Chapter 27
twenty-seven
. . .
Finn
I was fucking fuming. I’d left Cage’s house after saying goodbye to everyone, and I drove through downtown and saw Reese’s car parked outside of Cup of Cove. I was going to surprise her and stop in, but the fucking joke was on me.
I’d parked my car and didn’t even make it across the street because there she was, right in front of the window, holding hands and crying with Carl fucking Barley. After everything we’d talked about, this was where she went on my last day home?
I got in my truck and told Siri to call Cage. I could have called Hugh, but I didn’t want someone talking sense into me. I wanted someone that would be pissed off right along with me.
“Miss me already?” he said over Bluetooth.
“Far from it. I saw Reese’s car parked at Cup of Cove and was going to go grab a coffee and surprise her, but she was sitting at a table with Dr. fucking Douche and crying. I can’t fucking believe this, man.”
He was quiet for a moment, which was very out of character.
“Maybe it was closure?”
“They’ve had closure. She’s been with me for months. I don’t know what the fuck to think. I’m leaving. She’s worried about me not being able to handle the distance, and she’s holding hands and crying with that dicksack while I’m still here? What’s she going to do when I’m gone?”
“Okay, first off, you don’t know what it was about.”
“Does it fucking matter?” My voice boomed through the cab of my truck. “She didn’t tell me she was going. She’s not being honest, so something must be going on.”
“You know, you could just ask her before you get all worked up. This is fucking Reese, brother. She’s your best friend, and you’re both clearly in love with one other. She wouldn’t be doing anything behind your back.”
“Yeah? Well, why didn’t she tell me about him coming by her office the other day? Why didn’t she tell me that she was meeting him today?”
“Ummm… maybe because you’d react like a fucking lunatic. You clearly hate the guy, and she has a history with him. Listen, I’ve done this shit before where I let my pride get in the way.” He cleared his throat. “Don’t do that. Just fucking talk to her.”
“Fuck, dude. I didn’t call you to be the voice of reason. I called you because you’re the cynical, irrational, bitter sibling.”
“Sorry to disappoint. It’s Reese. I think she deserves a chance to tell you what’s going on.”
I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “Fine. I’ll give her a chance to tell me where she was before I lose my shit.”
“That’s not exactly what I was saying you should do.”
“It’s the most I can do right now. I’m pissed. She’s never lied to me. I’ve poured my fucking heart out to her these last few days, man. And she’s doubting me? I’m not the one sneaking around with my ex.”
“You don’t have an ex.”
“Fuck you,” I growled.
He laughed. “All right, take it down a notch. This is not you. You don’t get all worked up and out of control. You’re Finn fucking Reynolds. Come on, brother. Get it together.”
I pulled into my driveway and stared out at the barn, white flakes falling from the sky.
I was leaving tomorrow for Tokyo. This role was the biggest thing to ever happen to me in my career after the success of Big Sky Ranch.
Things were taking off for me, and I should be fucking happy.
But my stomach was twisted up over all of this.
I felt like a lovesick puppy.
This was bullshit.
“Got it. I’ll be fine. I’m going to go check on the horses, and I’ll call you when I get to Tokyo.”
“You call me before if you need me, okay?”
“Don’t get sappy. It doesn’t suit you.”
He barked out a laugh. “Good. Fuck off. Call me when you call me. Maybe I’ll answer. Better?”
“Much. I’ll talk to you later.”
I climbed out of the truck and made my way into the barn. Silas was there, and he’d just finished raking the stalls.
“Hey, you’re off tomorrow, right?” he asked.
“Yep. You’ve got my number. Text me if you have any issues. But you’ve got Cage’s number if there is any sort of medical emergency and Hugh’s number for anything else.”
“I do. And Miss Reese told me she’ll be taking them for a run daily just like she always does. But I’ll run them, as well, if needed.”
I nodded. Reese would be up here every day, but she wouldn’t stay at the house. Why the fuck not? My mind was racing with thoughts I didn’t want to even consider. Was she going back to him? Did she just not want to tell me?
“Sounds good. Thanks for taking care of everything.”
“Always. Have a safe trip. I’m going to head home.” He clapped me on the shoulder before walking out. I heard tires roll up on the gravel driveway, and I turned to see Reese getting out of her car and greeting Silas with a hug.
She waved at me, but I shoved my hands into my pockets as she walked toward me.
