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“Do you know where I can find Finn, Ms. Charlotte?” I say loud enough for everyone in the entryway to hear.
Suddenly, everyone in the room stops talking at the same time. The silence in the room is deafening as I stand my ground.
“I always knew you two would end up together. Your mother swore you and Campbell would get back together the moment he came back to town, but I knew it,” Ms. Charlotte says as she throws a wink in my direction.
“Could you imagine what their babies would look like?” someone whispers, causing my cheeks to heat as Peyton nods her head in agreement, causing me to roll my eyes.
“Right, because we’ve all been taking too long to give you grandbabies,” I respond, hoping to gain control of the situation again.
“You’re not getting any younger, my dear. Next thing you know, you’ll be sitting in a big, old house with nothing but cats to keep you company,” my mom says as she comes strolling into the room, carrying a large platter of rolls.
“Ms. Charlotte?” I say just a little louder in hopes that she’ll answer my question.
“It’s the truth. Peggy has been parading Ashton around town, gloating to all of us how amazing it is to have a tiny version of her son,” my mom huffs, placing the platter in the center of the table before turning toward Finn’s mom. “Are you going to answer her, Charlotte? Lunch is ready.”
I wait on pins and needles as she thinks about her answer, making a show by rubbing her fingers along her chin before responding. “Did you read his note? Everything you need to know is in there. Or at least, that’s what he told me.”
“Thank goodness. Now it’s time for us to eat. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.” Campbell smirks as he strolls into the room, his hand wrapped tightly around little Ashton’s.
“Now it’s your turn.” I bump Peyton’s shoulder with mine as her eyes follow Campbell through the room before he takes a seat directly across from her. “Maybe after lunch.” She ducks her head, allowing her hair to fall forward, covering her face.
“Coward,” I mumble, completely overwhelmed by everything that took place in the last few minutes. “Sorry, Momma. I’m going to have to miss lunch today.”
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I understand. But just know, I’ll be expecting those grandbabies sooner rather than later.”
“No problem, Momma.” I giggle before rising to my feet and heading upstairs to my childhood bedroom.
I’d love to have a few minutes to process what just happened, but I need to read Finn’s note before I can do anything else. Lunch is now in full swing downstairs. The sounds of plates being passed as everyone makes small talk about their plans for the week and the latest gossip filter up the stairs. But I don’t hear most of it. My mind is still reeling from what I’m about to do.
I take a seat on the edge of my bed, pulling the note out of my pocket. My hands shake as I open it.What the fuck is this?I flip the paper over a few times, searching for more of a message, but the paper is empty except for one phrase. “Home is where the heart is,” I whisper into the room, trying to make sense of his creepy message.
What does that even mean? My parents’ house? His parents’ house? Tallywackers? All of these places could be considered home for either of us, but I have a feeling this isn’t what he’s talking about.
“Of course, he’s going to make me work for it.” I shake my head, the irony not lost on me. I’ve made him work for every piece of my heart. Slowly breaking down the walls around my heart, drawing me gently out of my shell. He started slowly, sending me text messages, lunch on the days I had work, and the most adorable notes.
He wanted to make sure that everyone important to me knew his intentions. He even went as far as to ask my momma things about me that I wasn’t ready to share, but I still resisted the pull I felt toward him, allowing my fear of being rejected to rule my decisions.
I used to believe that going on a date with Finn could finally convince him we weren’t compatible outside of the bedroom and that there can be nothing else between us. Then neither of us would have to wonder what could have been. But instead, it was the exact opposite.
But where is he?
I flop back onto my bed and stare at the ceiling, running every conversation we’ve ever had through my head before it hits me.Home. The only place where we both envision spending the rest of our lives together. The old farmhouse.
“Time to make all my dreams come true,” I say into the empty room before pushing off the bed and heading into the bathroom.
I shower quickly, shaving and buffing all the important areas before giving my hair a fluff and getting dressed. I slide the note he gave me into my pocket before doing one final check in the mirror, then I head for the door.
I rush out of my room and down the stairs, praying that everyone is still in the dining room enjoying their lunch. I don’t have time for small talk.
“Please don’t let me miss him,” I pray into the hallway as I inch closer to the front door before coming to a screeching halt. Peyton and I walked here. I have no idea where my SUV is or how the hell I’m going to get out of here. My parents’ car is blocked in the driveway. I could walk, but how long is he really going to wait for me to get there?
My heart pounds in my chest, blood rushing through my ears. My vision blurs as if I’m viewing the world through another lens. I’m panicking. I know it, and I’m powerless to stop my mind from running through all the ways things could go wrong if I don’t get to Finn as quickly as possible.
Just as I’m about to spiral further, I feel someone brush against my arm, gripping it tightly and bringing my mind back to the present. I take a deep breath in, my eyes focusing on Ms. Charlotte standing in front of me.
“I was worried I was going to have to come upstairs and drag you to that house,” Ms. Charlotte scolds as she places a set of keys in my hand. “Take my car.”
“Thank you. For everything,” I tell her, wrapping my arms around her.
