Candy Hearts, Vol. 2

Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

FINN

When I walk out of Lou’s room, I find out that I took a wrong turn getting out of the elevators last night and it takes me a few minutes to orient myself.

Since I have no battery, I have no clue if Beau is even in our room, but I take my chances and knock once I’m standing in front of the right room.

“It’s me,” I call out.

“Finn, you asshole,” I hear him mutter through the door. He opens the door and scowls his worried scowl at me. “I was worried. Why the fuck aren’t you answering your damn phone?” He keeps going before I can explain. “I called Charlie and he said he left you on this floor, so where the hell have you been?”

I push him a little so he’ll let me walk in, and then start my spiel.

His mouth drops slightly more with every word that comes out of my mouth. But when I finish with, “God, he’s so amazing. So cute. We’re going out for brunch in a few,” his eyes get glassy and I remember the whole reason why we’re here.

Without thinking about it twice, I rush forward and gather him in my arms.

“Sorry. God, I’m an asshole. I’m sorry, Beau,” I murmur against his temple as he cries silently.

“It’s okay,” he says with a watery voice that tells me it’s most definitely not okay. “You need to get ready,” he says with some urgency and pulls back.

“Yeah, I do. I need to charge this.”

I go over to the nightstand, where I’d already plugged in my charger yesterday afternoon, and then turn to see my brother. He looks calmer now, which I’m glad for, and I make a decision then.

No matter how much I like Lou. No matter how perfect I think he is already, how kind, how cute, I can’t desert my brother. I already know I’m going to beat myself up over forgetting about him for even a second for weeks to come.

I hope Lou doesn’t mind, and I hope it distracts Beau instead of hurting him any more, but I’m going to take the risk.

I take a quick shower while Beau texts Charlie that I’m found, alive and well, and when I come out I call our brother myself. I check the time first, though, and I see I only have ten more minutes before I’m supposed to meet Lou by the elevators.

“Fi,” he says in his stern voice.

“Before you give me the lecture just remember you should’ve taken me all the way to our room, so this is kind of your fault, okay? Also, maybe skip the lecture and hear me out. Is there any way you can get us another ticket for the concert tonight?”

“Yeah, Sterling told me there’s a bunch available.”

“That’s great. Wait, are you coming too?” I’m actually excited by the prospect.

“I don’t know...” I wait him out, I know he’s thinking through all the possibilities. “We have a game tomorrow.”

“Yeah, but it’s a late game and the concert has to end before midnight surely. You can get a room here so you’ll be asleep earlier,” I cajole.

As longtime Sterling fans, it’s surprising that the three of us have never gone to a concert together.

“Yeah, okay.” I start to cheer but his next words stop me. “Santa wants to go anyway.”

“Uhhh,” I stall. I don’t understand their... dynamic at all. “Don’t you two hate each other?” Only months ago they were having fucking fights on the damn ice.

“It’s complicated,” he says with an audible sigh.

“You know you can tell me, I won’t tell another soul.”

“Thanks, Fi. I know. Now...” His tone changes to happy and bright again, like he’s forcing it. He’s definitely forcing it. “Gab told me she offered you guys the suite for Sunday’s game too. She’s going to the damn Super Bowl to see her nephew play, so won’t be here. But you said you wanted tickets?”

“Uh, yeah.” I think about it for a second and then decide that I can’t decide yet. “I need to ask Lou first?—”

“Who’s Lou?” There’s way too much curiosity in those two words.

“Just a guy,” I hedge.

“Sure,” he snorts. “Just a guy you want to impress. I know that tone.”

“Okay, yeah, maybe I want to impress him. Whatever. Shut up,” I hiss when he laughs at me. “Let me just check with him. I don’t know yet if he’s the crowd type or the silent type.”

“Fine,” he starts, sarcasm dripping from the word. “I’ll just be here eagerly waiting for your instructions, master.” I smile because any time I get to hear my older brother call me master is a good time.

