Page 71 of Whirlwind

“Not about us. We’ve only talked about data.”

Jake goes quiet, the kind of quiet where I know he wants to say something but thinks it will make me mad.

“What do you want to say?”

“Nothing.”

I sigh out my annoyance. “Say it, Jake.”

“It’s nothing really. I just thought you’d have talked to him by now. You’re not usually one to back down from a challenge.”

“Meaning?”

“I know I gave you shit about it before, but I understand things better now that you’ve told me everything. You really like this guy, and you’ve built a relationship with him over the last year that’s real. You wouldn’t have been intimate with him if you didn’t want to be with him.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning that the Finley I know would go after him—like you’ve always done with everything you’ve wanted in life.”

I brush my fingers over the healed cut on my cheek. “What happened to you telling me to be careful?”

I can hear his smirk through the phone. “You screwed the pooch on that one.”

I press my head into my hand. “You aren’t going to tell me to go after someone my own age?”

“I wasn’t lying before. I feel different now that I know everything. You want him, Fin.”

I fidget in my seat, my stomach turning over at Jake’s words. It was almost easier when he didn’t want me to go after Ryker. Now, I’m even more confused, and I feel as if I could jump out of my own skin.

“Just because I want him doesn’t mean it’s right,” I say.

“But it doesn’t make it wrong, either. You said he wants to be with you, that he’d quit his job for you. Maybe you should consider it—”

The desire to jump out of my skin becomes too much, so I cut my cousin off. “I gotta go.”

“Finley—”

“I need to get on the road to catch this storm. I’ll call you later.”

He sighs audibly. “Fine, but I’ll leave you with this. If I had someone who was willing to fight for me the way Rykeris willing to for you, I wouldn’t pass that up—I’d dive in headfirst.”

“Jake,” I say sadly, my heart breaking for him and all his past hurts and rejections. He’s such a good man, one who deserves a partner who sees and loves all of him. I also feel his words deep in my gut—because he wouldn’t be saying them if he didn’t mean them.

“Don’t,” he says quietly. “Don’t say anything—I don’t want sympathy.”

“I know you don’t.”

“But, Fin, please know that no matter what you choose to do with Ryker, I know it will be the right thing, and I support you.”

My eyes well up with tears, and I clear my throat so I can speak. “Thank you. I love you, Jake.”

“I know. Now, go chase that storm of yours.”

I smile to myself, not sure if he means the real storm or Ryker, but I will go with the real storm for now. “I’ll shoot you a check-in text when I’m home.”

“You’d better.”

We say our goodbyes, and I hang up, letting my phone fall beside me on the sage-green couch. I’ve been holed up in my small studio apartment for days, only venturing out for groceries and to pick up a rental car while I wait for my insurance to send a check for my totaled one.

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