10. Chapter Ten
Chapter Ten
Finley
“You’re gettin’ old,” Aaron shouts as I run, once again, to retrieve the soccer ball. He and I have done drills like this since our soccer team days, but my head’s not in the game today.
Not after last night with Luna.
“You’re three months younger than me.” I chuck the ball back to him with both arms.
“Ready, Grandpa?”
He sets the ball down on the grassy opening next to the basketball court. A couple steps to the left, then the right, and he shoots. It grazes my fingertips, soaring past and scoring an imaginary point as I land on the grass with a thud.
“Goooooooal!” Aaron falls to his knees, arms up in a V-shape as he shouts to the sky. Despite losing my edge, seeing him so stoked makes me laugh.
“How modest of you.”
“I pretty much never get a ball past you, so I’m gonna soak this up.”
“Wanna switch to lane passing?”
“What’s that, Finn? Don’t want me to kick your ass scoring goals anymore?”
“Sure, that’s it.”
We fall into a steady back and forth. I run in place while he handles the ball and vice versa. Drills offer a kind of meditation but are also a damn good workout, and I’ve got beads of sweat rolling down my arms and chest.
“Sorry again about the photo,” Aaron says with a kick. “Mel feels terrible.”
“She’s fine.”
“She changed her profile to private, just in case.”
“Wish she didn’t have to worry about that shit.”
“Same. Your brother’s scum of the earth.”
I grunt in response.
“Did he message you again?”
“Only once. The meaning of no contact may have seeped into his skull.”
“Wanna talk about it?”
I shrug. “I hate how he reappears anytime life’s going well. Like he has some kind of sixth sense.”
“Total dickhead. You should tell Dr. R he reached out.”
About three years ago, I’d been in a tough spot emotionally. I was trying to hang on to whatever shreds of a family I had after my dad died—not that he’d been around much, but my mom was broken up about his passing. Spending more time with her equaled more time around Blake. Not to mention that Lou started going out with Tanner, which only exacerbated my insecurities of never feeling good enough for anything.
Aaron could tell something was off, so he recommended I see Dr. Rowland, a therapist from the mental health facility attached to his hospital. She keeps communication open in case I encounter something unexpected or difficult, which includes surprise texts from my estranged brother.
After the drills, Aaron and I find a shady spot on a metal bench. We’re both wiped out after over an hour of running and shooting balls back and forth. When I tell him that I’m still uncertain about my next career move, he counters by listing off all the terrible things about California, including the earthquakes and traffic. He’s only joking, and I know if I go with this San Jose gig, he’d support me. I can’t ignore the growing weight around this decision, though.
Especially now with whatever’s going on with Luna.
I shift the conversation to Aaron’s life. He tells me a bit about things with him and Mel—how her side of the family reacted to their choice to remain child-free, and how they’re considering a stint with Doctors Without Borders.
“Look at you.” I nudge him with my shoulder. “Taking your skills abroad.”
“Yeah. Got nothing tying us down. Dad’s in remission now, and as long as he stays that way, we can take a year and spend it somewhere else.”
“Great idea.”
“It’s all Mel. She makes everything better. Life without her…” He shakes his head. “Don’t want it.” He takes a lengthy sip from his water bottle. “What about you? Seeing anybody?”
“Eh.”
“You minx .”
“I said, ‘eh,’ and that convinces you I’m seeing someone?” A breeze would do wonders right about now because my cheeks heat to a billion degrees.
“I can tell you’re not telling me something. I’m good like that.”
“There’s nobody.”
“Bullshit.”
No one cared about my moods in my own household growing up, so Aaron and the Moores took on that responsibility. My best friend has known me for over two decades, and he’s infuriatingly skilled at sensing when something’s up. But I can’t exactly say, Yeah, so I fingerfucked your sister before dinner last night and the only thing I’ve been able to think about all day is adoring every inch of her insane body with my tongue and having her come on my face , can I?
“So aside from you outright lying to me, you lying liar-face,” he goes on, “why aren’t they here with you?”
My lips twist as I hold back a smile. “It’s new.”
“How new?”
“Very,” I say, knowing that responding with the truth, sixteen hours , will greatly narrow down the list of candidates.
