“Why?”
Finn sets the glasses down and walks up to me. He tries to caress my cheek, but the moment his thumb grazes my skin, I rear back.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Then realization hits. Bren said it was his best friend he found his ex with. My eyes widen. “No.” I shake my head. “Please tell me you aren’t the one who—”
Finn laughs. “God, no. That was another asshole who is no longer a part of our lives. But I guess he did tell you everything. That’s new,” Finn says, as he scratches his jaw.
“What was that, Finn?” I ask with fury. “A test?”
He shrugs but says nothing and instead pops a single grape in his mouth.
“Fuck you,” I say calmly.
His eyes lock on mine. “Excuse me?”
“I said, fuck you. I wouldn’t betray Bren like that.”
Finn smiles and nods. “Good. I just wanted to make sure. Please forgive me. Bren’s been hurt enough. He seems to be serious about you, so I needed to make sure. You understand?”
He gives me puppy eyes that would melt weaker women than me, and my resolve to be mad at him for giving me a test wavers. “Fine,” I say, annoyed. “But don’t do it again,” I warn.
He pops another grape into his mouth and nods with a grin. “I promise from here on out, you have my complete trust.”
“We should get back out there.”
I’m horrified when Finn openly tells Bren what transpired in the kitchen only moments ago.
Bren laughs.
“It’s not funny,” I say and scowl as the two men share a look between them.
“Seriously, Bren,” Finn says. “Because you’re my friend, I’m warning you, if you’re stupid enough to let her go, I’m swooping in.”
“I’m right here. I can hear you,” I say while seething and sinking deeper into my chair.
“I’m sorry,Schatzi,” Bren says and lands a quick peck on my lips. “When Finn and I get together, we relive our youth. We didn’t mean to upset you.”
When Bren says the word ‘Schatzi,’ Finn’s eyebrow floats up, and he turns his head slowly, slowly to look at Bren. He looks stunned. I still don’t know what the word means. I can only assume ‘pain in the ass’ but refuse to ask Bren. I want him to tell me on his own.
Besides, I haven’t yet told him I saved him on my phone astonto. What I don’t like, however, is that they are ganging up on me. I don’t appreciate being outnumbered, and now I have to find a way to get back at them.
I narrow my eyes at both of them, and they guffaw in response. When their laughter settles, I deliver a question that freezes them both.
“In all your adventures,” I say, “did you two ever share a woman?”
Finn blinks at me, stunned. Then he turns his attention to Bren, who sits silently as he studies my features. I raise an eyebrow in a question I know he understands. We discussed this only last night. Bren said no to Andreas because he’s around all the time, but he already admitted he and Finn hardly ever get together. Bren smiles knowingly and, after a short moment, nods his approval. I grin like an idiot.
“Yes. We have,” Bren answers for both of them, earning him a smash in the arm from Finn. “What was that for?” Bren says and rubs his arm.
“Why are you telling her that? We swore we’d take that to the grave,” Finn complains.
Bren only shrugs and keeps sipping his wine. “She asked.”
The sun has set behind the valley, leaving a star-speckled darkness above us. The pool lights reflect in waves all around us.
Finn looks between the both of us as Bren and I smirk darkly at each other.
“Oh no, no, no—” Finn says in protest. “I know what you two are thinking and, no. I’m not getting in the middle of that—”