Page 8 of Fluttering Heart

“Okay,” I whisper.

“It’s a date,” he says with a somehow even wider smile. Then he walks out while I gawk at him.

A date?

CHAPTER 5

Finn

When I walk outof Lou’s room, I find out that I took a wrong turn getting out of the elevators last night and it takes me a few minutes to orient myself.

Since I have no battery, I have no clue if Beau is even in our room, but I take my chances and knock once I’m standing in front of the right room.

“It’s me,” I call out.

“Finn, you asshole,” I hear him mutter through the door. He opens the door and scowls his worried scowl at me. “I was worried. Why the fuck aren’t you answering your damn phone?” He keeps going before I can explain. “I called Charlie and he said he left you on this floor, so where the hell have you been?”

I push him a little so he’ll let me walk in, and then start my spiel.

His mouth drops slightly more with every word that comes out of my mouth. But when I finish with, “God, he’s so amazing. So cute. We’re going out for brunch in a few,” his eyes get glassy and I remember the whole reason why we’re here.

Without thinking about it twice, I rush forward and gather him in my arms.

“Sorry. God, I’m an asshole. I’m sorry, Beau,” I murmur against his temple as he cries silently.

“It’s okay,” he says with a watery voice that tells me it’s most definitely not okay. “You need to get ready,” he says with some urgency and pulls back.

“Yeah, I do. I need to charge this.”

I go over to the nightstand, where I’d already plugged in my charger yesterday afternoon, and then turn to see my brother. He looks calmer now, which I’m glad for, and I make a decision then.

No matter how much I like Lou. No matter how perfect I think he is already, how kind, how cute, I can’t desert my brother. I already know I’m going to beat myself up over forgetting about him for even a second for weeks to come.

I hope Lou doesn’t mind, and I hope it distracts Beau instead of hurting him any more, but I’m going to take the risk.

I take a quick shower while Beau texts Charlie that I’m found, alive and well, and when I come out I call our brother myself. I check the time first, though, and I see I only have ten more minutes before I’m supposed to meet Lou by the elevators.

“Fi,” he says in his stern voice.

“Before you give me the lecture just remember you should’ve taken me all the way to our room, so this is kind of your fault, okay? Also, maybe skip the lecture and hear me out. Is there any way you can get us another ticket for the concert tonight?”

“Yeah, Sterling told me there’s a bunch available.”

“That’s great. Wait, are you coming too?” I’m actually excited by the prospect.

“I don’t know...” I wait him out, I know he’s thinking through all the possibilities. “We have a game tomorrow.”

“Yeah, but it’s a late game and the concert has to end before midnight surely. You can get a room here so you’ll be asleep earlier,” I cajole.

As longtime Sterling fans, it’s surprising that the three of us have never gone to a concert together.

“Yeah, okay.” I start to cheer but his next words stop me. “Santa wants to go anyway.”

“Uhhh,” I stall. I don’t understand their... dynamic at all. “Don’t you two hate each other?” Only months ago they were having fucking fights on the damn ice.

“It’s complicated,” he says with an audible sigh.

“You know you can tell me, I won’t tell another soul.”

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