by Jana Aston
“You girls have fun. I’m going to Finn’s to catch up. Call me when you’re ready, babe.”
“Wait!” I call out and Eric stops, Dad’s sandwich rapidly disappearing into his mouth. “You’re going to Finn’s?” This is my opportunity. I gotta admit, things really have a way of working out for me. “Finn’s giving me a ride back to school,” I tell him. “I’ll catch a ride with you and save him a trip over here.”
“He is?” Eric questions, but he’s not really paying attention to me—he’s distracted watching his new wife tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
Finn has no idea he’s driving me back to school, but I say, “Yes,” all the same. “Just give me a second to grab my stuff.”
I dash upstairs and whip off the sweatshirt I’m wearing and pull on a cream-colored cashmere sweater. My brown knee-high boots will look great with this. I freshen my lipstick and say a silent thank you to the heavens for giving me the foresight to do my hair this morning. It’s normally fairly straight and shiny all on its own, but I flat-ironed it to perfection instead of a ponytail.
I toss everything I brought home for the Thanksgiving holiday into my bag and then sit on the bed to tug on the boots. It crosses my mind that I have no plan in place. That Finn hasn’t agreed to drive me back to school, has no idea I’m about to show up with Eric as if he’s already offered a ride. But I dismiss it. Like I said, things usually work out, and a positive attitude is essential. Plus, Finn is too much of a gentleman to humiliate me in front of my brother. That’s how he got stuck driving me to and from the wedding last month.
Still, the indignity of getting tossed out of his apartment just a few weeks ago is fresh on my mind. But so is that tramp teaching assistant I’ve seen eyeing him.
I hesitate, bag in hand. Maybe I shouldn’t push it. But then again, we’re friends, at the very least. Right? There’s no reason he can’t give me a ride back to campus. We’re both going to the same place, after all. In fact, it’s economical for him to drive me. And environmentally friendly. I nod my head. I’ve always been concerned about the environment.
So he’ll drive me back. I’ll be normal. I won’t make one inappropriate advance. We’ll laugh. He’ll drop me off and realize he wants to spend more time with me. I’ve totally got this.
Fourteen
Three Hours Ago
I’ve never been to Finn Camden’s house before. My knee bounces in anticipation while I sit in the passenger seat of Eric’s car. Finn is eight years older than me, and Finn was Eric’s friend, so obviously there was never a reason for me to go to Finn’s house. I’m curious to see it. Finn hasn’t lived there for years now, but it’ll be something to add to my mental Finn file.
We turn right onto North Road, after passing the Venice Restaurant and Pizzeria, and I laugh.
“What’s funny?” Eric asks.
“Remember how Dad always ordered clams on his pizza and no one would touch it but him?”
“Disgusting,” Eric agrees, but he’s smiling. “And Mom would order pepperoni for the rest of us.”
“Yeah.”
“I should take Erin,” he muses while we wait for a light to change.
“You should,” I agree.
“What about you, Everly?”
“What about me what?” I ask, confused.
“Are you seeing anyone?” He looks over at me. “At school?”
Not successfully, I think to myself. “No, not right now. I’m kinda taking a break this semester.”
“Taking a break,” Eric repeats, glancing over at me. “That’s not like you. At all.”
I shrug. “It’s exhausting.”
“What’s exhausting?” he asks, frowning.
“Um—” Breaking and entering, I think. But I can’t tell him that. “You know, the whole ‘does he like me’ thing.”
“If you have to wonder if a guy likes you, then he’s not the right guy for you, Everly.”
“Maybe it’s more complicated than that.”
“It’s never more complicated than that.”
I nod, not because I agree, but because there’s really nothing more I can say. Thankfully we’re pulling into a driveway on Ridgebury, so I’m saved from having to discuss it further.
The landscaping is gorgeous, even this late into fall. Huge pine trees line the drive and a towering birch tree sits in the middle of an island created by the circular drive. The leaves have partially fallen away, and I can see that the tree clears the two-story house. I know the houses over here have been here for decades, so I’m not sure if the tree was planted with the house, or if the driveway was created around the tree in order to preserve it.