Light brown hair bouncing around her shoulders, dark jeans and cowboy boots, and her black down winter coat zipped all the way up. Her lips were turned up in the corners until she got closer and took me in. Her face straightened as she studied me.
“Hey. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Where were you?”
“Where was I?”
“Did I stutter? Where the fuck were you?” So maybe I wasn’t keeping calm the way I’d planned, but this was the best I could do.
Her eyes widened. “What’s with the attitude, Chewy?”
“Why are you avoiding the motherfucking question? Where. The fuck. Were. You?”
The hurt on her face was impossible to miss. My gaze locked with her pretty green eyes, and I didn’t miss the bit of puffiness beneath them. But I already knew she’d been crying, didn’t I?
Because she’d been cozied up to her ex-boyfriend, crying in a coffee shop twenty minutes ago.
“I don’t know what’s going on with you, but I’m not going to be spoken to like that.” She turned on her heels and stormed in the opposite direction.
“Yeah, you don’t like answering questions that don’t suit you, do you?” I shouted at her.
She whipped around. “I don’t like answering questions when someone is demanding I tell them where I was. You’re not my boss, Finn. I don’t work for you.”
“I’m more than aware I’m not your boss. I’m just your best friend, right? And your fuckboy? But nothing more.”
Her shoulders sagged, and a tear streaked down her cheek. “You’re much more than that, and you know it.”
I stepped toward her, softening my tone. “Tell me where you were.”
“You’re making this a bigger deal than it is.” She used the back of her hand to swipe at the falling tears. “I met Carl at Cup of Cove. We just had some last-minute work things to talk about. For his office design.”
She couldn’t look at me, so I knew she was lying.
“So why keep that a secret? Why keep the fact that he stopped by the other day a secret? Since when do you lie to me, Reese?”
Her mouth fell open, and she shook her head. “It’s not what you think, Finn. You’ve got to trust me.”
“Like you trust me? Hell, you don’t believe that I’m all in. That I can be faithful to you. You won’t even discuss the idea of it until I come back. Yet, you want me to trust you?”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you.” She moved toward me, reaching for my hand and pressing my palm to her cheek. “I don’t want to make you promise something that you can’t deliver. I want you to be happy because I love you.”
“I don’t know about that, Miney. I think you’re the one who isn’t sure about this.
You’ve got someone lined up, waiting for me to leave town, don’t you?
You’re already packed and ready to go. You’ve got one foot out the door, and I haven’t even left town.
I’m guessing you can’t wait for me to leave so you can jump back into the sack with that piece of shit. ”
She dropped my hand and stepped back, tears streaming down her face. “If you think that, then you don’t know me at all.”
“Maybe I don’t.”
“Wow. Maybe this is just your way of getting out of this before you leave, huh? You can head to Tokyo guilt-free and fuck whoever you want.”
“Sure. It’s what you thought I’d do anyway, right? Just living up to your expectations.”
She placed her hand on her heart, and a sob escaped her lips. I wanted to rush her and wrap my arms around her, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. She didn’t want me, and that hurt like hell.
“I’m going to head to the rental house early. I think we could both use some space right now.”
“You sure you aren’t going to Carl’s? You may as well just tell me now. It’s a small town, remember? Word travels. I’ll hear about it.”
She let out a long breath. “Have a safe trip, Chewy. Whether you believe it or not, I love you.”
She turned around and made her way into the house. I walked out to the truck and climbed back in. I threw it in reverse and sped down the driveway. I needed to get out of here.
Couldn’t believe this shit was happening.
This was fucking Reese.
I knew her better than I knew myself.
And she’d fucking ripped my heart from my chest.
I made my way to Reynolds’, and Lila told me Hugh was down in his office.
“Hey,” I said, closing the door before dropping into the chair across from his desk.
“What happened? You look like shit.”
I spent the next thirty minutes filling him in on all of it. Reese being with Carl. Her not wanting to tell me what was going on. The horrible things I’d said to her. And the things she’d said back.
He sat back in his chair, not saying a word. He just listened.
“You want my opinion, or do you want me to just take your side?” he finally said, intertwining his fingers as he leaned forward on his desk.
“Both.”
“Well, I’ll always have your back, you know that.
But this is not some woman that you don’t know, brother.
This is Reese. You’ve been best friends since fucking birth.
She wouldn’t lie to you if she were sleeping with Carl.
It’s not who she is. You know that. I don’t believe there’s anything going on there, and I think you overreacted. ”
“So why not tell me that she met with him? Why lie about it?”