, cardamom, nutmeg, and Gary infuse his senses.
“Gods, I’m going to miss it here.”
“Miss it?” The sharp note in Gary’s voice made Finn open his eyes. “Why are you going to miss it?”
Finn lifted his cup and took a gulp of tea that seared his tonsils and made his eyes water. “I, um, might be leaving the area.”
“Might be or are definitely?”
“I… don’t know?” Finn broke off a corner of his cinnamon twist and popped it in his mouth to give him time to come up with a better answer. “Like I said, I’m broke. I’m gonna have to beg my cousin for a handout and a place to stay, and hope he’s generous enough to agree.”
“You think he won’t be?”
Finn shrugged, chasing a pastry crumb around the plate with a fingertip. “He has no reasontobe. I mean, he’s a nice guy, but I was an asshole to him the whole time we were growing up. He’d be totally justified in telling me to take a hike.”
“Is that likely?”
Finn sighed. He was still a werewolf, and pack was pack, but did that count if your pack didn’t exist anymore? “I don’t know.”
“What about other family? Other friends?”
“That’s… complicated.”
“Does this have anything to do with whatever happened in June?”
Finn blinked. “June?” June was when Hrodgar’s Syndrome flared up, but how did Gary—
“You didn’t come in the shop for thirteen days.” Gary’s cheeks flushed a perfect rose. “I, um, may have noticed.”
A hum started low in Finn’s belly, something he didn’t recognize, it had been so long since he’d felt anything like it.Gratification. “You did?”
“I did. So if you want to talk about any of it?” Gary propped his chin on his fist, his gaze soft. “I’m a good listener.”
Again, Finn thoughtfuck it. He held on to that hum of gratification, the knowledge that Gary had noticed him, maybe evenmissedhim, and took the leap.
“My father is… a criminal. He did some really bad shit and hurt a lot of people. Friends. Family. Even strangers.”Me included. “He’s in… prison now, but I doubt any of his victims would be willing to forget and forgive enough to give his son anything but a kick in the ass.”
“Ugh.” Gary leaned back. “Daddy issues. Trust me, I get it. I also get how people can misdirect their hurt and anger toward someone whose only guilt is proximity. Who’s just as much a victim as they are themselves.”
Finn blinked. “Th-thank you.”
