Page 93 of Molly's Mr. Wrong
Her chin came up. “I go with no glory.”
“That’s too bad, Molly. You’re going to miss a lot of life.”
“But I’ll be my own boss. In control of my destiny.”
Finn pressed a hand to his forehead and squeezed, then dropped it again. “You win.” He smiled humorlessly. “I tried. I’m done.”
Finn turned and walked out the door. What else could he do? He’d tried twice and that was it. With his frustration red-lining, he stalked down the hall and rounded a corner too fast, practically running over Jonas, who stepped back quickly and then snarled at him, “Watch where you’re going.”
Oh, yeah. He was going to take crap from this kid now on top of everything else.
“I have an issue with you.” Finn closed the distance between them. “You’ve been spreading rumors about me.”
“I have not...” An odd look crossed the kid’s face as he realized that the accusations he’d lobbed at Molly also included Finn.
“That’s right,” Finn said softly. “I’m not involved with my instructor, and spreading the rumor has the potential to do me harm, for which I will have to seek redress.”Thank you,Law & Orderreruns.
“My father has lawyers on retainer.”
“Who are going to prove what? That you lied? That you made unfounded accusations in an effort to do me harm?”
“Not you,” the kid sneered.
“Then who?”
Jonah realized his mistake too late. “This conversation never happened.” He settled his backpack higher on his shoulder and brushed past Finn.
Finn continued on to the parking lot, catching a glimpse of his reflection in his truck window before he opened the door. No wonder Jonas had given up so easily. Finn wouldn’t have pushed around a guy who looked like him.
He got into his truck and then let his head fall back against the seat.
When had he fallen so hard for Molly?
And why couldn’t she trust herself enough to love him back? This had nothing to do with him proving himself or getting a steady career that would last forever, or joining a bowling team, being generally sedate, predictable and boring. This was about Molly’s inability to get over the scars of her past.
He jammed his key in the ignition and turned it.
And there wasn’t a hell of a lot that he could do about that.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
FINNWENTTHROUGHthe motions of life for almost a week. He ate, he drank, he attempted to sleep. He missed Molly. He was pissed at her and he missed her. Mostly he missed her.
He, who enjoyed meeting challenges head-on, who’d muscled through an English class that embarrassed him more times than he liked to think about, couldn’t muscle his way through this challenge, and it gnawed at him.
There was literally nothing he could do. So he went to class, pretended everything was normal, as did Molly, and started working on his term project, which would take the last four weeks of the semester to complete. Jolie had already offered to give him some help in the organization, and the rest he was determined to do on his own.
And it was hell being in the room with Molly having things between them the way they were. He’d shoot her a look every now and again, try not to remember how he’d been so consumed with her when they’d slept together. How that husky voice of hers sounded whispering soft, almost-dirty things in his ear. Telling him what she wanted.
Well, now he knew what she didn’t want. Something that involved any kind of permanence or commitment.
He stopped by Mike’s house after math class on Thursday, having called first as Mike had asked. Elaine was there, sitting in the second recliner, looking as if she’d been part of Mike’s life forever.
She smiled at him and apologized for being a little tired.
“She had her first radiation treatment,” Mike said. “It went well.” He reached out and took her hand, and she squeezed his fingers.
“They’re very hopeful that I’ll be cancer-free within a few months,” Elaine said.
