Page 24 of Lightness In My Dark

Jillian tried to get the folder as she said, “You had no right looking through my stuff.”

“I have every right since this is my information… except for the part where it saysspacey, uptight fiancé.” I closed the folder and tossed it at her. “You’re fired.”

Before I walked out of the restaurant, I added, “Oh, and Jillian, if you so much as go near Finn or contact him in any way, I will report you to your boss. Right now, I’m sparing you from losing all credibility.”

Outside, the cold hit my lungs, but I sucked in a deep breath and wore the biggest grin. It was invigorating, and I didn’t recall ever feeling that way. I walked along the street with a little more pep, giving everyone I passed a courtesy hello. It didn’t eliminate the embarrassment of what Finn did. Nevertheless, I had this sense of triumph. This personal accomplishment uplifted my self-esteem.

I didn’t have proof before, only an inkling Finn was sleeping around. But the wedding planner? Did he think so little of me?

I found an area to search for another wedding planner on my phone. This time, I’d see to it she was a he, or a not so attractive she. If I wanted to keep my sanity, I had to make sure whoever I dealt with wasn’t a Finn craving. With some luck, I found David Foils and setup an appointment later in the afternoon.

In the early evening, I was eating dinner with Cole when Finn came home. Curses spewed from his mouth while he marched upstairs and came back down. When he rounded the corner, his eyes fixed on mine, my body went into lockdown mode. He stomped over and smacked a paper down in front of me.

“What the fuck is a half-naked guy doing in your car?”

It was a picture of Chris and me taken from the front windshield of my car, and I recalled someone in the area with a camera.

I nonchalantly said, “I peppered sprayed him.”

Finn leaned both hands on the table. “You did what?”

My fingers moved the gossip paper closer. The title readMerrick Trevino Heartbroken by Cheating Fiancé.I smirked. My earlier confidence still hovering on the surface. Then I thought,uh oh.

Finn said, “You think this is funny? Part of the contract stated no pictures of anyone you’re involved with, so who the fuck is this guy?”

I let out a breath, my smirk still stuck in the corners. “I’m not involved with him.” Responding to Cole made this much easier. “After I left my friends the other day, I was walking to my car and heard someone following me. I took out my pepper spray and sprayed them. I realized—”

“Over here, Wren. Cole didn’t ask you, I did!”

I sat back, staring at the picture. “I realized—”

“Damnit! Look at me when you’re talking! How old are you?”

I whipped my napkin on the table, backed up the chair, and started to leave. Finn blocked me, so I turned the other way. He held my arms to my sides.

“Let me go!”

Cole stood and placed a hand on Finn’s arm. “Finn, let her go. You’re scaring her.”

He released me, breathing hard through his nose while waiting for an answer. I rubbed my arms and looked away. Finn’s anger played like a scratched record, on repeat, never letting up or giving me the benefit of the doubt. Tears were a constant balm for my pain, and I was tiring of it. The outbursts, his intimidation, knitted my nerves to the point of breaking down, which is what had happened.

Sweet Cole helped me into my chair, his arm directing Finn to leave. He pressed the glass of water to my mouth, and I took a sip. He wiped my tears and handed me the napkin to blow my nose.

“It’s okay, Wren. I’m sure it’s all a misunderstanding.” He sat in the chair next to me. Finn had left the room.

Choking on the words, I said, “I did nothing wrong.” I inhaled the biggest breath and with a gentleness, let my stomach and body deflate. I hiccupped. “Since I pepper sprayed him, I had to help him.” I hiccupped again. Another sip of water did the trick. “It turned out that I knew him. I worked with him at my previous job. He…” I tore a bit of the napkin to continue calming down. “He tried catching up with me to ask me out on a date. I told him I was engaged, and that was the end.”

Cole gave me a slight nod with the corners of his mouth upturned. He left the room for a moment. When he returned, Finn followed behind.

“Can you please explain it again to Finn?” He gave Finn a stern stare and then softened toward me. “He promises to keep quiet while you talk.”

Finn stood like a scolded child, head bowed, hands in his pockets. I repeated everything I told Cole. Once I finished, Finn regarded me with some annoyance.

He croaked out, “Why didn’t you tell me about it? I wouldn’t have been blind-sided if you said something?”

I responded in a tone as delicate as crystal. “Like you told me about the wedding planner?”

Finn shifted his head. “What do you mean?”

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