Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
FINN
“So, do we need to have an intervention, or are you going to survive?” Bash asks as he sips his beer.
I give a low chuckle as I stare down the neck of my own bottle. “No, I’m fine. No intervention needed.”
“Oh, really?” Sam asks with a knowing look. “I’m surprised you’re not crying yourself to sleep every night, considering.”
I glare at him across the booth we’ve settled down in at the Locke. “I’m fine.”
He smirks at me, his eyes never leaving mine as he takes a long sip. I roll my eyes and ignore him.
“So, did she give a reason?” Raze asks. I decided to invite him out with us since he lives in town. After our conversation at work, we’ve been making an effort to get to know one another more on a personal level. Just as I expected, he’s meshing in just fine.
I scramble for something to say. “Just that the time had reached its end.”
All the guys wince.
“Oof, that’s harsh.”
I shrug and take another sip.
“So, what now?” Bash asks. “Is this now a shared-custody situation? Do we get you on weekdays and Oakleigh on weekends?”
“You’re hilarious.” I rub away the anxiety in my chest, the possibility of my whole plan failing sneaking into my body like drops of poison in the bloodstream. “Everything will be fine.”
“Sounds more like you’re trying to convince yourself,” Sam deduces.
I am.
I think the separation anxiety is really kicking into gear. I want to know she’s okay; that she’s finding a sliver of happiness, even though Wren is currently on an Oakleigh hiatus.
Ever since my mom and dad apologized to me, I’ve felt a little more lost. It threw me off.
I was never looking for an apology from them.
To me, they still have nothing to apologize for, but something still shifted inside me.
Afterward, the atmosphere was a little awkward, so I left without another word, there was nothing I could say.
I simply walked out and sat in my bedroom for hours, my thoughts bouncing off the edges of my mind.
Everything that I had spent years wanting; craving.
All of it could have been possible, not just if I’d pulled my head out of my ass long enough to go after what I wanted, but also if we’d simply resolved a single piece of fucking miscommunication.
“What you thinking about?” Sam asks, watching me closely.
There’s no playing it off cool, not when he’s probably been watching a million and one emotions slide across my face.
“Oakleigh,” I say simply.
“What about her?”
“Just hoping she’s okay.”
It’s been a week since that night. A week that I haven’t even been able to do anything other than hold my emotions close to my chest because I’ve been so fucking busy that my head is no longer on straight.
I remind myself that it’s all a part of me getting my shit together, going out and getting what I want for a change.
Whoever I am, it’s time that I figure it out.
“What was her real reason for the break-up?” Sam asks, leaning in close so the others don’t hear.
“Nothing that I’ll share right now.”
Sam surprisingly looks impressed with my answer, nodding at something he’s seeing when he looks at me.
For the rest of the evening, Oakleigh’s name is taboo, like a scary story told to children at night.
It’s unnecessary, but I appreciate my friends being friends.
The four of us laugh, eat, and drink and it feels like it always does: like I’ve been friends with these guys for way more than nine months.
Unfortunately, Gus had some stuff to sort out on the farm and was unable to come, or so he says.
In reality, I think he’s avoiding me just like his fiancé is.
Wren has spent the past week at the farm with Gus, leaving me all alone in the house.
I understand that she’s hurt, but I do not regret the way things have panned out, not when it’s gotten me the closest I’ve ever come to being in something real with Oakleigh.
I will apologize to Wren again soon, but for now it really is best to just give her some space. She’ll come to me when she’s ready.
When we’re about to head home, I hesitate outside the bar. Sam notices and whispers something to Jamie who looks over at me before leaving. Sam walks over and leans against the wall beside me.
“I’ve made a decision,” I say, looking out at the deserted street before me.
“Oh?”
I take a deep breath before saying, “I’ll sell Southwick Construction to you.”
“Amazi—”
“I wasn’t done.”
Sam smirks at me. “This new Finn is very refreshing.”
“All of my staff keep their jobs.”
He nods. “That one was a given.”
“Their pay either remains the same or increases.”
“Done.”
“And you increase the offer up to eight mil instead of seven.”
He blows out a breath. “I thought you said it wasn’t even worth seven.”
“And I thought you said it was worth ten?”
His laugh is loud and carefree, and I hope my laugh can sound as unrestrained as his.
“And my discount?” he asks.
“What about it?” I counter.
He shrugs. “Fair enough. I was surprised you even went along with that in the first place. It was mostly a joke.”
We stand beside one another and appreciate the moment of silence.
I’ve always preferred this—the quiet that soothes my nerves and dulls the ache in my mind.
Now, however, I miss the arguments, chasing one another around the house as if we’re children playing tag.
I miss her smell, her smile, her chaotic nature.
I miss her. I just hope I can hold out a little longer without snapping.