“That’s the way it should be. It’s nature’s way,” I say with a hoity-toity tone just to be a little shit.

“Ugh, you’re?—”

“I need to go now, but we’ll see you for dinner before the concert so we can actually work on cheering Beau up?” I ask, making sure he’s still in the bathroom, though I heard the shower shut off.

“Yes, fine. Come by my place.”

“You got it, bye.”

Beau comes out a second later and looks miserable again. I smile at him, infusing as much sunshine as I can into my words.

“Get ready, we’re going to brunch.”

I start walking out before he can complain, but still hear his startled, “What?” before the door closes behind me.

I run to the elevator banks and see Lou wearing a cute, soft-looking maroon sweater over a button down and my stomach fills with butterflies. He clearly combed his short brown hair, and his jeans fit him damn well if I do say so myself.

“It’s the most casual outfit I brought,” he says as soon as I’m in hearing distance. For some reason that makes the butterflies in my stomach go even wilder.

“It’s perfect.” I sigh out the words. “You’re perfect.” The words come out of my mouth without permission, but I can’t bring myself to regret saying them because he brightens up the whole damn building with the happiness shining from his eyes.

“Look,” I start and take a deep breath. “I really wanted it to be just us at brunch, but the whole reason I’m in Vegas in the first place is because my brother is going through a really tough time. I mean, it’s possibly the worst break-up scenario I’ve ever heard of. He’s really upset and I can’t bring myself to leave him alone all day. I’m sorry.”

The light in Lou’s eyes dims until it’s completely dull.

“Oh yeah, I understand.” He’s already turning before he’s done speaking. “I’ll go back to my room, then.”

“What? No!” I shout, probably too loudly, and reach to grab his arm. “Please don’t go. I didn’t mean that I don’t want to hang out with you. And actually, Charlie already arranged for your ticket to the concert tonight and I wanted to ask about—okay, getting sidetracked, we’ll talk about that later.”

I let go of his arm and take another deep breath.

“I still want you to come with me for brunch and then dinner with Charlie and then the concert and all the rest. But my brother needs to come too. I know that’s totally lame, bringing my brother to a date but?—”

“You said that before,” he interrupts.

“What?”

“That this is a date.”

“Uh, yeah.” I realize as I speak that I never asked him if he wanted it to be a date. Fuck, did I completely misread the situation? “Do you not want it to be? Sorry, it’s been a very long time since I’ve actually been on a date. Would you like to go out on a date with me, and with my brother?” The smile stretching his lips makes the butterflies take off again, and I can’t stop my mouth again either. “It might actually be good for him, you know? To see there are more fish in the sea and all that. Not that you’re fish for him. He’s straight, but what I mean is?—”

“What?” he asks after I clam up.

“Just please don’t ghost me because of this? I really want to get to know you better, and it feels like a good sign. How all of this happened, you know? I mean me knocking on your door, our rooms having basically the same numbers, the fact that we’re both from Chicago...”

“You really still want me there even when you’re supposed to be hanging out with your brothers?” He looks skeptical, his eyes narrowed.

“Yes. I promise I do.” I nod multiple times for emphasis. “Today is brunch, then maybe doing some touristy things, then dinner at Charlie’s, and then the concert.” He looks completely frozen for a long moment and I start thinking I just totally fucked this up.

“I like concerts,” he says suddenly.

“Yeah?” I brighten. “Cool. How about hockey games? Do you like those? And how do you feel about crowds? Would you prefer having personal space or not so much?”

He looks even more confused now—I don’t blame him—but he also looks like he’s listening intently and paying attention to every single one of the million words I’m throwing at him.

“I like hockey games,” he starts slowly. “And I feel weirdly safe being in a crowd.” His voice sounds a bit breathy then, and that doesn’t seem right.

“Are you okay?” I ask, worried when his breathing gets erratic.

“Uh-huh,” he answers, voice high-pitched.