Page 56 of A Little Secret
It’s Finley fucking Taylor.
Why did I expect anything different?
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
FINLEY
Considering how long I’ve known Griffin Thorne, he’s pretty good at keeping his emotions under wraps. After I disappeared from the hotel room to grab coffee, he’s been acting…fine? I think? Maybe a little aloof or something, but I kind of expected him to be pissed at me. Not that he should be. He’s the one who put a stop to whatever shenanigans we might’ve gotten up to, if he’d let me take the lead, so...
Maybe this is just…par for the course when you have a moment of weakness and kiss someone you care about, even though you most definitely shouldn’t. Kiss them, not care about them. Obviously, I should care about Griff. He’s one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. But kissing him, let alone hooking up with him, is a bad idea.
Besides, it’s for the best. Last night was…it was… I was hurting. But I’m not about to go down this road with him. Not when he has such an amazing, bright future ahead of him. The fact he missed out on his meeting with the Tornadoes all because I wanted to face Drew head-on? It only solidifies the truth. He deserves more than screwing up his future for his best friend’s little sister. Especially when said little sister has a bun in the oven and a neurological disease, which will never be a picnic and will never be a good fit for a guy who travels for a living. I’ve already settled for someone who wasn’t a good fit for me. Doing it twice is a recipe for disaster, isn’t it? Still, pretending like last night wasn’t a big deal wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. I knew Griff and I had chemistry, but our kiss? The feel of his mouth on mine, the tiny groan in the back of his throat? The way his hand practically swallowed the side of my face and his callouses tickled my skin? Yeah…that was a different level of chemistry. So much so my lips are still tingling, and I’m not sure anything will ever beat it.
The drive is boring and quiet, and he doesn’t grumble at me when I pick the soundtrack to Disney’sZombiesmovies.
It’s my only clue as to whether or not he’s lost in his own thoughts like I’ve been since we left the hotel.
When we pull up to the house hours later, the streets are lined with cars, and Griffin’s frown deepens. “What the hell?”
“They flew home early,” I explain, cringing. “I probably should’ve told you, but?—”
“You were too busy grabbing coffee?” he offers with a lifted brow.
I nod.
“No worries,” he answers, not surprisingly. “What are they doing home?”
“Everett heard about my seizure, so the guys decided flying home with the girls, then traveling with the team for the away games instead of meeting everyone in Minnesota was a bright idea.” I shrug. “Figured they’d celebrate.”
“What’s there to celebrate?”
“Your meeting with the Tornadoes? Oh, wait.” I snap my fingers. “You missed it, didn’t you?”
His gaze narrows. “How’d you know about my meeting?”
“Seems I’m not the only one with secrets.”
“Fin—”
“Everett told me about it.” I hide my hurt and pick at my nails instead. “The question is, why didn’t you?”
“Didn’t know I needed to,” he argues. “Besides, it’s not a big deal.”
Fighting the urge to smack him upside the head, I cross my arms and demand, “You sure? Because Everett made it sound like it kind of was.”
His nostrils flare. “Is that why you’ve been acting weird?”
“I haven’t?—”
“You have.”
“Says the pot to the kettle,” I toss back at him.
Before he has a chance to argue any further, Dylan appears from the house’s entrance. She skips down the short set of stairs but nearly trips on her own two feet, grabbing the railing for balance while I fight the urge to laugh. Seriously, the girl is clumsier than a baby giraffe. Shoving her glasses another inch up her nose, she lets the iron go and strides closer.
As I lower the passenger window, she calls, “Where’s my Frankie? Is he alive? Did he survive? You weren’t supposed to take him?—”
“Your devil child’s fine,” I tell her. “I even fed him and everything.”