I didn’t want to think about my phone stalker right now. I had enough on my mind, what with the dead-sexy man arriving at my house in – I glanced at my cellphone – less than an hour.
Crap!
Phone call forgotten,I rushed to the front of the store, paid for my groceries, and was on my way to the pharmacy within minutes. Grabbing my prescription, I headed to the photo store which was, thankfully, located in the same plaza. My photos were ready, and they looked perfect. I’d had them enlarged onto big 24x36 inch canvases that would adorn my newly painted walls. I thanked the shop owner countless times before paying and lugging the three large photo canvases to the car, where I laid them gently in the backseat. Smiling, I raced home, eager to beat Finn there and start redecorating.
Though it was well into the afternoon by the time I’d gotten all of the food put away, Lexi was still sleeping soundly in her room.I wasn’t surprised. If napping were a sport, that girl would take home Olympic gold every time.
I lugged both cans of paint and all three blown-up photos into my bedroom and cast an assessing glance around the room. The only pieces of furniture were my desk, chair, bedside table, and bedframe. I struggled to maneuver the heavy oak desk into the hallway for several minutes until Lexi appeared in my doorway, coffee mug in hand and eyes wide.
“What are you doing?” she asked, her gaze moving from the displaced furniture to the cans of paint.
“I’m redecorating.”
She stared at me like I’d said I was planning to tattoo a swastika on my forehead and join a cultthat worshipped Cabbage Patch dolls. “Excuse me? I must have misheard you. I thought you just said that you, Brooklyn Turner, were redecorating your room. The same girl who told me that I was forbidden, on pain of death, from putting up wallpaper and cute decorations in the living room.”
I rolled my eyes. “You were going topaste a wall-quote that saidLive, Laugh, Lovein magenta, five foot tall lettering across the wall over our couch. You seriously didn’t anticipate me vetoing that idea?”
She harrumphed in frustration, taking another sip of her coffee and realizing she wasn’t going to win this argument.
“So how was your night with the Ken doll?” she asked, switching gears. “Was it everything you dreamed of and more?” She snorted into her mug.
“Sarcasm issonot your strong suit, Lex,” I said, smiling. I turned back to the desk and began yanking it toward the door once more. “And actually, nothing happened with Landon. I walked home.”
“What?” she exclaimed, surprise evident in her voice. “Why the change of heart?”
I sighed. “Are you going to help me move this desk?”
“Only if you tell me what happened with Landon.”
“Bitch,” I muttered. “Fine. I just wasn’t into it, okay? He was hot, but I couldn’t clear my mind enough to enjoy it.”
“Clear your mind of what? Or, should I be askingof who?” she pressed.
Ispun around to glare at her. “Before you even start, this has nothing to do with Finn,” I lied.
“Oh, you are so full of shit! Brooklyn Turner has a crush! I can’t freaking believe this!” She squealed, dancing into my bedroom and slinging an arm over my shoulder. “I’ve been waitingyearsfor this to happen. And this is perfect! I’ve always dreamed of us dating best friends! Ohmigod! We should all go to this party tomor—”
“LEXI!” I yelled, cutting her off before she could start planning our double wedding, thus inducing one of my panic attacks. “There is nothing going on between Finn and I. We’re friends. F-R-I-E-N-D-S,” I spelled out emphatically, hoping she’d listen to me for once.
“You let all yourfriendspin you against the side of their truck and kiss you like that?” Finn’s deep voice asked from the doorway.
God dammit.Was the man incapable of just announcing his presence like a normal person?
I groaned.
Lexi spun around, spied him leaning casually in the doorway, and squealed happily. I think she actually may have started jumping up and down in delight, but I was too busy looking around for a rope to hang myself with to be sure. The small digital clock on my desk read 2:05 – he was right on time, so I couldn’t even be mad at him for eavesdropping.
“You bitch! I can’t believe you were selling me that‘just friends’ bullshit!” she smacked my arm and glared down at me.
“Haven’t you heard of knocking?” I snapped, ignoring Lexi and blasting an icystare in Finn’s direction.
“Ididknock. No one answered,” he said, glaring back at me. His voice was calm but his eyes were stormy as they pierced mine.
Nope, he definitely wasn’t happy about my ‘just friends’ comment.
“You. Me. Details. Later,” Lexi demanded, still glaring at me. Turning to Finn, a sunny smile crossed her face and she sighed. “Be patient with her. She’s emotionally retarded.”
I let out a mortifiedgroan and Finn tried – and failed – to hold in his laughter as Lexi wandered into the hallway and disappeared. When she was gone, a thick silence descended on the room. A charge seemed to build in the air as Finn and I stared at each other, the laughter dying slowly from his eyes. He took a step toward me into the room and I immediately stepped back, maintaining the space between us. A dark look crossed his face and his eyes narrowed.