“I was worried I’d never see you again for a second there.” She cracks a laugh and swats Finn’s shoulder playfully.
Okay, I don’t like her.
“Yeah. Sorry about that. I had things to do back home. People to see…” Finn looks at me as he says it.
“But you’re here now. Does that mean you’re moving back?” A flicker of hope reflects in her blue eyes, and a raw edge of irritation burns within my chest.
Why does she care so much if he’s moving back or not?
“Nah. Just here for the day,” Finn says.
“Bummer.” Brooke offers him a seductive smile.
I start to fidget with the hem of my shirt, my paranoia planting poisonous seeds into my mind. Am I crazy, or is she flirting with him? What if something happened between them? You’d think I said that out loud when Finn traps my hand into his again, rubbing the inside of my palm in slow circles.
My body relaxes at his touch. The sweet gesture tells me more than his words ever could. I can practically hear him thinking, Don’t even worry about it.
Brooke has no choice but to look at me when Finn captures my hand into his. “I take it this is the infamous Dia?”
Wait, how does she know my name?
Did Finn tell her about me?
“That’s her,” Finn confirms, and I glance up at him, question marks written all over my face.
“Are you two back together?”
Finn clears his throat. “Actually, we—”
“Yes, we are.” I only realize what I’ve said when Finn casts a confused glance in my direction.
My words seem to have the effect of a slap in the face because Brooke stammers, “Oh, that’s… That’s great.” She tries to smile, but it looks more like a wince. “Anyway, it was nice seeing you.”
Then she walks away.
Why did I just do that?
Why did I pretend we were back together?
The answer pops into my head.
Because I was jealous. She was drooling all over Finn, and I couldn’t help myself.
“So… we’re back together, huh?” Finn calls me out on it as soon as she’s out of range, a devilish smirk on his lips.
“Finn, is that you?” A woman’s voice spares me the humiliation of having to explain myself. We swivel to find an older woman staring at us.
“One and only.” Finn returns her smile, and the woman inches closer, opening her arms to give him a hug. Finn walks into her embrace without hesitation.
“Wait until I tell Ruth about this. She bet me fifty bucks that you’d never come back, but I had a feeling we’d be seeing your face around here again.”
Finn lets out a laugh. “What can I say? I missed your cooking.”
Her cooking?
The woman notices me as soon as she and Finn separate, her smile growing in size.
Finn takes the hint. “Oh, right. Mabel, this is—”