Isla’s face falls. “You can’t tell anyone,” she whispers. I am all ears. “When we were in England, he asked me not to go. He asked me to take a chance on us. He was ready to commit.” I had no idea. “Finn asked me to marry him.”
I gasp. What in the … I’m confused. Isn’t this what she has always wanted? “What happened?”
“I told him that I needed to go. That we both needed this, and he said he would always love me, and he would wait.”
Ah, that’s sweet. I can’t believe he did that, and she said no. I’m proud of her. If she had said yes, I’m not sure he would have delivered on his promises to her, he just didn’t want her to go because she’s never been far before.
Her brows pull together. “As much as I wanted to believe him, D, he’s not going to change. Look at the images of him and my brother in New York.”
Honestly, I’m disappointed in Finn, especially after what Isla just confessed. He really needs to get his shit together because ifhe keeps pushing Isla away for the sake of his relationship with Oscar, then one of these days he’s going to push her too far and she’ll be gone. I mean, her moving halfway across the world is the first step, but his stupid loyalty to his best friend is getting in the way of his happiness, and he keeps making stupid decisions.
“I’m so fricken proud of you for standing up for yourself. He hasn’t changed in the fifteen years you two have been hooking up, but maybe this time he will be different. Absence will make the heart grow fonder and his balls will grow bigger so he can tell Ragnar that he’s in love with his sister.”
“Doubtful,” Isla says, rolling her eyes.
“Oscar does have Stacey now, and he seems to have calmed down. They’re moving in together, that’s a big step. She told me that he missed her when she was in Australia. He picked her up from the airport. Who the hell goes to LAX on purpose? Except a man in love.”
“Maybe Stacey can work on my brother while I’m gone. Let him release the overprotective reins.”
“Oh, I’m sure she will work on him,” I say, wiggling my brows.
Isla makes a face. “Ew, D,” she says, playfully hitting me.
“Those two are kinky freaks, you know I’m right.”
Isla shudders with repulsion at the thought.
“Isla seems happy,” Stacey says as we catch a moment alone together by the fire in Vanessa’s backyard.
“This will be good for her. Sucks I’m losing you to the dark side,” I say, nudging her shoulder as I take a sip of my wine.
“I’m only going to be next door on alternate days to help out.”
“Bet Ragnar can’t wait to role-play boss and assistant in his office,” I tease, bursting out laughing.
“We don’t do anything at work, I am a professional.”
“Didn’t stop Evan and Sienna,” I remind her.
“They are married, and she had pregnancy hormones that made her crazy,” Stacey adds.
True. We had to go through it a second time with them, at least I was prepared. Poor Christian, he’s been copping it from Vanessa, but now she’s bigger, things seem to have slowed down.
“Can you imagine how horny you would be if the Viking knocked you up?”
“Derrick! Don’t you ever wish that upon me.” Stacey gasps.
I turn and look at her. “Do you not want kids?”
“Not right now and not with Oscar.”
“What about with Axel or Jackson?”
Stacey stills. “Excuse me?”
“I can’t believe you never told me,” I whisper-shout at her as I take another sip of wine.
“How do you know about that?” Stacey glares at me.
