His arms are folded over his chest, and I try not to stare at his muscles and broad shoulders, but they’re in my direct eyeline, and I can’t stomach looking back into his eyes again.
When he doesn’t move, I have no choice but to glance up. He’s watching me with a cautious expression, and it has blood thrashing through my system like there is no tomorrow.
“Princess, I just want to talk.”
My heart pauses for a simple beat, and I close my lips again. I can barely form a sentence right now, let alone listen to what he has to say. “Can we talk tomorrow?” I squeeze my eyes shut. “I’m really not feeling too good.”
“Alright,” he says after a few moments and steps out of the way.
I walk straight upstairs and into the bathroom, where I take a few moments to breathe. Sometimes I wish I knew what exactlywas going on inside my head, rather than having one hundred different emotions attacking me at once.
When I exit the bathroom and head towards my bedroom, there is a packet of paracetamol and a cold bottle of water lying in front of my door. I pause and glance down at it, then look over my shoulder.
Why is he doing this to me? I don’t need to fall for him any more than I already am.
Things are too complicated. I’m actually losing the plot.
I bend down to collect the items and shut myself in my room, wishing this day never happened.
CHAPTER 25
JJ WOODFORD
Igreet Finn for breakfast the next morning. Yesterday felt like a fucking whirlwind.
At least my shoulders feel ten times lighter now that I’ve told Daisy the truth.
“You got work today?” I ask as I grab the milk from the fridge.
Finn shakes his head. “Nah, man, party tonight. I got someone to cover my shift.”
I snort quietly and peer over my shoulder at him. “Already?”
He shrugs effortlessly. “They offered, why would I decline? It’s my turn to get absolutely smashed.”
“Great,” I murmur to myself and pour some cereal into a bowl, followed by the milk. I perch beside Finn as he reads through something on his phone. “Can’t wait for that.”
Finn’s idea of a good night is getting so blackout drunk that he has no recollection of it, what he’s said, what he’s done, and how he got home. I started noticing his increase in drinking at university.
He’s always loved to drink, but over the last year, it’s become increasingly worse. He’s not drunk every day, but it still concerns me, and I fear bringing it up in case he takes a bad turn.
So I wait for a better time, especially if he repeats history tonight.
I hear the floorboards creak upstairs. I still haven’t had my conversation with Ivy, even though she said we’d talk eventually. I’ve gone over what I want to say in my head a thousand times, but I already feel myself cracking under pressure and going off script. I didn’t even want a script in the first place but if I don’t think about it, it’s going to be an absolute shit show.
I glance up to find Ivy walking towards us, her eyes down on the floor. I wait for her to look at me or even Finn, but she doesn’t. Something has been bothering her since yesterday, and I want to know what it is.
“Hey,” Finn calls out. “You good?”
Ivy hums as she reaches the fridge and pours herself a glass of apple juice. “You okay?”
“Yeah, party tonight. You up for it?”
“No, I’m gonna stay in.”
“Why?”
I watch as Ivy drags her tongue across her bottom lip and turns towards her brother, barely acknowledging me. She seemed somewhat fine with me yesterday, what has changed all of a sudden?
