“Let’s walk over together,” he says. “This invitation is good news. The crew needs to see us lead the way. I know you’re not feeling it right now, but I’ll be there with you.”
“Not sure you need me,” I answer evenly.
Chase arches an eyebrow, and his silver piercing glints in the light. “Me? No.” He thumbs over his shoulder at the crew. “Those insecure gearheads, though? It’s an invitation to eat free ice cream with their neighbors, but you know someone’s going to find a way to make it weird.”
When I glance out, I see Little Joe applying too much black eyeliner in the mirror of the bike he’s working on, which he accidentally smears before visibly cursing. Behind him, Ali is talking to a tire.
I cough out a laugh. “What am I supposed to do about it?”
He clasps my arm. “Just… be you. Hell, you played a big role in getting us here. Let’s stick the landing.”
I grit my teeth before nodding. I won’t let down a friend, and if he thinks the crew needs to see me there, I won’t let them down, either.
Swallowing my pride, I head across the street with the rest of the mechanics. When we enter The Scoop, it’s already half-filled with neighbors I recognize, some of whom I know by name. There are awkward but friendly greetings around the shop for a moment. Then Finn pops out from the back.
“Hello, hello!” he calls out. He’s got a baby blue apron on with the name of his shop on it, and he offers everyone an easy, confident smile, clearly in his element.
Something tumbles inside me and falls to the ground. I’m standing in the back, and he hasn’t looked my way. I realize how badly I want him to. How much I want to be part of Finn’s happiness, not an impediment to it.
He quickly scoops up a tray with three waffle cups of ice cream on it.
“I’ll be quick, because I know we all need to get back to work. I’ve got double vanilla, vegan strawberry, and today’s special flavor, rocky roadster! Paid for by some friendly neighborhood benefactors, and shared with everyone in the spirit of a fresh start.”
“Cheers to that!” someone calls out, and everyone claps.
Finn and a few other people quickly pass around trays with ice cream on them. I remain in the back, right by the door, and while everyone else makes conversation, I stand silently with a tornado thrashing inside me.
MorningEnthusiast ditched me, but Finn didn’t. He smiled when he saw me at the café, before I stormed off.
He approached me at Pride, looked beyond my gruff exterior and gave me a chance. He’s witnessed all my rough edges, and still, he smiles when he sees me.
Oh shit. My skin goes icy cold.
I’m fucking it up with Finn.
He’s not my anonymous correspondent, but he’s also not my enemy or my business rival. And he’s not a forbidden hookup or a one-time fling, either. Finn is something else entirely.Gorgeous and funny and just absolutely fucking perfect, and I want him so bad, it hurts.
Instead of doing something about that, I’ve been acting like a total dipshit grump and wallowing in my rejection from MorningEnthusiast. I opened up to my pen pal, acted vulnerable only to be hurt and rejected. It fucking sucks, but it would suck even more if I let that stop me from considering the amazing man who hasn’t run away.
My heart is broken, but that’s no reason to break it again.
“What will it be, Riley?”
I look up to see Kenneth there with a tray. I have to blink twice before answering.
“Rocky roadster.”
He slides a waffle cup to me and smiles before heading on his way.
I taste it. The ice cream is creamy and the exact right amount of sweet. Fuck.
Suddenly, Finn steps through the crowd and appears before me. My heart jumps, and I stand there wordless.
“Riley.” He hesitates, but takes a slow step forward. “Hi. I was hoping I’d catch you here. I haven’t seen you around the last couple days.”
I swallow. Why was he hoping to see me? We do have to talk business and strategize more to extend the peace on the block. Maybe he just means as a part of the group, like how Chase was encouraging me. Or maybe he’s mad at me for acting so rude at the café and he wants to express his anger. That would be fair.
“Rocky roadster,” I say, totally flubbing it as my thoughts race.
