“Oh…I could…thank you,” I stammered when he removed my sneakers.
“First thing you should know about skating,” Finn began, matter-of-factly. He spoke as if his fingers weren’t gently gripping my ankle and coaxing my nerve endings into a state of panic. “It’s vital you find the right pair of skates. And that’s not always going to be your usual size.”
I glanced over to see that, in addition to my size, he picked out two other sets for me to try on. My response got caught in my throat as he helped me slip my foot into the skates. He moved like helping me was second nature.
He tightened the laces with a firm tug. I pressed my lips together at the sight of his fingers readjusting the tongue of the skates. Who knew a kneeling man lacing skates could be so hot? Not me. I was glad I learned today, though.
“How does the fit feel?” Finn asked. His hands were still on my skate, but I couldn’t feel the pressure of his fingers anymore. The veins on his skin were prominent. I tried my best not to picture him gripping other parts of my body, but damn, his hands would look ten times better around my neck.
What the hell is wrong with you?
I cleared my throat. “It feels fine. Good. Great, even. Wonderful, is a word one might use. All the positive adjectives.”
He gave me a curious look. I laughed to show him I was fine, even though I sounded out of sorts.
“Stand up. Let’s see how that feels.” Finn pushed off the ground and offered me his hands.
I took a breath, accepting his support. He pulled me up effortlessly. His touch felt like a storm, familiar and new all at once.
As I wobbled like a baby deer, he stayed steady.
“Any pinching?” he asked, looking down at my feet.
I shook my head. “No, they’re perfect.”
And I think, in a way, you might be too.
“Great.” He nodded in approval. “We’ll skate for a bit. Then if you feel like they’re getting too tight or loose, we’ll switch them out.”
I nodded, too caught up in the smell of his spicy cologne to form much of an opinion on my skates. Who cared about skates when a six-foot hockey player tended to you like a princess?
“Mind waiting a sec while I get a pair?” he asked in a low voice because we were a breath apart. I was about an inch taller than him with skates on, so I had to bend my neck to meet his eyes. Big mistake.
Up close, Finn’s brown eyes were lighter. The scarring on his skin mapped across the temple down his chin like a winding river. This close, I didn’t sense mystery in his gaze like I did from afar. A breath away, Finn looked like he couldn’t hide a damn thing. He looked like he wanted me, and that sent panic through my bones. The itching was back with a vengeance.
“No rush,” I told him as he helped me sit down.
As soon as he left, I grabbed my phone. My heart pounded a frantic beat in my ears as I opened my text thread with MidQuest. I was halfway through typing a message and I paused.
Did I really want to send this now? Was word vomiting necessary? Yes, I was attracted to Finn. I was about eighty percent sure he felt the same way. That didn’t mean I had to make any immediate decisions about my relationships. In fact, I shouldn’t make any decisions other than figuring out a new hive ointment.
I glanced at Finn and felt my head floating into the clouds. I needed to handle this because it was getting worse now that he was different. Finn was being nice, and I didn’t know how to handle it. Quiet Finn was easier to manage. He didn’t challenge me. He didn’t make me question my focus. He didn’t make me question what I really wanted now that there was stability in my life.
With a deep breath, I typed a message for Mid. Something less chaotic and more straightforward. I needed answers. We’d waited long enough. I’d given him time to think about us. I was tired of waiting and wondering and dreaming.
Today, I was nipping my crush in the bud. I’d put on my big girl panties and demand something solid. Finn was feeling more solid. I enjoyed that feeling and I wanted it to stay. I wanted to enjoy it with the right person.
Chapter Twenty
Finn
Chai03:Ithinkit’stime we try to meet IRL again. What do you say? I’m usually free on weekends.
I kept my gaze on my screen because if I turned around to Naomi, she’d read the sheer panic in my eyes. The girl manning the skates gave me a weird look when I mumbled a rushed ‘thanks.’
Why was she asking this now? Since our first failed attempt, we both ignored the topic. I thought we mutually agreed to put it in a box and not open it until…we were ready. Until I was ready. I was getting there at my pace. I was working on becoming someone again—someone worth getting to know, someone worth growing to love.
My stomach twisted at the thought of telling her the truth.Hey, we’ve already met. I live above you and we tolerate each other.Well, you tolerate me. Meanwhile, I pine. Hard.
