Page 86 of Rules in Love
“G’day, bro.
“Nate!” he repeated, blinking rapidly. “What the hell! You’re not supposed to be here till December!”
“I know, but things changed at home, so I decided to come earlier and sample my first Thanksgiving. Evie helped keep it a surprise, and here I am.” Midway through speaking, Nate’s eyes shifted to me. “And who’s this draped around you, Finny? Looks like I’m not the only one keeping a few secrets.” He winked at Evie, who replied with a twinkling eye and slap to the back of his head, immediately piquing my interest.
Normally, I would consult with Teddy and investigate, but I was too distracted by Finn almost pushing off me like I was a brick wall. “Nate, this is, um, Scarlett Grant. A work colleague.”
Colleague? Colleague? Why the bloody hell am I back to a bloody colleague?
Teddy, Evie, and Asher studied Finn with raised brows while I focused on remaining upright. “Nice to meet you, Scarlett,” Nate said, shaking my hand wildly. “Keeping the big fella in line at the office, are ya?”
Still reeling from Finn’s shithouse introduction, all I could manage was a stupid laugh and nod as Teddy guided me to and plopped me into a chair. Things didn’t improve. Adding to my disillusionment, Finn ditched me, walked to the other end of the table, and pulled out the chair next to Evie. Luckily, Nate practically pushed him out of the way to claim the prized position, but Finn wasn’t happy. He grunted then begrudgingly shuffled to sit in the only free chair between Teddy and me. “Are you okay?” I whispered, leaning into his arm. “You seem a bit out of sorts.”
“Yeah, of course. I’m good. I’m great. I’m fine.” His Ross-from-Friendspitch and super shifty, darting eyes seemed at odds with that.
“Are you sure? ‘Cause you don’t look it. Shit, are you sweating?”
“Yeah, nah. Like I said, I’m fine. Just a bit shocked to see Nate, I guess. It feels weird, him being here, us being here. But I’m definitely fine, though. I’m good. Great.”
“Hmm, so you said.” I smelled bullshit, and Teddy, who was leaning into me listening, hmm-ed like he did too. His eyes flicked between Finn, Nate, and me with a deserved suspicion before defaulting to his natural state of indiscreet interference.
“It’s nice to meet you at last, Nate,” he said, wrapping his arm around the back of my chair and shaking me by the shoulders. “Scarlett and I have heard a lot about you. We both work with Finn, though their work is much more…intimate. Wouldn’t you say, Austen-tatious?”
Finn blushed slightly, shrugged, then rested his elbows on the table and began talking about the Long Island swells to his bro. Undeterred, Teddy tried again. “So, Evie, you were telling me you’ve met Scar at your place?”
Picking up what Teddy was putting down, Evie added, “Yes. Yes, I have. Scarlett brought soup for Finn when he was sick. There was a ridiculous amount of flirting, maybe even snogging. It could have been sniffing. It was hard to tell because I was hiding in the hall.”
“Snogging, eh,” said Nate, suddenly interested in something other than waves. “You go around snogging all your co-workers, do you, Finny?”
“Gosh, I hope not. Although our HR lady is very handsy with you, Finn. Do you need to tell me something?” Along with the rest of our friends, I laughed at my hilarious joke, then reached to take Finn’s hand. Seeming to sense the incoming affection, he pulled it from my grasp and placed it under the table. It was the second blow to my pride in as many minutes, and the tears began to well. The whole thing was mortifying, and not only to me. It was all too much for poor Asher, who jumped to his feet and almost ran to the bar to escape the awkwardness. “Why don’t I bring us some drinks?”
After an hour of being ignored, blessed alcohol blurred the menus, dulled my senses, and brought me back to some semblance of happiness. Even Finn, the relationship denier, seemed to relax with a disgusting number of tequila shots in his system. His hand had finally found its way to my knee and his thumb brushed back and forth over my skin. Each stroke brought me a sense of calmandanother excuse for his behavior.
Perhaps he’s just nervous? He hasn’t seen Nate in such a long time. He was just shocked. Nate is Shelby’s brother. Introducing a new woman is bound to be awkward…even though it’s been years and he did ask me to meet him.
Once I’d fully gaslighted myself, I forced my way into the conversation. After all, everyone was getting along. Finn was touching me again, even if it was only under the table where no one else could see. Nate seemed like a cool guy. I just needed to chill and loosen up. And what better way was there to do that than swapping traumatic stories about your past?
“So, Nate, tell us all something embarrassing about Finn,” I said with a cheeky wink. “What was he like when he was little? As obnoxiously perfect as he is now?”
“Unfortunately, yes. He was exactly the same. Ridiculously good-looking, tall, ripped, and the life of the party. He was also the first at the bar, the worst dancer on the floor, and the dork who started cleaning while the party was still raging. Oh, and he called the teacher mum one day in class and was so embarrassed he fell off his chair.”
“Aww, poor Finny.” I grabbed and played with his cheeks. “Why were you so embarrassed? Lots of little kids call the teacher mummy.”
“Not when they’re fifteen, they don’t,” added Evie, who was laughing so hard she had to cross her legs so as not to wet herself. Her beloved brother looked like he was going to throttle her and Nate or melt into a pit of shame at his feet. Being the loving girlfriend I was, I wriggled closer and moved to press a kiss to his flushed cheek. But just as my lips brushed his skin, his eyes widened, and he sharply turned away. My kiss landed on the back of his head, and to add further insult to injury, he leaned forward so my face planted on his shoulder with an audible thud.
Okay. That was not okay. That was humiliating and cold.
Thankfully, our friends had been too busy acting the fool to notice, but still, I felt like absolute shit. I had just enjoyed dirty, incredible, desk-breaking, fucking floor sex with this man. Not only that, but he told me he loved me. Then, hours later, he wouldn’t blink, touch, or look at me for more than a few measly seconds.
A spectator again, I sat and watched the conversations flow. I could feel the slow descent into the self-blame game but was powerless to stop it. I loved him. I wanted him to be happy.He just needs time. Am I being too sensitive? Taking things personally? Remember what he went through with Shelby.
A large celebratory cheer rose from the table, pulling me from my mental wanderings. I presumed it was for yet another round of drinks being delivered, but it wasn’t. It was for me. While I was spiraling, Teddy was boasting. Sharing the news that Jocelyn had chosen my design for her home.
“Sorry to be the party pooper, but who is this Jocelyn?” Asher asked.
My bestie, the world’s most indiscreet individual, explained. “Right, so Captain Koala and Scarlett were designing a house for a mega-rich client, Jocelyn Crane. It’s no secret now, but at first, Finny didn’t tell anyone that Jocelyn was his aunt. He’d sworn her to secrecy and everything, but the minute she arrived in the office, he hugged her, kissed her cheeks, and blurted out, ‘Hi, Auntie!’”
Finn’s cheeks bloomed with an adorable blush, undoubtedly intensified by the whiskey he’d moved onto. “Ha ha, yeah, yeah. All laugh at the idiot. All worked out in the end, though, eh, Red?”
