Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE
Finn
I admire Rory for finally facing the fact that what he felt all along for Adley wasn’t hate. I think we all saw it coming for months, watching the two of them dance around one another every single time they were near each other. Pretending to despise the other, butting heads at every turn.
It was the most clumsy dance I’d ever witnessed.
Don’t get me wrong, they still butt heads, but at least now they no longer try to hide they love one another. A love that they both deserve.
“You were lucky to find this place when you did,” Aaron says, with his hands on his hips looking around the room. “Has great bones,” he adds with a pleased nod. Spoken like a true builder. Able to always see potential in something that others can’t.
But I had to agree this time. Rory found a home just outside of town, a place that was neglected, overgrown, and needed someone to show it some love. He saw a home, one he wanted to share with Adley and his son Jayden. A place he could envision making memories for years to come.
I envy him. The guy dealt with some shit with his ex, his son witnessed some things a child never should have to. Yet here he is, building his dreams and holding the two of them close at his sides.
Life is messy, and I can’t say I know how it feels to share the load with someone, but I see the ease in him now that he can. The two of them leaning on one another, finally accepting that they no longer have to take on their troubles alone.
“Where is the cold beer?” Brantley asks, holding up one end of the sheetrock as Aaron holds the other and Rory anchors it with screws.
Marshall looks at me, I look at Bennett and he shifts his attention around the room, no one jumping to volunteer.
“You three are waiting around for something to do.” Brant chuckles and Ben flips him off before turning around to walk out of the room.
Marshall and I follow close behind, just as Jayden and Camryn go barreling past us, laughing and yelling.
The two of them have quickly become best friends, always together.
Bennett tries to snatch up to Camryn but she dodges him, giggles, and keeps going. The man I never in a million years thought would settle down found his happy with Lexi, and together adopted a sweet girl that lost her parents in a horrific accident.
The closer we get to the kitchen the more the voices of the ladies become louder and more clear.
A phone chimes and then chimes again followed by three more rapid chimes as the three of us stop in the doorway and pause.
All the women look around at one another before settling on Sophie who appears annoyed. She braces her hands on the countertop, closing her eyes with her lips pursed, frustration obvious in her features.
“Someone is popular,” Adley says with a laugh.
“I swear he texts me more now than he did when we were dating. ‘Going to our favorite Italian restaurant, I saw a commercial and it reminded me of you. Hey did you ever find that book you were looking for about the missing child? Did you remember to get your oil changed?’” She throws her hands up in the air in frustration.
“We were together for close to a year and he never once showed interest in a book I liked. I’m the one that had to remind him of every single appointment he had and a commercial, really? I wonder if it was about a cheating asshole and a ridiculous girl.”
“Ryan is still texting you even after I sent Rory and Finn over there?” Adley asks and I recall the way the pussy boy wouldn’t even open his door as we stood on his porch. Ryan never deserved Sophie, the guy is and will always be a cheating prick.
“Yeah,” she huffs, “wait what? Finn went too?” Sophie gasps in surprise and a smile tugs at the corner of my mouth.
“Long story.” Adley waves her off.
“I think you should let me tow his car and drop it into the Hudson Lake,” Kendall adds with an evil grin. “But I will make sure he’s in it when I hook it up.” I’ll admit Kendall has a scary side I don’t ever want to be on the opposite end of.
“Nice.” Jillian fist bumps her.
“Maybe if you start dating someone else he’ll get the hint,” one of the girls tells Sophie and I shift my attention back to her to gauge her response.
“I don’t want to date someone else,” she whines. “Dating means getting all dressed up to go out and fawn all over some guy that isn’t worth it.”
“You fawn over him?” Adley asks with her nose all scrunched up. “Honey I think you’ve been dating all the wrong guys.”
“I agree,” I say without a second thought and every single one of the ladies all spin around to find Marshall Bennett and myself. Not meaning to, but unable to control it, I scowl with my own annoyance. ““Maybe you need to be a little pickier with the guys you give a chance to.”
I don’t mean to come across as an asshole, but the idea of getting wrapped up with another man like her ex pisses me off. Sophie is too nice, assholes pick up on that.
“Or maybe the guys around here need to be less prickish and a lot more manly,” she counters back and squares her shoulders, staring back at me with a newfound determination in her eyes. A little sass I must say looks damn good on her.
“Maybe we should date,” I say, holding her stare. I notice the way her throat bobs as she swallows hard before worrying her lower lip.
“Excuse me?” Sophie’s voice rises a few decibels.
“I said maybe we should date,” I repeat. “I think the problem is you haven’t dated a guy that knows how to treat a lady. So like I said, you need to go out with someone other than the douchebags you’ve been dating. Learn what it’s like to have a real man at your side.”
A big part of me is questioning what in the hell I’m offering. I barely have time to breathe on most days with the store and helping my parents. I didn’t have time to date.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Sophie adds with a nervous laugh. Immediately my worries of time disappear as I accept the challenge she is presenting me without truly meaning to. I don’t back down easily.
“Why not?” Adley interrupts, not giving Sophie too much time to back her way out of this.
“You said you want to get Ryan off your back and what better way than to have someone you trust at your side. The two of you show up together, give off the vibe that you are in a relationship, and he’ll run scared.
Seriously the guy wouldn’t even open the door when Rory and Finn showed up at his place.
He gets wind of the two of you together and he’ll go into hiding. ”
“But we aren’t together,” Sophie says very sternly, but I hear the shaky way her voice trembles from nervous energy.
“No, we aren’t,” I agree, regaining her attention, “but that asshole doesn’t need to know that. No one does.”
“This is a bad idea,” Sophie whispers and I smile, offering her a shrug.
“Most exciting things in life are.” I stare at her refusing to look away. “Who knows Soph, you and I could end up having the best time together.”