Chapter Twenty - Finn
Chapter Twenty
FINN
"SO, HAVE THEY GOT you hooked up with a little brother yet?” Colin asks, securing the strap of his bag over his shoulder.
“About four weeks ago. Cool kid. A little quiet but he just needs help coming out of his shell. Reminds me of you. I took him to the Coney Island buyout you bailed on two weeks ago.”
“Hang out with you or go visit Saylor.” He uses his hands to weigh out the options, and clearly, the Saylor option wins.
“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m not as pretty as she is.” I flip imaginary long hair from my shoulder as we step out of the gym onto the streets of SoHo. "How's Mama June doing, by the way? Anniversary’s coming up."
Colin shrugs. "I mean, she's happy. Tom has been really good for her, but it's always hard around this time of year."
"How are you holding up? This year is what, fifteen years?"
“I’m trying to focus on the positives. That's what Dad would want. Oh, before I forget, Shey told me to ask if you wanted to come over for dinner when she gets back next week.”
"Just tell me when and I'm there."
"You are being ridiculous!" A deep voice catches our attention. Across the street, a man towers over another person as he berates them. This isn't the typical place for this kind of scene, so it draws attention. Passersby try to act like they're bothered, but they just want to know what's going on.
"Probably an assistant who got the wrong coffee," Colin snickers.
"Why can't you act like an adult for once in your life — is it really so hard for you?" The man shouts again.
"Or not."
The other person finally seems to break free of whatever hold the man has on them stepping into view and I feel like I've been punched in the stomach. You've got to be kidding. Is that... "Michaela?" I shout without thinking, catching everyone's attention.
"You know her?" Colin follows me across the street.
"Mic, hey! That is you."
"Who the hell is this guy?" Asshole glares down at her.
Who the hell is he?
"Finn, what are you doing?" Michaela ignores him. Dark circles I've never noticed hang under her eyes. She's dressed in bike shorts and a hoodie, her honey-blonde hair pulled into the messiest bun I've ever seen underneath a baseball cap – drastically different from her normal attire.
"I was over at the gym and–"
"Who's this — your newest fuck?" Asshole interrupts me.
"Hey, watch your mouth," Colin straightens to his full height — at least two inches taller than me at five-eleven, and I stand at least two inches taller than Asshole. I watch Asshole's eyes widen slightly. "There's no need to talk to a lady like that.”
Colin, ever the gentleman.
"You okay?" I touch her hand trying to ignore the stare burning into the side of my head.
“Fine,” she hisses and tries to rip her hand from mine, but I don’t let go.
"Yeah, she's fine," Asshole tries to step between us, but I don't budge. "You can go now. We have a conversation to finish."
"Actually, your conversation is finished.” I rest my hand on her back pulling her further into me despite the tension. It slowly dissipates as my thumb grazes the skin of her neck, a warmth blooming under my touch. "C'mon," I glance down at her, "let's go home."
"So, you are fucking him!” Asshole scoffs.
"What's it to you?"
"I'm her husband.”
Husband.
Wait… She’s married? I knew Josh had said she was seeing someone a few years ago, but nothing ever seemed to come out of it. Where’s he been the last month? Obviously, not interested in his wife’s whereabouts. He hasn’t shown his face one time. I don’t remember even hearing her mention him. Not once. That means she was married when we fucked in the office… Great, this is just great.
“And, considering she refuses to sign the divorce papers, I think I'm entitled to know who my wife is whoring around with.”
I stick my other hand out to restrain Colin when he takes a step forward keeping him from doing something he'll regret. "No, I don't think you do and I don’t appreciate you talking about my girlfriend that way. If you ever speak to her like that again, Colin over there will be the least of your problems. If you'll excuse us, we have somewhere to be.” Like Michaela giving me an explanation as to what in the hell is going on. Uncertainty swims in the ocean eyes under her baseball cap, but I squeeze her shoulder gently. "Isn't that right, Shortcake ?"
“Y-yeah. Yeah, we have, um, plans. Bye, David."
"Hand it over, Michaela,” David hisses.
“You know, I don't think I will.” A tight smile tugs on her lips and she leans further into my side. Her voice becomes more confident with each word, “Especially if you're going to continue to come at me in such a threatening manner."
“Unbelievable. You’ll be hearing from my lawyer, again.”
“She knows where to find me.”
This is going to continue until one of them walks away, and no one wants to be the first one to blink. So I do it for them, guiding her down the street. Colin hesitates briefly, he’s still considering turning around and beating David’s ass. He cannot stand a man disrespecting a woman, but especially not their own wife. David calling her a whore was the final nail in his coffin, whether Colin knows her or not. And right now, he thinks she is my girlfriend. So, David has not only disrespected Michaela, but me.
We turn onto Sixth Street from Grand, and Michaela tries to pull away, but I keep my hold on her. I know better than to stop this soon in case David follows. I guide her across Sixth to Broome and finally release her. “What in the hell was that, Michaela?”
“Fuck off, Finn. It’s not your business.”
“I find you in a screaming match with your husband in the middle of SoHo, and you tell me it’s not my business?”
“It’s not your business!”
“Michaela—”
"Okay, what is going on here?" Colin interrupts. "You failed to mention you were dating someone, Sheff. Let alone someone who is married.”
“Soon to be divorced,” Michaela corrects.
“We are not dating,” I correct him. “Colin, this is Michaela, the one who was helping me with the House. Josh’s little sister.”
“Davis? Oh, shit. You’re dating his little sister? He’s gonna kill you, dude.”
"We're not dating!” Michaela and I say at the same time.
"Like that would happen," Michaela mumbles.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I hiss. She'd be lucky to date someone like me, especially after what I just witnessed.
"I'd sooner go back to my ex-husband."
Ouch.
“From the sound of it, he’s not your ex yet.”
“You know what, I don’t have time for your shit today.” Michaela looks towards Colin, “It was nice to meet you, whoever you are. Finn’s friend who knows my brother. I didn’t catch your name, but I have to go. And Finn,” she returns to me, her nostrils flare slightly and her blue eyes narrow, “stay out of my life.”
“Strictly business here, Shortcake.”
Michaela rolls her eyes before she huffs off down Sixth — she weaves through the small crowd like a fish swimming against the current.
“Dude,” Colin says, catching my attention. “What the fuck are you doing?”