Page 70 of Exile and Embrace

“Why not?” I cross my arms, looking down at her. “What is the rush? We’re in Portland until we both get what we want out of our deal.”

Ava throws her hands up in the air. “I don’t even know what it is you want out of the deal!”

“It’s safer if you don’t.”

She rolls her eyes. “I don’t know why you think that I don’t know what it is that goes on in your life. I dated your brother for years when I was younger. He might have been a colossal asshole at times, but he didn’t hide shit from me.”

“And how is that working out for you now?” I pinch the bridge of my nose as she recoils like she’s been slapped. “I’m sorry, Aves, but I’m not going to stand here and argue with you about this. I’ve told you enough to keep you safe while not keeping you ignorant.”

“To you, that’s enough, but what if it’s not to me?”

“Ava, enough. I saw the look on your face when you were on the phone with my brother. That is more than enough to convince me to protect you as much as possible, even from yourself. We’re taking a break from the yearbooks and the arguments. If you want to keep arguing with me tomorrow, then you can, but tonight, we’re going out.”

“And what if I don’t want to go out?”

I point down the hall. “Go get changed. We’re going out on a date, and you’re going to have a good time.”

“I really do need to work more on going through those yearbooks. I want to note all the comments Dad made throughout them and see if they can be connected to somebody else. It’s going to take time, Finn. I need that time.”

“You have all the time in the world.”

“No. I don’t. I feel like time is running out, and the closer I get to figuring out exactly who he was, the farther away the information gets.”

I gesture to the stack of yearbooks. “It will all still be waiting here tomorrow, when our date is over.”

She sighs, her shoulders slumping forward. “Finn, we don’t need to go out on a date. This entire thing between us is fake.”

I step closer to her, invading her space.

She takes a step back, her eyes widening as I follow.

Her ass hits the dining table, stopping her in her tracks.

I plant my hands on the table on either side of her and lean in.

“Aves, this stopped being fake for me weeks ago.”

18

AVA

My heart crashes through my chest as Finn looms over me.

He keeps me pinned against the table, that piercing stare searching mine.

I swallow the lump in my throat and shake my head. “You don’t mean that.”

Finn dips his head toward mine, kissing the racing pulse point on my neck. “You know I mean it, Aves. Your heart is racing.”

I don’t know what to think. Though he’s been sweet to me, I didn’t think we would ever get to a point where we were confessing our feelings to each other.

Hell, I didn’t think that he would have any feelings to confess.

Finn kisses my fluttering pulse again before pulling back. “Ava, I want to take you on a real date. No more of this pretend bullshit. Go get changed into something comfortable.”

“Where are we going?”

His smile lights up the room.

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