So he had to wait.
Fingers curled around his hand, and he looked up to see Ezra holding it, squeezing just hard enough to reassure. “Give it time,” he said. “He’ll come around.”
“I hope you’re right,” Finn said.
If Nolan decided he was too much trouble, well… it was probably better that happened now.
But Finn didn’t want him to walk away. He wanted him to walk right in the front door.
The front door remained stubbornly closed.
“Ryan looked into the donations Gavin was making. You were right,” Oscar said. “They started after the Halloween party. That Monday. He’s also sorry he didn’t think to mention it.”
Finn sighed.
Yeah, this was definitely Gavin’s fault. And Nolan had spent his whole life being pushed around by the guy.
ButFinndidn’t have to let Gavin push him around by proxy. He shouldn’t have had to, anyway.
All he’d wanted was to help Nolan get out from under Gavin’s shadow. Not end up being dragged under it as well. Was that really too much to ask?
“What a prick,” Ezra said. “Seriously, what is this guy’sproblem?”
“He’s a narcissist with a grudge against the sanctuary because one of his ex-girlfriends volunteered here. Briana.”
“I remember Briana,” Ezra said. “She seemed sweet. Left when she got engaged to a travel writer, I think. I was only coming by every now and again back then.”
So Gavin saying she’d gone for a bigger fish was bullshit, too. Was he even capable of opening his mouth without telling a lie?
Finn’s stomach knotted up all over again. He didn’t want to leave Nolan at Gavin’s mercy. He didn’t want to give Gavin the chance to crush his spirit. The chance to ruin him the way he was so clearly trying to.
But if Nolan couldn’tseeit, then there was nothing Finn could do.
“I gotta prep for surgery,” he said, standing. That’d give him something else to focus on. “Thanks, guys. Tell Ryan I don’t blame him, okay? No normal person would have thought of this.
“He’s scared of facing you,” Oscar said. “I told him there was no reason to be.”
“No, he never has to be scared of me. He’s my friend, you all are. It’s good to know I’ve got you.”
“Always,” Oscar promised. “I’ll tell him.”
“Thanks.” Finn pushed his aging chair under the table, the legs scraping across the tiles. “I thought we might have lunch? I’ll even do the grocery runandthe cooking.”
“I’m game,” Ezra said.
“Me too. And I’ll send Ryan on the grocery run while we handle this Rottweiler. We love you, and we’re here for you.”
A weight that had been sitting in the center of Finn’s chest seemed to evaporate.
“I love you guys.”
“We love you, too,” Ezra said, and Oscar nodded.
It didn’t make everything okay, but it was nice to be surrounded by friends.
As long as Finn ignored the Nolan-shaped hole in the picture, it was good to be home.
