She relaxed some, closing her eyes for a second. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t need your pity either.”
I didn’t get it. How could she not see like everyone else how I felt about her?
“You think that’s pity? I—”
My words were cut off.
“What’s going on now?”
We both turned to see August at the top of the stairs. I let my hands fall when his gaze landed on my grip on her. He didn’t look happy.
“Nothing,” Finley said, wiping at her eyes before making a break for it into her room and closing the door.
“Why is she crying?”
August’s guard dog instincts were at the surface.
Truthfully, I didn’t know if any of her tears were because of me. I hoped not. There were so many things I wanted from her that wouldn’t cause her to cry.
“She talked to your dad,” I said.
That much I knew for sure.
He grimaced. “He told her to quit, I bet.”
She hadn’t given me specifics, so I nodded.
He pulled out his phone.
“Don’t,” I said. “That’s not going to help.”
Although on some level August knew he was his father’s favorite, he didn’t notice the backlash we all felt when he stood up for us.
I let out the breath I was holding when he pocketed his phone. He folded his hands on top of his head. “What am I supposed to do?”
August was many things, but loyalty was important to him. There were times he acted like a dick to Finley, but he would do anything for her.
“Wait until she asks you for help.”
He nodded, and we both stood there as Finley’s door opened again.
“Where are you going?” August asked.
Finley had changed quickly. Her hair hung loose around her shoulders, stopping my breath.
“I have a date,” she announced.
Her eyes sparkled with mischief, but she completely avoided direct eye contact.
“With Billy?” August spat.
He wasn’t happy about it, and neither was I. Billy saw her as a conquest while I saw her as my forever.
Her head tilted as one hand landed on her hip. “I know we have the same birthday. But I can do what I want, and don’t interfere this time. Remember he’s the starting quarterback, and you want to be on this team.”
She had him there. I balled one fist wanting to punch something, anything.
When her eyes finally glanced my way, I silently pleaded with her to stay. Either she was turning me down, or she couldn’t understand my pleading gaze. She just disappeared down the stairs, leaving August and me to look at each other.
“I don’t like that guy,” he said.
“Me either, but she’s right. He’s captain of the team and has Coach’s ear.”
Cooper appeared and had apparently overheard our conversation. “Maybe not for long.” He glanced between us. “You’re talking about Billy, right?” He paused for our agreement. “He has a bad shoulder and stays in the pocket. Coach will put me in before the end of the season. Besides, Finley can handle herself.”
The youngest brother was a keep-to-himself kind of guy. It was always a bit of a shock when he spoke up. But when he did, he made perfect sense.
“Don’t worry,” he added, patting his brother’s shoulder. “Once he’s out, then you can kick his ass for Finley.”
He said it so matter-of-factly, August and I were left to consider his words when he closed himself in his room.
We laughed as we always did when Coop decided to leave his role-playing world of Dungeons and Dragons, or whatever the latest game was, and enter the real one.
“Sometimes I worry about him,” August said.
I chuckled. “Sometimes?”
When we calmed down, August dropped the bomb before heading to his bedroom.
“I invited a few girls over, so go get ready.” He turned back. “Oh, and I brought you some food since you didn’t go to the café.”
The last thing I wanted was for a bunch of girls to be in the house when Finley returned.
“Thanks,” I said.
I went downstairs hoping she hadn’t left yet. We needed to straighten things out before she went with Billy. What if she started to like the guy?
No fucking way if I had my say. But downstairs was empty. I took out my phone and sent her a text. She didn’t respond. After several minutes, I tried again, begging her to call so I could explain. Nothing.
Clearly, she wasn’t interested in me. Why was I killing myself to set this right? I guessed I’d read things wrong earlier. It had been comfort she needed, not me. I went upstairs to change.
9
finley
I arrived at the pill-shaped shiny metal building for my date. Everything was retro including the inside. It was like I’d walked into the 1950s. The narrow building held booths that lined the windowed wall facing the front. I searched right, and then left, before I spotted her in the last booth with her back to the wall. Though I’d led August and Shep to believe I was going out with Billy, I was really there to have dinner with Emily.
“Hey,” she greeted.
I slid in opposite her and waved. “Hey.”
“Thanks for meeting me.”
Talk about awkward. I wasn’t sure what to say, so I just stuck with the obvious.
“Why’d you want to see me?”
Somehow she’d gotten my number, maybe from a mutual friend in high school.
She surveyed me before saying, “I thought we could clear the air.”
I wasn’t sure what air was dirty. Yeah, she’d dated my brother and broke his heart. But from the little I gathered from August, it was more about the fact she’d moved halfway across the country.
“About August?” I asked.
“Yes. I want to get any questions you have out in the open because I hope we can be friends.”
So far, my scoreboard was zero on the friend front. The only person I’d talked to at the party was Billy and the girl in front of me.
“Whatever happened between you and my brother is your business.” She sagged a little at
