Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Finn
“Ithought about what you said.”
After four days on the road, we’re on the plane on the way back home. I purposely sit across from Dallas because I’ve wanted to talk to him about this for days.
“I say a lot of things,” he smirks. “Hopefully it was something useful.”
I realize that he has no idea what I’m talking about because the conversation I’m referring to happened over a week ago.
“About this thing. With Raya,” I admit without looking at him.
“Ah,” he says. “That.”
“Yeah. That.” I don’t let on, but it’s all I’ve been thinking about. On the ice. Off the ice. When I’m by myself or with a bunch of other people. I’ve spent the last week trying to figure out what I want and how to get it.
Throw in my dad’s sage advice, and this whole thing has really gotten into my head.
“Okay.” He pushes the button on the side of his seat, moving it to an upright position. “What did I say now?”
“That she doesn’t think I’m serious,” I say.
“Well,” he sits, “you’re not.”
I shift, my seat suddenly uncomfortable. “But I really want to be. I mean, I want to be, for her.”
He sizes me up for a beat too long. “So you want to change who you are.”
“Well, no.” I make a face. “I mean, yeah. I mean—” I sigh, at a loss.
He looks at me. “Do you know what you’re getting into here?”
I go still. “Yeah, I do.”
There’s a lull, and in it, I start to wonder what he’s thinking. It’s like he said before—Raya is about to be his sister. I know Dallas, and I know how seriously he takes that.
I inhale. “I’ve had a thing for her for—” I almost say it, but stop myself.
Seven years.
It’s not accurate, exactly, because there were a lot of years in between where I assumed I’d never see her again. But the second our circles intersected at my Halloween party—that was it. Flame reignited.
I just haven’t let myself admit it because she clearly does not feel the same.
But the night she walked into the bar, looking lost and a little beat down—it was like a switch flipped. Like something inside me woke up at the sight of her. She was icy at first, cold even. A statue chiseled from stone. And I couldn’t get enough of her.
She was with a friend who ordered her a drink. They talked for about a half an hour, and I picked up bits and pieces of the conversation—something about an engagement announcement posted on social media and a work crisis. Judging by the small box in front of her, I figured she’d been fired.
And she wasn’t taking it well.
The drink went straight to her head, and her friend didn’t stick around, leaving this beautiful woman a little tipsy and alone.
I knew it wasn’t my job, but I kept an eye on her anyway. She gave me her credit card and opened a tab, then asked if she could stash the box behind the bar. After one more drink, she moved beyond tipsy, and more than one guy in the bar noticed.
Including me. But at that point, my only concern was her safety.
Over the next hour, I watched as this raven-haired beauty danced and laughed and sang with perfect strangers, and after watching her rebuff more than one advance, I stepped in. I felt protective.
The images start to blend together. The stories that poured out of her. The tears. The other guy. The dark hallway. The moment she went up on her tiptoes to try to kiss me, and the absolute pain of having to push her away.
Burke snaps his fingers in front of my face. “Where’d you go?”
“Sorry—” I lean back in my chair and prop my ankle on the opposite knee. “I think I’m just nervous.”
He laughs. “Dude, you’ve got it bad.”
I push a hand through my hair and let out a heavy sigh. “You could say that.”
“Did you end it with the yoga instructor?” Dallas leans over to zip up a pocket on his bag.
“Never really started,” I say. “But yeah, I told her it was nice to hang out a few times, but I’m going to focus on other things. I think she just wanted access to—” I motion to the general vicinity— “all of this.”
“Yeah, I’ve known my share of those.”
There’s a lull, then Burke raises a brow. He takes a drink of his water, watching me. “Just ask.”
“Do you think Poppy and Eloise would help me?” It feels ridiculous to ask this—like I’m getting my friend to find out if a girl likes me. In middle school.
He starts to say something, then stops. “Actually, that’s pretty smart.”
“I just think if anyone is going to be able to help me crack the Raya code, it’s them.”
“Tell you what,” he says. “Poppy loves having people over. We don’t have a game tomorrow, so—we’ll have people over. Game night, or whatever. You’ll come early, talk through your strategy, and we’ll get Raya there.”
“Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good, because so far my normal moves don’t work on her,” I say. “That’s why I need help.”
He pushes the cup aside and leans in, like he has something serious to say.
He’s my captain, so I’m programmed to listen when he speaks. Even about personal stuff.
“Look, Finn,” he says. “Raya doesn’t do ‘moves.’ She doesn’t do fake, and she absolutely doesn’t suffer fools.”
“What does that mean?”
He tilts his head, as if trying to find the gentlest way to say it. “She doesn’t waste her time on foolish people.”
“Ouch.”
He leans back. “I’m not saying you’re a fool, but you are a little foolish sometimes. And I think it’s your best—and your worst—quality.”
“So, I’ll change.”
He shakes his head. “You’re not hearing me.
You’re amazing. You’re hilarious. You’re easygoing and fun to be around.
You have a great family, and you look out for literally everyone else.
You don’t need to change that. Plus, you can’t change yourself into the guy you think she wants. You know that, right?”
I chew the inside of my lip. Because part of me hoped to do just that.
“You two are either right or you’re not. Doesn’t make any sense to pull a bait and switch.” He turns the cup around in his hands. “She’s too smart for that anyway.”
“So I have to figure out a way to win her over without changing my whole personality, which she absolutely loathes,” I say. “Got it.”
“She doesn’t loathe you.” He laughs and looks out the window, as if he’s considering something, then turns back. “We just have to sell her on your many excellent qualities.” He claps me on the shoulder. “I think she’d be lucky to have you.”
“You mean that?”
“I do,” he says. “You’re one of the best people I know. We just need Raya to get on board.”
I nod. “Thanks, Burke.”
“You got it,” he says. “I’ll text you details once Poppy gives them to me.”
I smile. “You’re a lucky guy. She—”
“Yeah, I know,” he says, cutting me off. “She’s pretty special.”
“I was going to say that she doesn’t put up with your crap, but yeah, we’ll go with special.” I crack a smile.
He moves quickly, reaches over, and puts me in a headlock. He’s way stronger than I thought, and I literally can’t get free.
“Sorry, what? What was that? I can’t hear you, buddy,” he says, sticking his free hand in my ribs, making me squirm. I jab him in the side and he finally lets me go, laughing.
Feels like going a round with my older brothers—and it’s one of the things I really love about this team.
I go quiet, resting my head on the back of the seat, thinking about what Burke said, about Raya, and about a small, dark hallway that still begs the question—What if . . .?