I rolled my eyes. “He’s an agent, Finn. He’s paid to be friendly.”
Finn grunted, glancing at the door where Lysander had disappeared. “Seems like he’s paid to do more than that.”
I bristled, folding my arms. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He looked at me, eyes searching. “Just want to make sure you’re not getting played. You barely know him.”
I let out a shaky laugh. “I barely know anyone in this town. Lysander’s literally the only person besides you, Harper, and the girls who gives a damn about my future.”
Finn didn’t say anything, just watched me with that dark, unreadable look. The kind that made me want to squirm and scream at the same time.
“He’s gay, Finn.” I added, voice rising. “You’re going to ruin the one friendship I’ve built since I got back from Paris. Is that really what you want?”
He exhaled, the air going out of him all at once. “No,” he said, voice low. “That’s not what I want.”
We stood there, both breathing hard, both refusing to look away.
I changed the subject. “Can you help me move the ladder? We need to tape off the wall before the paint crew finishes.”
He nodded, walking over to the far corner where the big aluminum ladder stood. I watched him go, wondering how a person could be so strong and still seem so fragile.
The contractors started disassembling a tall scaffolding near the back wall, metal pipes clanking as they loosened bolts. I was setting out fresh blue tape strips, careful to keep the line straight, when a sudden metallic screech ripped the air. I spun around.
One of the workers had stepped back, wrench in hand, as the upper tier of the scaffold shivered, then started to tilt forward. The whole frame began to collapse, slow at first but gathering speed. I was directly in its path.
For a second, I couldn’t move. My mind registered the weight, the height, the probability of broken bones, but my body was rooted. Maybe I was tired. Maybe I thought I deserved to get hit. All I knew was I stood there, mouth open, as the scaffold lurched closer.
I heard Finn shout my name, but the sound was drowned out by the clatter of falling metal. And then, just as the top rung clipped the air inchesfrom my head, someone crashed into me from the side, shoving me hard to the ground. The scaffold hit with a sound like thunder, pipes ringing off the concrete, sparks flying as the frame buckled and twisted.
I hit the floor, wind knocked out of me, arms tangled with someone else’s. I looked up. Lysander was on top of me, breathing fast, blood running down the side of his face.
He blinked, dazed, then smiled. “Darling, you have the worst luck.” Then he rolled off, clutching his forehead.
Finn was there in seconds, hauling me upright, checking my arms, my neck, my skull. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” His hands moved over me, rough and desperate, voice barely controlled.
“I’m fine,” I whispered. My ears were ringing. I tried to stand, and my legs almost buckled. “I’m okay,” I repeated, and then looked for Lysander.
He was already sitting up, propped against the wall, blood streaking his temple and the front of his jacket. Finn grabbed the hem of his own shirt, tore it, and pressed it to Lysander’s head.
“You saved her life.” Finn's voice was raw. He looked Lysander in the eye, and for a second there was something almost like respect on his face.
Lysander grinned, wincing as Finn pressed the cloth to his skin. “Wouldn’t be the first time I’d played the hero. But it usually gets me better press.”
Finn let out a laugh, sudden and unexpected. “You’re a tough bastard, aren’t you?”
Lysander winked. “I survived art school. And my mother. This is nothing.”
Finn shook his head, and for a moment, the two of them were just men, breathing in the shock and aftermath, sweat and blood and relief pooling around them.
I tried to thank Lysander, but the words got lost. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking, and my heart thudded so loud I could barely hear myself think.
I heard Inez’s boots on the concrete, then saw her rush over, face pale. “What happened?” she demanded.
“Brie almost got pancaked,” Lysander said, gesturing at the mess. “I was her knight in shining armor.”
Inez didn’t smile. She reached into her bag and pulled out a gauze pack, then knelt and started to clean the cut. Finn stepped back, still watching me.
“You okay?” His voice was softer this time.
