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“Asshole.” She searched for a pull-off, but the next one wasn’t for half a mile. She’d stay on the side of the road and wave him past. As she slowed and veered to the right, whoever was in the vehicle only increased their speed.
She gasped, fear blanketing her. Another inch and he might clip her bumper. “Fuck! Go around!” She increased her speed and searched the space ahead of her illuminated by the headlight for an escape route. The gravel pull-off was just ahead. She steered towards it as the horn blared behind her, never slowing down as the car passed. Charli jerked the bike to a stop and sucked in panicked breaths. Her hand rested over her heart in an effort to calm the rapid beat. “It was just some drunk asshole. You’re safe.” She sucked in delicious oxygen as her chest heaved.
It was too risky for her to be doing this at night. She had her baby to think of too. She shifted into gear and headed home. Maybe Finn was back.
* * *
Charli slowed as her house came into view. Her Toyota Corolla was nowhere to be seen. Her heart sank. Where are you, Finn?
She pulled the bike into the garage and shut the door and lights off before stepping towards the house.
“I didn’t know you meant that kind of bike,” Finn said.
Charli jumped back and screamed as the silhouette of a man took shape on the dark porch.
“Jeeeesus, you got some lungs on you.” Finn got to his feet.
“Finnegan Jacob Reed, you scared the shit out of me!” Charli whisper-yelled.
“I couldn’t find my keysss.” He slurred and swayed to the side.
Is he drunk? The relief she’d felt at his return was now tainted in anger.
“Where is the car?” she asked, pushing past him to unlock the door.
“At the Pink Flamingo. They wouldn’t let me drive it home. So, I got a cab.”
She pushed open the door and walked in, holding it for him. “How did you remember the address?”
He stumbled in, reaching out for the wall as to steady himself. “It’s on my ID.”
“Right.” She slipped her hand around his waist to guide him towards the kitchen table. He reeked of booze. She could yell at him and tell him how worried she’d been, but nothing would get through to him tonight. He’d have to sleep this off. “Why did you go that far? And why did you get so drunk?”
“Perks of being over twenty-one. Figured I’d see what it was like.”
She only partly believed him. “Here, sit down. I’ll make you something to eat.”
He did as she said, his head bobbing up and down lazily. She pulled out her phone and texted Claire and Zeke to let them know Finn was home safe and then grabbed the eggs from the fridge. She slipped two pieces of toast into the toaster and got to work making scrambled eggs.
She set a glass of water in front of him. “Drink this.” Returning to the stove, she piled the eggs on the plate and buttered the toast before bringing it over to him.
His large hand reached out for a piece of toast, missing it the first time. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
She sat in silence as he gobbled up the food, refilling his water once it was empty. Charli moved to take the plate away, but his palm shot to her wrist, his fingers squeezing her firmly.
“Laura cheated on me with dicky Ricky,” he growled.
“I know.” She’d been the one to tell him. Had his short-term memory been affected too?
He released his grip on her, his expression softening. So, this was all because he was upset about his ex. Of course, this was still fresh for him. He didn’t remember her, but he remembered Laura. She tried to ignore the sting that realization brought.
“You’re so sexy.”
She turned her gaze to him. Is he still attracted to me? In his mind, he was seventeen, after all. She was thirty-one and pregnant. His delivery could use some work though. She smiled. “Thanks.”
“No, I mean it. You’re, like, extra hot. It’s hard for me to be around you.”
