“It’s been a few days,” she smiled, blushing at the group.
“That’s amazing! Congratulations,” said Jeannie hugging her.
“Thank you. We’ve known one another our entire lives, so it seemed natural to take the next step.”
“You didn’t say you were dating anyone,” frowned Morris. She stared at him, unsure of the expression on his face.
“I didn’t know I had to tell you guys that I was dating anyone or engaged,” she smiled. “I’m a private person and I’d like to keep it that way.”
“I totally get it,” said Nicole. “I don’t want people up in my business. A woman has to keep some things to herself. Let’s eat and talk about this amazing man who snagged you.”
Agreeing on the location, Willa called Finn while she was driving.
“You don’t mind, do you?” she asked.
“No. Not at all, it’s just lunch. Right?” he asked.
“Yes. I mean…”
“What’s wrong?” he asked suddenly worried.
“I-I’m not sure. It was a weird vibe from one of my fellow students when I said I wanted to call my fiancé. He’s never really spoken to me before and today it all seemed out of context.”
“How about if I surprise you and meet you there?” he said smiling through the phone.
“Can you? I know that’s weird but I’d feel better,” she said.
“I’ll be there. Give me about twenty to thirty minutes.”
“Finn! You can’t speed all the way here,” she laughed.
“Sure I can if it’s for you. I’ll be there shortly.”
The call ended and suddenly Willa was feeling much better. Usually she wasn’t skittish about these things at all. But something about Morris’ demeanor really made her uneasy.
It ended up that eleven of the fifteen students showed for lunch. Willa felt more comfortable knowing that there was strength in numbers. She made sure to sit next to Jeannie at the end of the table so she could get out quickly if she needed to.
After ordering their food the door opened, right on time, to reveal Finn, River, and Quinn coming into the restaurant.
“Told you she was here,” smirked Finn. “Hey, babe.”
He bent down and kissed her, giving a nod to those at the table. It wasn’t hard to figure out which student was giving her the creeps. He looked at Finn with a death stare and he immediately graced him with one back.
“Hi,” she smiled excitedly. “Everyone, this is my fiancé, Finnegan and his brothers, Quinn and River.”
“Are you sure?” smirked Jeannie. “I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart.”
“I’m sure,” she laughed. “Let me introduce you guys to everyone.” She went around the table but the men noticed when she introduced Morris, he looked down at his sandwich without a word.
“Morris! You’re being rude,” said Jeannie.
“Sorry. I thought this was just us.”
“Our presence bother you, brother?” asked River. It was clear that Morris wasn’t used to being challenged. His face turned red and he shook his head. “Cool. I’ll order for us.”
Finn pulled a chair next to Willa, hugging her tightly to his side. He listened as the group spoke about some of the challenging questions but noticed that Morris wasn’t interacting with the group at all. Willa noticed as well, signing on the top of his thigh that Morris was acting weird and freaking her out.
“So, Morris, what made you go into nursing?” asked Finn.