Based on the drive in, it appears that all the homes on this street sit on a few acres each. It’s idyllic. I’m surprised I ever saw Eric and Finn at my house. I’d have hung out here every chance I got.
There are several cars in the drive, and I spot Finn’s among them. Eric parks and we’re heading for the front door when I remember Finn has no idea I’m coming. I bite my lip and say a quick prayer that this works out.
The front door is flanked by glass panels and a big yellow dog watches us approach. He lets out a laid-back bark in greeting and the door is swung open by a woman I’m guessing is Finn’s mother. She gives Eric a hug while the dog nudges my hand and looks at me hopefully. I bend down to scratch his head and he falls to the floor, rolls onto his back and thumps his tail. I laugh and rub his belly instead.
Eric introduces me to Mrs. Camden and I stand politely while she asks about his recent wedding. I glance around the foyer while they talk, admiring the inside of the home. It’s about what I’d assumed—nice. I know from my prying over the years that Finn’s dad is a lawyer and his mom is an interior designer. The house shows it, for sure. It looks like the pages of a home magazine, yet lived in. The dog at my feet is proof that a family lives here and it’s more than a showpiece.
I turn my attention to Mrs. Camden. I’d estimate her to be a few years older than my parents, maybe early to mid-sixties. She looks very chic wearing a crisp white blouse tucked into dark jeans, a belt looped around her trim waist. She’s formal, yet approachable, much like the house.
“You’re a student at Penn, correct, Everly?” She’s finished exchanging pleasantries with Eric and has turned to me.
I nod. “I am. For a few more months. I’m a senior.”
“What are your plans after graduation?” She looks so genuinely interested in my response that I feel like a heel. I don’t have any plans, other than Finn. The truth is, I’m floundering. Graduation is around the corner and I’m not entirely sure what I want to do with the rest of my life. My friends are all so confident in their intended career paths, lining up internships and interviews, researching apartments and choosing roommates. And me? I’m breaking into Finn’s apartment.
“I’m not sure yet.” I smile and wave it off like it’s not a big deal.
She nods as a chorus of objections float down the hallway and the dog perks up from his spot on the floor and trots off to investigate.
“They’re watching the game,” Mrs. Camden tells us and gestures to where the dog disappeared to. “They’re in the den. Head on back.”
I follow Eric through the wide entry hall towards the back of the house. We enter a large kitchen, an assortment of snacks out on the marble-covered island. The kitchen has a wall of windows showcasing the backyard and a set of French doors that open onto a paved patio. There’s a large in-ground pool, covered for the season, in the yard beyond the patio, complete with a pool house of some sort. The landscaping in the back is no less impressive than the front. The pots on the patio are filled with seasonal plantings and the yard is filled strategically with towering maple and pine trees.
Eric continues to the right, a short wide hallway emptying into the den. He strides in, confident on his path, as I trail behind and assess my game plan.
But any game plan I can conjure is pointless in the end. Because everything is about to ch
ange.
Fifteen
Three Hours Ago
Finn is on the couch, his focus on the television as we enter the room. But he’s not alone. And he’s not watching the game with his father, as I’d assumed. There’s another man on the couch with him. A few years older, maybe. A bit darker, surely. Their body types are nothing alike. Whereas Finn has a lanky runner’s physique, this man is built in an entirely different way. Fit, most definitely. But stronger. He must have twenty pounds on Finn, all of it muscle across a broader chest and a taller frame.
This other man notices us immediately and his eyes run over me and spark with an interest I’m familiar with. An interest I’m always searching for in Finn and never finding, no matter how aggressively I push for it.
Finn is a moment behind in noticing us and he deflates a little when he sees me. I hate to admit it, but it’s true. I can see that now. The difference in reaction between Finn and this other man is so discernible when I can analyze them simultaneously.
