Page 25 of Lightness In My Dark

I rose, body trembling, taking in a breath, and said, “You didn’t tell me you slept with the wedding planner. I wouldn’t have been so blind-sided either if you told me.”

He swallowed a lump in his throat as Cole gasped, “Finn, you didn’t? How could you do something like that? Wren has to work with her for the wedding. And you’re engaged!”

Without hesitating, I corrected, “Had. Someone I had to work with for the wedding. I fired her.”

Finn had nothing to say. Cole and I glowered at him until he turned on his heels and departed without an apology—without a simpleI’m sorry.

Cole placed his hand on his chest. “I apologize for his behavior. I’m shocked by his actions.”

Light snow fell outside as my shoulders dropped. “You don’t need to apologize, Cole. You did nothing wrong. I hired a new wedding planner, so at least I can save face.” I brought my dinner plate to the kitchen, placed it in the dishwasher, and returned, saying goodnight to Cole. He wished me a goodnight while gazing at the snow.

I closed my bedroom with my back to it. My heart hurt. I made my way to the window seat. The snow hurried down, cotton flakes kissed the windowsill, and I rested my head on the pane, drifting off to sleep.

Chapter 9 – Friends with Benefits

WREN

After all the past week’s chaos, I walked around the perimeter of Finn’s land through the bloated snow. For the first time, I came upon Jacob, the gardener—a twenty-seven-year-old guy, full-time landscaper, shoveling the driveway. We introduced ourselves, and he joined me on my walk. Jacob was soft-spoken, like Cole, and although toughened for his age, still a good-looking guy. He offered his time by explaining landscaping, flowers, plants, and his employer, Finn. He expressed how generous Finn was during the holidays, or if he needed time off. Jacob also said Finn did that with all his staff, and never acted superior to them.

Finn laid low during the week, spending time in either his office, room, or somewhere else in the house I hadn’t ventured to. I did the same, keeping to my room when he was home, except for dinner, where he normally was a no show. Dinners consisted of Cole and me. There was no tension. We talked about our day, tales of the past while Chef Dan chimed in from time to time with hilarious stories about when he had first met his wife, along with their children’s antics. Happy tears dripped from the corners of my eyes, body shaking with laughter.

It was no different on Friday, wiping my eyes from another funny story Chef Dan told. Finn entered and sat down at the table. The room quieted until Chef Dan asked if he wanted something to eat, in which Finn said,yes, please. Cole and I glanced at one another but remained silent.

Finn broke the quiet with a raspy, hesitant tone. “Tomorrow, we’re going to meet up with my friends at the country club.” I didn’t respond, uncertain if he was talking to Cole or me. In a more direct way, he said, “Wren. I’ll need you to come with so you can meet my friends.”

I bit my lip before releasing a yes. The rest of the meal discussions were hushed and then quiet. Finn and I maneuvered around each other in robotic movements before parting.

Saturday arrived faster than I wished. All the painted on high-end jeans in my closet deprived me of air. They fit the lifestyle, not my comfort. To top it off, an assortment of cropped sweaters showed more than I preferred. I stood in front of the full-length mirror, chewing my bottom lip, an anguished expression, checking out my outfit. A dark pair of skinny Guess jeans, also known as a “definite cause for a yeast infection”, a long white sleeve cotton shirt under a long sleeve antique snap button down cardigan, and cow leather ankle boots. At least the cardigan fell below my butt.

As usual, Finn looked gorgeous in a pair of casual retro ripped washed jeans, a black form fitting V-neck sweater, and distressed leather Timberland boots. A worn in leather coat hung off the chair he sat in.

The amount of dislike I had for him was equal to the amount of infatuation. There was no denying men and women alike were drawn to the rugged, vulgar, suit and tie Finn. He possessed sex appeal, dominance. His ruffled hair and gray eyes heated lady parts while men wanted to be him.

I hated I found him attractive. His demeanor toward me had been nothing but indifference, offensive, and mostly anger. Not paying any attention to him, I made a cup of tea. Finn tapped away on his phone. He leered at me through his thick eyelashes. By the stove, waiting for the kettle, Finn opened the refrigerator and drank from the orange juice container.

He put it back, wiped his mouth, and said, “I guess we should start talking to each other.”

I glimpsed sideways and responded, “We can leave it for when it’s needed.”

Finn ran his hand down his mouth, then revealed a smirk. “Why do you make everything complicated?”

I faced him with one fist on my hip. “You’re joking, right?”

“No, I’m not. What’s done is done? What do you want from me?” Finn walked back to his chair.

I followed, stopping across the table from him. “An apology? Are you so arrogant to think what you did was all right or not a big deal?”

Spreading his arms open, he said, “Fine. I apologize. It was an accident.”

A thunderous laugh shook my chest. “Oh, did she slip on your erection?”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were jealous.”

“Yes. You figured me out. I want to be one of the many women you bang who worry about an STD.”

He scoffed. “I’m clean. I wear a condom.” He leaned back in his chair. “Maybe you need someone to fuck you hard to loosen you up.”

I smacked the counter and laughed. “Well, it doesn’t seem to be working for you.”

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