Page 77 of Ravenous

“Please, Sunshine, I need you to listen to me.” Reaching out, Finn attempted to put a hand on Ollie’s bicep but he skittered back a few steps, not wanting Finn to touch him. Not wanting anyone to touch him.

It had been so difficult, so terrifying, to be vulnerable and trust Finn Cooper. To let him into his life, little by little. To break his no-straight-guys rule. To watch vampire movies with him and talk to him about his problems and eat for him. To meet his family and dream of a future together. But it had all been for nothing, because Finn was his sister’s ex, and therefore a complete dealbreaker.

He understood that this was just a nasty coincidence. But his heart fell out of his chest anyway, beating and bleeding all over his shoes as dread reared up beside him, laughing, victorious. Ollie could hear the shackles rattling and he began to tremble with despair. Sure, things were bad now but they could always get worse.

“I…” Ollie wanted to leave. So, he did the one thing he could count on.

He ran.

Taking off, he ignored Finn screaming his name, ducking around the back of the house and taking a quick left into the woods, tearing down a path only he knew, tears blurring his vision as he pumped his legs as if his life depended on it, vowing to never stop running again.

20

FINN

“Youlooklikedogshit.”

Several of Vice and Virtue’s patrons glanced sideways at Ellie, or Biz depending on who was with her, but she always had zero fucks to give. Finn embraced that energy as well, blearily shrugging when she pulled out a wicker chair and joined him.

“Sorry, I haven’t had time for a mani-pedi, I’ve been looking for your brother.” He stared at the cup of coffee in his hands, not remembering when he’d ordered it.

“Have you slept at all in the last two weeks?” She put a hand on his wrist, concerned. “Or eaten anything?”

Shifting in his seat, Finn pulled away, sitting up and taking a long sip. It had gone cold. Making a face, he swallowed. “Yes, I know how to take care of myself.” Sighing, he rubbed a hand over his face, scratching at what was now the beginning of a beard. “Sorry. I’m just-”

“Worried as fuck? Stressed out?” Ellie leaned in and Finn really looked at her. She’d shown up to the coffee shop bare-faced and dressed down, and there were dark rings under her eyes. They were all victims of consequence and she was suffering just as much as Finn; however, it wasn’t a contest. It was two people who cared about Ollie needing to compare notes.

“Yeah.” Finn didn’t know why he hadn’t noticed before but she and Ollie had the same eyes, although hers were honey brown. “You haven’t heard from him at all?”

Sadly, she shook her head. “I’ve been texting him, calling him, I even mailed actual letters, and my dad sent over a wellness check but no one answered the door.”

“It’s the same on my end.” Finn tried not to mangle the cup in his hands, still ragged from having to throw out the sunflowers he’d bought on that hopeful morning. They’d withered and died in a reflection of Finn’s worries, reminding him over and over that it was dangerous for Ollie to be hurting alone. “But I’m still trying to get to him. Every day. After the intervention, I waited around forever but somehow Ollie slipped back in.”

“How did you know?”

“His bedroom light was on.” The blinds were constantly drawn but there was no denying that Ollie was in that room. “I’ve been back to the house too many times to count but no one answers the door. I drive around the neighborhood to see if he’s out there, running. I’ve even sent over my own wellness check.”

“But nothing.” It wasn’t a question.

“But nothing,” Finn echoed, lips tight. Loneliness constantly mocked him, telling him that he’d come too close to the sun and gotten burned. But Finn didn’t give up easily; he was Ollie’s knight and it was his job to protect the one he loved. “According to Owen, Ollie called the owner of The Pointe and asked for some of the work-from-home privileges he’d offered and hasn’t been back to the hall since. I’ve been checking all his social media but he’s only posting old pictures, like things from our tennis date months ago. Nothing recent.”

“You took him on a tennis date?” she murmured, scrolling one of Ollie’s accounts on her phone and nodding. “Youaresickeningly perfect for each other.”

Finn had been too laser-focused on getting to Ollie that he hadn’t dealt with the main issue, which was currently staring him in the face. He might as well meet that head-on. “El…howdoyou feel about me and your brother?”

Thankfully, the coffee shop had thinned out and they were tucked in the corner because her snort echoed. “I try not to think about it too much because, I’m not gonna lie, it’s fucking weird. But…” She crossed her arms, squinting at him, and Finn realized that her hoodie had devil horns at the top. “You were one of the few decent men I dated.”

“And the only ex you still talk to.” Finn raised his eyebrows, taking another sip of his now-even-colder coffee and making the same face.

“Exactly.” Her sigh was long and she slumped a bit in her chair. “As strange as this is, I thought I’d be more…upset? Grossed out? But I think I’m not because you’re good for Ollie. You care about him.”

“I do,” Finn insisted, sure that his disheveled state was proof enough. “We were so close to getting him help. In fact, one of the therapists called me back, asked me if Ollie was there, and I kinda broke down.” Finn shook his head; once again, Ollie had brought tears to his eyes. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a brochure and handed it to Ellie. “I told her that Ollie ran off and she said that if we can talk to him and get him to agree, they’ll have a bed for him at her clinic. It’s one of the best in the area. The therapist’s contact information is circled.”

“I’ll show this to my parents, they’ve been researching places too.” She pocketed the brochure. “I just hope Ollie will talk to us. Any of us.”

Rolling his shoulders, Finn met her eyes. “Don’t worry. I’ll get to him.”

“What do you mean?” She frowned at him but he didn’t get to answer because Owen walked in, striding over to their table.

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