“Would you have done it for her?” May asked.
“What?”
“Say the situation was reversed,” May said. “Say Charlotte was hit by a bus. Would you have helped her through her rehab?”
“Fuck, yes. I mean, we only spent a week together, but that was enough for me to know.”
“Know what?”
Finn met May’s gaze. “That I’d never feel the way I felt about her with any other woman. Ever. If she needed me, I’d be there.”
May looked up at him then, her expression flat.
“I thought I was being kind, taking the choice out of her hands,” he said.
“That’s rarely the kind thing to do.”
“We had made these plans to meet up like a year before. We texted and emailed all during my hospital stay, and I promised I would be there. I showed up all right.”
“What did you do?”
Finn rubbed his palms along his jean-clad thighs. “I made sure she’d move on.”
Very took over the story. “I’m sitting at this little French diner in the Meatpacking District with our girl, and she’s all aflutter. She keeps checking the time and bouncing in her chair. And I have to say, I was pretty excited too. Jeez, the build-up. I was expecting the love child of Harry Styles and Ryan Reynolds to walk through the door.” She wrapped a protective arm around Twitch. “I knew his face was injured, Twitch warned me. The door opens, and in walks this guy. Even with the scars, you guys know, Finn was still handsome, but his presence…” Very shuddered. “He just radiated this menacing vibe. And behind him is this ten-dollar whore stuck on his arm like an iron-on patch.”
Emily covered her face with her hands. “That idiot.”
“Oh, it gets worse. He can’t smile right because of his scars, so when he does, it’s only half his face, and it’s evil. And he says, ‘Hey babe, look what I brought. Thought we could spice things up a bit.’ He’s halfway across the room, so everyone in the restaurant can hear him. And we’re in this cozy little romantic place.” Very shook her head, still in disbelief.
Calliope took Twitch’s hand. “Please tell me you at least slapped him.”
Twitch shook her head. “The champagne glass slid out of my hand and shattered at my feet. I just stared at him. For one tiny instant, I saw it. I saw the flash of pain in his eyes, and I knew what he was doing. I think that crack in his armor made him mad.”
Very interrupted, “Because he doubled down and shoved his hand down the hooker’s spandex top and started manhandling her tits. Fortunately for everyone, that little move got him kicked out.”
“I was just standing there in a pool of broken glass. All these tiny shards scattered around my feet. The champagne was still fizzing on the floor tiles. I had bought these new boots, and I remember wondering if I’d ruined the suede.”
“Very, please tell me you slugged him,” Calliope said.
“Honestly, by the time I’d processed everything, he was halfway down the block with his sex worker. He’s on my list, though.”
“Your list?” Emily asked.
“Oh, I know what Depak Chopra and Oprah and all the zen enlightened gurus say about forgiveness. What can I say? I’m a grudge girl. I love a good grudge. And Finn McIntyre has one punch coming. The score will be settled.”
Emily stood from her seat on the floor, stepped over Calliope’s legs, and scooted next to Twitch. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. I know he broke your heart. You’re going to have to find a way to get some closure with Finn, though, because no matter what he did that day, what he continues to do every time he shows up, one thing is pretty clear.”
“What?” Twitch asked.
“It’s not over.”
“It’s over.” Finn took his coffee cup to the sink.
“It may feel like that. You’ve certainly done a lot of damage,” May said.
“Yeah.”
“Finn, there’s something I think you’re slowly coming to realize.”