Itwaseerie, though – the strong sense of déjà vu that filled me as Finn cradled me in his arms, with a remorseful Lexi hovering by his elbow. Just like the first day we’d met, before I knew what a big part of my life he would become. He was just some random guy then – a jerky prick who’d insulted and angered me beyond measure.
And now I was in love with him.Life was funny that way.
The ride to Finn’s apartment wasa blur. Finn was silent, lost in his own thoughts, and I kept my forehead propped against the cool glass of the passenger window, allowing my mind to blank as I watched the hazy orbs of the streetlights speed by. In seemingly no time, we’d pulled into the driveway of a modest two-story condo.
To say that this was not what I’d been expecting of Finn’s place was almost certainly the biggest understatement of the century. Semi-reformed slut that I was, I’d been in the houses, apartments, and bedrooms of more guys than I ever wanted to count. I’d been primed for the worst – beer cans littering the front lawns, overgrown hedges, chipped paint, and a stoop that was falling apart.
What I wasnotexpecting was a beautifully tended front lawn, pristine whitewashed shingles, and a front porch complete with several flowerboxes – each of them overflowing with cheerful, multicolored blossoms.
Thiswas Finn’s house? I actually had to pinch myself because I was nearly positive that I’d stepped into a parallel universe. Or maybe I’d hit my head so hard on those cobblestones that I was actually in the hospital experiencing some kind of weird, coma-induced hallucination.
Whatever it was, though, was no match for the shock I felt stepping inside the condo itself.Absent were the typical posters of bikini-clad girls on motorcycles and sports cars. There were no stray beer cups on the counter, nor was there a mountain of empty pizza boxes piled four feet high next to the trashcan.
“So, this is my place,” Finnexplained nonchalantly, as if it were totally unsurprising that he lived in a beautiful condo with marble countertops, a kitchen island, and a refrigerator so large I could probably fit my entire body in the freezer compartment.
I continuedto spin in slow circles, taking in his uncluttered, minimalist space. The couch was low-slung, elegantly crafted in black leather. Both the coffee table and entertainment system – which housed an unfathomably large flat-screen television and numerous game consoles – were constructed of a sleek, dark wood. The place screamed effortless wealth. Hell, it evensmelledlike cultured masculinity.
Yep, I’m definitelylying in a coma somewhere.
“Bee?” Finn’s voice sounded uncharacteristically nervous.“What do you think?”
“You have coasters.”
“So?” Finn asked, a baffled look crossing his face.
“Coasters, Finn.”
“I don’tunderstand,” Finn muttered, glancing from me to the coasters with a wary look in his eyes.
“You also have copper sink faucets,” I pointed out.
“I guess?” Finn shrugged, looking at the sink like he’d never even noticed it before.
“You’re rich,” I said accusingly.
“And that’s a problem because…?” Finn asked. His eyebrows were raised so high on his forehead they’d nearly disappeared beneath his messy hair.
Abruptly, I collapsed onto his leather couch. It was obscenely comfortable.Of course it is, I thought bitterly.It probably cost more than my rent.
“Bee, you’ve got this scary look in your eyes right now,” Finn said, kneeling in front of me so he could look into my eyes. “What is this about? Why does it matter that I have money?”
“It doesn’t,” I snapped.
“Is this about your father?” Finn asked quietly.
“No!” I practically yelled in his face.
Defensive much? Way to play it cool, Brooklyn.
Finn looked at me skeptically.
“Fine. Maybe it’s a little bit about him,” I sheepishly admitted. I squeezed my eyes closed. “I’m sorry. I’m already so emotional from earlier, and then I walked in here and it was just…not what I was expecting, I guess. I felt like I was back at my Dad’s house, and that place…” I took a deep, steadying breath. “It’s the last place I ever want to be when I’m feeling vulnerable.”
“That’s understandable,” Finn said, leaning in to brush a soft kiss across my lips. “But don’t take it out on Henry.”
“Henry?”
“My couch,” Finn said, lovingly petting the leather next to my thigh.