The moment is over in a heartbeat, Eric calling out a greeting that has them rising from the couch, and then they’re all clapping each other on the back in that way that men do. There’s a pause then, a moment so brief I know I’m the only one catching it, as the man looks between Eric and me, quickly analyzing our body language, the shade of our hair, the similarity in our features, and correctly assessing who I am, the same way I’ve assessed him. Recognition crosses his face and his eyes land on mine with amusement and a hint of fascination.
“You’re Eric’s little sister.”
A lifetime of etiquette forces me to nod and step forward. “Yes,” I say, reaching out a hand to shake. “I’m Everly.”
“You two haven’t met, have you?” Eric notes as the man grasps my hand. Sparks do not fly. Chills do not run through my body. I do not suddenly recognize this man as my soulmate based on a handshake. Such bullshit. His hand is nice though. Firm, large. His thumb caresses the back of my hand and fine, that touch alone is enough to make me recognize that he’s probably good in bed. But that’s it.
“No, we haven’t,” I agree, as I wonder why I’ve never given this man a moment’s thought before now. I’ve known of his existence, certainly. My mind flips through every reference Finn has made to him throughout the years. I just haven’t cared, I suppose. He had nothing to do with my Finn Camden agenda and was thus irrelevant.
“I’m Sawyer,” the man says. “Finn’s brother.”
I’ve figured this out for myself, of course. Just as he’s determined I’m Eric’s sister. It wasn’t any similarity between Finn and Sawyer that gave it away. It was simply the way he belonged here. An arm across the back of the couch, legs sprawled before him. Confident. Relaxed. Lounging on this couch, in this room, a mundane event.
“What’s the score?” Eric asks, grabbing a seat on the sofa.
“Twenty-one to seventeen, Giants lead,” Finn responds and drops back on the couch on the other side of Eric.
I’m still standing, Sawyer beside me. I eye the spot Sawyer vacated when he stood, next to Finn, but make a quick judgment that it would be weird if I took Sawyer’s spot, so I take a seat on the huge sectional in a spot where I can see Finn instead.
Sawyer sits beside me.
I can’t discreetly glimpse at Finn with Sawyer between us.
He’s already on my nerves.
Eric and Finn jump right into conversation, interrupting themselves to make commentary on the game. I glance over at them a few times and realize that Sawyer is watching me. His spot on the sofa puts me between him and the television, so it looks like he’s watching the game, but he’s not. He’s watching me. He’s not even hiding it. Every glance I make back towards Eric and Finn, I catch him, if you can catch someone who isn’t attempting to hide. I meet his gaze and give him a snarky look, one I’ve perfected with men that says, I see you staring at me, asshole.
He laughs.
The sound catches Eric’s attention and reminds him I’m in the room, his head snapping over to me. “You guys don’t need to leave before the game’s over, do you?” he asks, glancing between me and Finn.
Finn looks bewildered by Eric’s question. Then realization dawns and he rubs the back of his neck and shakes his head slightly. “Everly…”
I’m not sure what he’s about to say, but whatever it is, it’s not going to end well for me, I know that much. I open my mouth to say something, anything, to defuse the situation but I don’t get a word out because Sawyer interrupts before I get the chance.
“Finn’s not headed back to Philadelphia until tomorrow morning,” he says.
Oh. The second the words are out of his mouth I remember that Finn doesn’t teach an early class on Mondays. Why didn’t I think of that when I hatched this plan to drop in and get a ride back to school? I almost groan out loud. What a rookie mistake. “Well,” I begin, but Sawyer interrupts again.
“I’m heading back to Philadelphia right now. I’ll be happy to drive you.”
Of course he will.
I want to kill this guy. Instead, I stall. “You live in Philadelphia?” I ask, turning my head towards him.
He’s still looking at me, of course, his eyes making a slow survey of my face.
“I do,” he says.
“I’m sure it would be out of your way to drop me off on campus,” I say with a stiff smile, staring back at him.
“It wouldn’t be,” he answers, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Finn is already nodding his head, a relieved smile on his face. “Perfect. Sawyer will drive you back.”
