Page 7 of Finally Home

“So yeah, I’ll go with her and pretend to be her loving boyfriend, get her family off her back, and maybe make her ex jealous.”

When I finish my word vomit, I look up at my best friend to find him staring in shock at me with one arm propped on the other and his chin resting on his fist. He blinks a few times, and I can’t help but chuckle. His reaction is almost identical to Hollie’s.

Finally, Rhy stands to full height and chuckles while shaking his head. “This is going to be great…” he says as he turns his attention back to the yard work.

“I think it’ll be fine. It’s just a weekend. A few kisses here and a few fake stories there.”

He continues to laugh as he pushes the mulch with his rake. “That’s not what I mean. You realize this is going to backfire on you, right?”

I grab my shirt from where I discarded it about an hour ago and wipe the sweat from my face and neck. “No, it won’t. Like I said, everything will be fine.”

“Yeah, okay, buddy. Keep telling yourself that. I can’t wait to watch this all blow up and tell you I told you so.” He chuckles as he sets the rake against a tree and heads toward the house.

When he disappears inside, I walk over to my phone and open up my text conversation with Hollie.

Me:Looking forward to the weekend. :)

It’s fine. Everything is going to be fine. Rhyland has no idea what he’s talking about. I’m just helping a new friend.

Chapter 4

Hollie

Oliver and I texted over the last few days. Mainly just me giving him the chance to change his mind and him replying, telling me he’s not changing his mind and to just relax. But easy for him to say. If things go to shit, for him, it’s nothing. He never has to see these people again. Then again, maybe it’ll be the reason I never go home again.

Last night, Oliver offered to drive and sent me his address, which is how I ended up sitting in my car in his driveway beside his jeep. My skin is buzzing with nerves, and I can’t deny I’m contemplating putting my car in reverse and escaping out of here like I just committed a felony.

“Just relax, Holland. It will all be fine. It’s just a weekend, and hopefully, everyone will be so busy fawning over Scarlett, they won’t pay much attention to me.”

I rest my head against the headrest and am on my third inhale, trying to calm my anxiety, when there’s a knock on my driver’s-side window. My eyes whip open, and I let out a shriek, sending my phone flying from my hand to the floor of my passenger side. I turn to find Ollie leaning against the doorframe.

My heart is ready to jump out of my chest and feels like I just ran a marathon. But I have no clue if it’s from fear or Oliver’s proximity. It’s only been a few days since I saw him, but is it even possible that he got more good-looking?

“Are you ready to go, or do you wanna sit in the car and keep talking to yourself? I can come back.” He smirks, and I hold up my middle finger. This man and his sarcastic mouth. I can’t decide if I want to smack him or kiss him. What a fucking predicament to be in?

Leaning over the center console, I feel around and find my phone on the floor before finally getting out of the car. Oliver backs up and holds the door open for me.

We stand off in his driveway and observe each other. I take in his outfit. He’s dressed almost exactly as he was the night we met.Does he have a closet of black shirts?

Ollie is the first to break the silence. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s just that I saw you sitting out here and not showing signs you were going to get out soon. So I figured I would save you from yourself.”

“No, it’s fine. I guess I needed the extra push to get out of the car. If I’m being honest, I debated hauling ass out of here.” I try to add humor to my voice to make him think I’m only kidding, but he just nods. Ollie sees right through my bullshit.

“Figured as much. My bags are already in the car, so I thought we could just hit the road. Do you need to go to the bathroom or anything before we go?” Oliver follows me around to my trunk, and his eyes nearly bug out of his head as he takes in the number of bags.

“What?” I ask and struggle to keep my laughter back. But when Oliver reaches for a handful of bags, I can’t hold back. Wrapping my arm around his bicep, I pull him back. “Relax, I’m actually only taking those two—” I point to the small black suitcase and my camera bag. “—and my dress bag.”

“What’s with all the other bags, then?” he questions as he takes my bags from the trunk with ease and closes the lid.

“It’s just the rest of my stuff. I had to pack up everything from the B and B. And it’s just easier never staying in one place too long to just have the essentials.”

I’m not sure I can decipher the look on his face. It’s not judging, but almost like he’s trying to figure me out. It unnerves me slightly.

Oliver loads up my bags while I lock up my car and walk around to the passenger side of his jeep.

“Let me get that for you.” Ollie jumps in front of me and opens up the door. I stare at him as I get into the car. “What?”

“I’m sorry. I was just trying to see if maybe you were an alien or something. Guess I didn’t realize men still did things like this.”

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