9. Addie #2
Blake normally helped, even though he didn’t have to, and tonight, I hoped he wouldn’t.
I set my plate in the sink with a bit more force than necessary. It clattered, and I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
After turning on the water, I added soap and began the methodical ritual of cleaning up. Their whispers filtered to me from where they remained on the couch.
If they thought they were being subtle, they were not.
When my phone buzzed on the coffee table, Blake brought it to the kitchen, along with his empty plate.
“Thanks,” I muttered. “Can you?”
He set his plate in the sink, and then swiped the bar on my phone and held it up to my face. I read the text from Finn, letting me know he was on his way to pick me up.
Right on schedule.
“Thanks,” I echoed, nodding at the phone. As Blake turned it around to shut off the screen, I panicked. “Wait!”
But he set it down before reading anything.
Breathing a sigh of relief, since I didn’t need their opinions on my big plans with Finn, I refocused on the dishes. I waited for him to rejoin Adam, but he pushed up his sleeves and took his usual place beside me.
Moving over, I made room and handed him the first plate to dry.
“Thanks.”
I groaned as I thanked him for the third time.
Blake laughed. “What if we do a blanket ‘Thank you’ for anything I do from here on out?”
Blushing furiously, I nodded. “That’d be great. Tha—”
I caught myself before I said it, and we laughed.
Returning to the task at hand, I relaxed, and things between us felt truly normal for the first time all evening. “How’s football going?”
“Done for now. We have a break over Christmas, but it’ll pick back up.” He dried off the plate and put it on the counter, holding his hand out for the next one. “I talked Adam into running with me over break. You in?”
“Running?”
He nodded. “Stadium training.”
I balked. “Why in the world would I do that?”
Laughing, he rubbed at a smudge on the plate. “Because exercise gives you endorphins and cardiovascular endurance is important for a long, healthy life?”
I said nothing.
He smirked. “Okay, fine. Because it’ll be fun to see how much he hates it.”
“I’m in.”
We shared another laugh as Adam called from the couch, “I can hear you, you know?”
“Sorry, buddy. The acoustics in this apartment are the worst.”
I snickered, getting caught up in the moment and ignoring my phone as it buzzed on the counter. “He’s going to be miserable. I can’t believe he agreed.”
Blake beamed at me. “I can be very persuasive when I want to be, Addie Barrow.” Then he nudged my side and motioned for another plate. “And the acoustics in the stadium are even worse. He’ll be so annoyed by the sound when he complains, he’ll just do it.”
Once he took the plate, I swatted at him. “You’re terrible.”
He snatched my soapy palm before it hit his chest, but he didn’t let it go. Instead, he tugged me to face him. “Is that why you’ve been avoiding the apartment?” he asked, but there was no accusation in his tone. “Avoiding…me?”
I didn’t know how to answer that, or what he wanted me to say. Lying wasn’t an option. Clearly, they’d noticed I’d been around less. But I hadn’t expected him to call me on it.
Maybe I hadn’t expected him to care at all.
That didn’t seem fair to him. “I’m sorry. I’ve just been…caught up.”
“With sonnet guy,” he said plainly.
“Finn,” I corrected gently. Searching his expression, I didn’t see any judgment. “Yeah, I guess I’ve been a bit caught up with Finn, and I didn’t think—”
“Well, I—”
Neither of us got to finish that thought. A knock sounded on the front door. We both glanced at it, and then at each other. Blake glanced to where he still held my wrist before he scanned my neck. “You’re not wearing your jewelry.”
He released my hand, and I brought it to my chest. “Oh, I—”
But the knock sounded again.
“We should get that,” Blake said, turning away from me.
My hand lingered over my collarbone. I hadn’t put my necklace and bracelet on earlier, even after my conversation with Tessa. I opted for simple stud earrings and one of my mom's old rings, but that felt wrong now.
I wanted to be the version of me I’d grown into since meeting Finn, but I didn’t want to forget who I’d been before him.
Now that Blake and I had eased the tension between us, maybe I could find a better balance.
When Blake opened the door, Finn stood on the other side. His eyes searched past Blake to find me, and his smile widened.
Blake jerked backward to make room as Finn stepped past him and came right to me.
He pulled me toward him, planting a kiss on my lips before pulling back to look me over. “You look stunning.” He beamed at me. “Absolutely gorgeous, Addison.”
I blushed, whispering a quiet thank you against his lips as he kissed me again.
When he pulled back this time, he turned to face Blake and Adam, who had joined us. He didn’t let me go, keeping his arm around me as he reached out with the other to shake both their hands.
“Sorry about that, fellas. I’m Finn. It’s nice to meet both of you. Addie talks about you all the time.”
“She does?” Blake blurted before shaking his head with a laugh. “All good things, I bet?”
Finn returned his laugh with an easy confidence I associated with his age.
“She says you’re excellent brothers. Very protective, which I appreciate.
” He winked down at me, and I returned his smile before facing the guys, surprised when Finn added, “For a second, I thought you might not let her leave tonight.”
Adam tensed, and Blake’s eyes narrowed.
I rolled my eyes at both of them. “Oh, stop. He’s just teasing.” I smiled up at Finn. “Sorry about the wait. I was finishing the dishes.”
“Of course, darling. Is it alright if I steal you away now?”
With another quick smile at Finn to relieve any accidental tension the two over-protective bulldogs had caused, I turned to them. I arched a brow. “Is that okay with you two?”
My tone implied arguing would have consequences, and since Adam preferred to stay as far away from my romantic and sexual life as possible, he bowed out first. “Yeah, go have fun, Addie.” He nodded at Finn. “Nice to meet you.”
“You, as well.”
Blake, who watched their exchange with an expression so impassive it clearly disturbed him, clenched his jaw when Finn turned to him.
Finn held out his hand, a smile on his face. “Blake.”
When Blake stared at his offered hand instead of taking it, I cleared my throat, pulling him out of his stupor.
He jolted, and then grabbed Finn’s hand with far too much force and shook it with exaggerated enthusiasm. “Flynn.”
Finn graciously laughed it off as I shot Blake a death glare.
But he refused to meet my gaze.
His eyes had fallen again to the spot where my necklace should’ve been. I reached up and touched it, which brought Blake’s eyes up.
“Enjoy your night, Addie Bo Baddie,” he said softly.
Emotion lodged in my throat, but I forced it down with a swallow, nodding at him and smiling as I whispered, “Thanks.”
With a final nod, Blake left us there and went into his room.
Before his departure brought up questions, I hugged Finn. “I just need to go grab my things from my room. I’ll be right back.”
He kissed the top of my head, and even though I searched for a sign that he might be upset or mad about the interaction with Blake and Adam, he conveyed nothing but understanding.
“I’ll wait right here for you, beautiful.”
When he let me go, I went to my room and grabbed my overnight bag.
Right before I left, I glanced at my dresser where my charm bracelet and my necklace still sat in the silver bowl. I touched my collarbone again, and before I talked myself out of it, I went over and grabbed both. I put them on before going back out to meet Finn.
It didn’t have to mean anything.
It didn’t have to bring back false hope.
It could just be a reminder that…no matter how I grew or changed, or where the future took me, my past mattered, too.
I preferred that over pretending it didn’t.