“You okay?” he asks, meeting my gaze.
“Yeah, sorry about that.” I catch my breath then stand up straight. “I just didn’t realize we would go up that high.”
River squeezes my hand. “You don’t need to be sorry for anything.” He lets go of my hand then and starts forward.
Finn steps up beside me. “You, Maddison Averly, are becoming a real mystery to me.”
My head tilts to the side. “Why’s that?”
He lifts a shoulder. “You just are.” With that, he whisks by me.
I turn to follow him when I finally acknowledge my surroundings.
“Holy effing hell,” I whisper under my breath as I take in the spacious room I’m standing in. Thick gray columns line the dark walls, and the beamed ceiling is trimmed with coiled metal lights. Filling up the room is a series of leather sofas, a few tables, along with sculptures, paintings, and a fountain. The floor is as shiny as the elevators but much darker with splashes of silver.
“This is where you guys live?” I gape at everything in awe as I follow Finn and River through the door and down a wide hallway lined with shelves of books.
“Sometimes,” Finn replies as he carelessly tosses his keys onto a table that’s at the end of the hallway.
“Sometimes,” I mouth. I mean, I knew they were wealthy, but this is a whole level of rich that I can’t even comprehend.
I do not belong here. I should turn back, but I’m too curious now to see the rest of the place. Plus, turning back means going into the elevator.
Once we reach the end of the hallway, we make a turn and the space opens up into a living area with one wall entirely made of windows—yeah, I’m totally going to avoid going over there.
“I need to take a shower,” River announces as he starts toward another hallway.
“So do I,” Finn states but doesn’t head in the direction of where River is wandering. Instead, he comes to a stop and faces me, his eyes roving over me.
“What?” I ask almost defensively.
“I was just wondering if you wanted to take a shower, too. You can use the one in Lily’s room.” The corners of his lips curl upward. “Although, if you want to take one with me, I’d be perfectly okay with that.”
“Finn, Jesus Christ,” River calls out disapprovingly as he stops in the middle of the hallway. “Stop hitting on her.”
Finn breezes at me. “He’s just jealous because he wishes he could.”
I can’t help thinking about how River kissed me. Finn must’ve not seen the entire thing or else I feel like he’d be mocking the hell out of us. Part of me wants to glance at River to see his expression, see if he’s thinking the same thoughts I am.
But I keep my gaze on Finn and make a big show of rolling my eyes. “Yeah, right. I get the feeling he has to say that to you all the time.”
His grin widens. “Okay, maybe. But it usually doesn’t bother him as much.”
“Finn, seriously, shut the hell up,” River interrupts in a sharp tone.
When I glance at him, his eyes are firing daggers at Finn.
Finn holds his hands up and steps back. “Sorry, brother.” He sounds anything but sorry.
Shaking his head, he fixes his attention on me, his eyes softening a drop. “Maddy, if you’d like to take a shower, you’re more than welcome to use Lily’s, and I’m sure she wouldn’t mind you borrowing some of her clothes.”
I have no desire to use or borrow anything here, but I’m also covered in old sweat and rain, and I feel disgusting.
“Yeah, okay, that’d actually be nice.” I smile at River. “Thanks.”
River motions for me to follow him. “Come on; I’ll show you where her room is.”
I walk over to him, throwing a wave at Finn from over my shoulder.
