Page 5 of Where We Belong

On the floor section of the gym, a group of girls stretch into splits, one of them shrieking as the coach adds a block under one of her feet, the sight so painful I look away.

“Where are you?” Aaron asks, probably because of the level of noise inside the gym.

“Nowhere,” I answer a little too fast.

“Finn.”

“I offered to pick Callie up for your mom, okay? And you know I don’t mind.” Aaron’s family has gone through so much in the past years, so helping them out from time to time is the least I can do, and I don’t want Aaron to move back here to help out, because I know he would, and he deserves to live his life. I don’t have anything else. No girl waiting for me at home, no passion project I can’t live without. I’ve always lived by the seat of my pants, so this is fine. “Callie’s like my little sister anyway. Now that I think about it, she actually told me she preferred me to—”

“I’ll hang up, now,” Aaron says, and I laugh. “For real, though. Thanks, Finn.”

“No big deal.”

“Okay then,” Wren says with more sheet rustling, “we were kind of in the middle of something, so we’ll let you go now. Bye Finn!”

I shake my head, smiling wide. I’m happy for my friend. He deserves this life. “Bye, lovebirds.”

I hang up just as the group of girls get up from their stretches and head toward the locker room to the left of the gym. A couple of parents are sitting in the reception area with me, waiting for their kids to finish. I notice the gym isn’t as packed as it was a few years ago, but there’s still a few groups going for lessons, spread out and practicing on the different events.

“What. Are. You. Doing. Here?”

I look up to find the last person I’d want to see towering over me, her strong arms crossed in front of her chest, dark eyes glaring. Thank god looks don’t kill, because I’d be six feet under right about now. Her small size doesn’t make her any less intimidating.

I realize I haven’t answered when she adds, “Is this some kind of stalker situation? Should I actually call the cops now?”

Don’t imagine her naked, you dickhead.

I stand up, feeling a little too much like a scolded child. I lift my hands in defense—something I seem to be doing a whole lot with her—and say, “Coincidence, I swear.”

“And I’m supposed to believe that?” Her wide brown eyes, which I should’ve recognized the second I saw her, stare me down.

“Yes, actually. I’m here to pick up my friend’s sister.”

That doesn’t seem to make her believe me any more.

She’s wearing a tank top and sports leggings, which are skintight, showing her toned body. She’s not tall, maybe five two, but she’s still terrifying. I wholeheartedly believe she could make good on any threat she gives.

Which is why I’m infinitely grateful that Callie chooses this moment to come out of the lockers and meet me out front.

“Hey, Finn,” she says, a bored look on her face. She’s only thirteen, but her teen attitude is definitely there. Before, she would’ve thrown herself into my arms and given me a big hug, which always made me smile, but I guess we’re past that now.

Stacey looks at us with pursed lips before she asks Callie, “You know this guy?”

I snicker with a roll of my eyes as Callie says, “Yeah, he’s family.”

My number-one hater hums, still eyeing me like I’m some kind of rabid beast.

“Finn!”

I look to my right to find my mother walking toward us, the gym’s SHGC logo printed on her zip-up vest. Her blond hair is pulled up and held in a bun with a yellow pencil, the way I’ve seen it time and time again when she didn’t have the time to go find a hair tie.

“Didn’t think I’d catch you here tonight,” she says with a quick side hug. Meanwhile, I throw Stacey a look with raised brows like,See?She doesn’t seem to appreciate it, or maybe it’s just that she hates me too much to care.

“Yeah, just grabbing Callie,” I say.

“You talk as if I’m some kind of object,” Callie says.

“A really pretty one.” I pull at the end of her ponytail, and despite herself, she gives me a corner of a smile, which I count as a win.

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