My brother frowns, looking from Sawyer to me, but keeps his mouth shut.
I stand, defeated. I straighten my sweater over the waistband of my leggings and look towards the doorway, stating I’ll grab my things from Eric’s car.
“She’s twenty-two, Sawyer,” my brother says as soon as he thinks I’m out of earshot. I roll my eyes and keep walking. He’s wasting his breath. Sawyer Camden is of zero interest to me. None whatsoever.
Sixteen
Three Hours Ago
I step outside and slip my phone out of my pocket as I walk to Eric’s car to retrieve my bag. I type out a quick text to my roommate Chloe as I walk. You’ll be happy to know my latest Finn Camden scheme has just tanked. Epically.
Delighted. Her reply is quick and I smile. Chloe would never dare pull the stunts I do. She’s a habitual rule-follower. A text bubble on my phone indicates she is typing again and then, Dare I ask? appears on my screen.
My scheming just landed me a car ride back to Philly with Finn’s asshole brother, I type, smiling as I lean against the car.
Oh, a brother… I’m intrigued.
Don’t be, I type.
The front door shuts and I glance up to find Sawyer walking towards me. He’s attractive, I’ll give him that. If you go for tall, incredibly fit men with chiseled jaws and thick dark hair. Which no girl does, ever. It must suck to be him.
He grabs my stuff and leads me to a small silvery blue sports car—a Porsche, I note with a roll of my eyes. He holds the passenger door open for me before tossing my bag in the trunk.
I slide into the passenger seat of the low-slung car as the door thuds shut behind me and busy myself with the seatbelt, using the opportunity to watch him as he crosses the front of the car. His strides are confident, unhurried. The fingers of his left hand skim the hood before he rounds the headlight and reaches the driver’s side door.
I suddenly feel uneasy, and I never feel uneasy.
This car is too small for the both of us. I’m annoyed at the idea of being cooped up inside the same ten square feet as him all the way to Philadelphia. I just met him twenty minutes ago. Why is he having this effect on me?
The door handle clicks and he’s behind the wheel, the engine purring a second later. I watch him buckle himself in from the corner of my eye, but keep my head straight, my focus on my hands folded in my lap, until the silence goes on too long. He’s staring at me, the car idlin
g, apparently content to wait until he has my attention. I turn my head and meet his eyes. They’re brown, another check mark completing tall, dark and handsome. They light up with amusement as he speaks, which unsettles me. Why?
“How can you possibly think Finn Camden is the right man for you?”
That’s why.
Seventeen
Present
We exit the interstate at 30th Street and I sigh in relief. We’re less than two miles from my dorm. This car ride is almost over.
“Did you just sigh at me?” Sawyer asks as he merges the car into traffic.
“Yes. You’re exhausting.”
“Not used to this level of attention, Boots?”
I snort and lean against the door so I can watch him.
“Do you prefer to be in charge?” We’re sitting at a stoplight and he turns to examine me. “Do you prefer to do the chasing? Or are you happy dating boys you have to pursue?”
I shrug. “They were just practice for Finn. What does it matter?”
He’s shaking his head before I’m even finished speaking. “This idea you have of being with my brother, it’s never happening. He’s not right for you, you must know that.”
“Why not? Why is it such a bad idea? Finn’s a great guy. He’s my brother’s best friend. My parents already love him. And he’s hot.” I know it’s a bitchy move to throw that in but Sawyer just nods in response.
“No chemistry.”
“We have chemistry.”
“You know that you don’t.”
“Well—” I pause. “It’s only because he won’t give it a chance.” I know this is a weak argument, but I don’t want to give in.
“You overwhelm him, Everly. You’re a whirlwind, and Finn, he’s not an aggressive guy. You’d steamroll his life and end up disappointed by his lack of intensity.”
“You know this from spending three hours with me?”
“I do,” he says, looking me in the eye. “How can you not?”
I break his gaze and look out the window. I’m a lot to handle, I know that. But I never thought of it like that before.