“Tell me about them.”
My stomach turns. Fuck, I don’t like this one bit. I hate lying to my friend and hiding parts of me from him. Lou and I agreed to keep what we’re doing discreet, and that’s the right choice as we start seeing each other. But this right here, this is why I allowed myself to remain content watching Lou from the sidelines.
Because this is shitty.
I don’t want to lie to him, so I do my best not to. I tell him the truth and hope he’ll forgive me for this lie by omission. “She’s amazing and funny,” I say. “Makes me feel like I’ve never felt before. She’s special, determined, and downright gorgeous. She’s on my mind, always.”
He whistles. “What’s her name?”
“You’ll find out, eventually.”
“Not—You’re not back with Dana, right?”
“What? No.”
“So who is it?”
“You’re unbelievably nosy,” I say.
“And you’re being mysterious as hell.”
“Don’t wanna jinx it.”
He stares me down with one of his eyes squinting—like he’s deciding whether he’ll let me off the hook. “Okay, fair enough.” Breaking eye contact, he looks into the distance where some darker clouds have formed. “Man, that’ll make for a great next family vacation. The parents, me and Mel, Cass and Carmen and baby Hernández-Moore, you and your mystery woman, and Lou and Tan.”
I hold back a sneer at the mention of him.
“Although, honestly,” Aaron leans toward me and lowers his voice. “I’m kind of glad Tanner’s not here. Kid’s exhausting.”
“What do you mean?”
“That’s a man who really loves himself.”
This causes a laugh to rip out of me because I understand what he means. What a relief to know I’m not the only one who dislikes the guy. “Yeah, he’s…something.”
“Mel calls him a fuckboy, but whatever. Lou likes him.”
“So do your parents.”
“They like anyone she dates. That’s how they are, always thinking the best of people. Sometimes they’re right, like with you. Other times, they can miss when someone’s a piece of shit.”
“Mm.” I scratch at the sweat tickling my beard. “Have you ever talked to them about it?”
“Doesn’t matter. Lou can date who she wants. Besides, you try looking Betsey and Dave in the eye and saying the word fuckboy .”
If Aaron and Mel think so, Cass and Carmen might also like not having him on our trip. No one despises him more than I do—of that I’m sure—but knowing that the Moores aren’t one big Tanner fan club lightens my mood.
“I just wish she would be with someone who fits. Like Mel fits. Carmen fits. They’re family. You—you fit. Man, if you had a brother that wasn’t a total shithead, we could set them up.”
Aaron says nothing about setting Lou up with me, not even as a throwaway joke, and I stiffen. Perhaps he wants to stay respectful of this new, unknown woman I’ve told him about— or, more likely, he can’t even wrap his head around Lou and me dating in the realm of possibility.
“Hello, boys!” Betsey waves from the sidewalk, and she and Lou stroll in our direction. “You two have enough water?”
“Yeah. We’re ’bout done,” Aaron says.
My eyes drift to Lou, looking equal parts sexy and sweet in her see-through sarong and that skimpy yellow swimsuit—the kind that has ties on the hips and around the back. I wish she’d let me take it off with my teeth. Lou smiles at me, casual and ordinary, except for a quick drag of her gaze down my naked torso.
“We’re headed to the dive center,” her mom says. “There’s a presentation on coral and the island’s rebuilding efforts. Care to join?”
“No,” Aaron replies. “Gotta shower.”
“Definitely.” Lou scrunches her nose at him.
“Aw, c’mere little sis.” He opens his arms wide to envelop her in an enormous sweaty hug.
“You’re so gross. No. Get away from me.” She hooks an arm through her mom’s and ushers her away. “We’re going. Bye. Get away. See you later.”
On our walk back to the villa, I text Lou. I will never tire of watching you walk around in that bikini.
A minute later, my phone vibrates with a message. It’s a photo message of Lou in the bathroom mirror, bikini top removed and dangling from an outstretched finger. This old thing?
My brain restarts, and I tuck my smartphone into my pocket before Aaron can see.
“That was her?” he asks.
I don’t need to nod. My dopey grin says everything.
“Damn, you’ve got it bad.”
If only he knew.