I folded my arms over my chest and hid behind a sip of beer.He volunteers in the pediatric ward?I did not need to know that.
“I don’t think that’s what Chessly meant.” Callahan smirked.
“Look, I, um, figured I screwed up somehow that night.” He scuffed his feet on the linoleum. “Can we talk?” Glancing around at the crowd, he added, “Without an audience?”
My first reaction was to hide behind my usual snark and turn him down. But something about such a big man being so vulnerable in front of his friends had me nodding instead. At my response, Jamaica’s eyes almost bugged out of her head. Giving her the tiniest shake of my head, I shut down whatever comment she wanted to make.
The smile that bloomed over Finn’s wide mouth was worth my acquiescence. I just hoped the price for it wasn’t going to be too high.
Chapter Six
Finn
When I walkedinto the kitchen and saw Chessly standing there, my heart almost pounded out of my chest. Just seeing that girl did weird things to my insides. From the look on her face, the feeling wasn’t mutual, and I didn’t have a fucking clue how to fix that. All I knew was that I needed a do-over, and this was my first chance at one in the two weeks since we met and hit it off—until I somehow fucked up.
As usual, my timing wasn’t awesome, what with me asking for a private conversation in a room full of people, but I never saw her anywhere around campus where I could maybe ask for a few minutes without an audience.
Nodding toward the doorway into the living room, I said, “Let’s go somewhere less crowded.”
Callahan snorted even as Chessly lifted a skeptical brow. With the heaving crowd in the living room, I understood the irony of my suggestion. But we weren’t headed to there.
“Trust me. Please.” I dropped what I hoped was a smile and not a grimace.
That skeptical expression remained, but all the same Chessly followed me out of the kitchen. I skirted the dancers taking up the middle of the living room, which was a feat in itself as we wound our way past people drinking, laughing, and making out on the couches and chairs my roommates and I had shoved against the walls. When we reached the foyer, I asked, “Do you have a jacket?”
“I left it in Saylor’s car.”
“No worries.” Reaching into the closet, I pulled out one of my hoodies and handed it to her.
She eyed it narrowly before at last reaching for it and pulling it over her head. It covered her like a blanket, hanging almost to her knees. Hot damn, she looked adorable. I couldn’t help how much I liked seeing her in my clothes.
We headed out to the porch where I gestured for her to take the lawn chair in the corner. Leaning against the rail, I gathered my thoughts, most of which were about how damn lucky I was to have another shot at talking to her.
“You had something to say...?” she prompted.
Clearing my throat, I said, “Yeah.” God, she was so pretty. Before meeting her, I would have said eyes so blue only existed in fairy tales. Her perfect rosy lips were plump and inviting, even in this moment when they were slightly pursed.Especiallywhen she pursed them. Her heart-shaped face came to a shallow dimple in her chin. I had an overwhelming urge to run my tongue over that dimple, but I also had the good sense to know she wouldn’t welcome that.
She made the “go on” gesture with her hand, a tiny smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth as though she had a clue about what was going through my head.
I clapped my palm over the back of my neck then scratched the back of my head. “The thing is, I thought when I drove you home after Homecoming that we were connecting. I mean, science nerds, right?” When she gave me nothing, I said, “I thought I was being subtle about taking the long way, but maybe I offended you?”
Busying herself with rolling the sleeves up on my hoodie, exposing her delicate hands, she took her time answering. “That wasn’t the problem.” She caught my eye. “It was your friends.” Seeming to catch herself, she hurried on. “Which is none of my business. You have a right to be friends with whoever you want.” When she plucked at the hem of my hoodie, I relaxed. Guess both of us were a little nervous. “But I can’t understand what you see in someone like Tory Miller.”
“She always seems to be around, you know?”
That brow went up again, and I gripped the porch railing hard enough to leave marks.
“Not really. Maybe you could explain it to me.” Though her voice remained steady, I didn’t miss the way she white-knuckle gripped the hem of my hoodie where it rested above her knees.
Guess Tory Miller made both of us tense.
“We’re not really friends. She’s more interested in Callahan than anything.”
Her lips thinned. “And that bothers you, huh?”
Putting my hands up to slow down where her train of thought was headed, I yelped, “No!” Clearing my throat, I added with what I hoped was some calm in my tone, “What I mean is that Tory hangs around Bax and me because she hopes we’ll hook her up with Callahan.” Glancing in the direction of the house, I smirked. “But it’s pretty obvious where ’Han’s interest is, so I think she’s shit out of luck.”
Something sad flitted over Chessly’s features. “Depends on how bad she wants him.”
