Page 77 of Win You Over
“Finnegan,” Remi greets his friend.
“You came!” he replies, his words slurring. He turns his back to the girl and his bloodshot eyes rake over Remington, sending a bolt of something – jealousy maybe – through me. Clenching my hand behind my back, I smile at Finn, a feeble attempt to hide the way I want to tell him to keep his eyes offmyboyfriend.
“Drink?” Finn asks, finally taking his gaze off of Remington. He dips his hand into the bucket and produces a beer, which he cracks open and hands to Theo.
“For you, Coffee Boy,” he offers, a huge smile contorting his face. At least he’s moved on from calling my friend Trash Boy.
Theo hesitates before taking the drink with a mumbled thanks. I raise an eyebrow at Remi, who leans in and whispers, “He’s trying,” into my ear.
“Soda for me and Hold,” Remi says, and Finn gives him a look I can’t decipher before taking two cans out of the bucket and handing us each one.
“Good man,” he remarks, patting my arm, and I’m pretty sure we stepped into another dimension when we walked through the door.
Or maybe Finn really is trying. The tension in my shoulders eases a bit, but I still have my guard on. Do people really change this quickly?
“Hi! I’m Remington, and this is my boyfriend, Holden, and our friend, Theo,” Remi says, introducing us to the girl still sitting on the countertop.
“Cherry,” she replies, with a wave. “Finn’s um…friend.”
Finn slides between her legs and plants his lips on hers, kissing her deeply. When they pull apart, her cheeks are bright red.
“Cherry is here on vacation for the summer,” Finn explains. He takes her hand and pulls her off the counter, wrapping an arm around her waist.
“How did you meet?” Remi asks, his voice loud to be heard over the music.
“Long story! We’ll catch up on that later,” he replies. “Right now, let’s dance!”
He drags Cherry behind him, and the three of us follow, Theo stopping midway when he spots a colleague from the cafe.
“I’ll find you later,” he tells me and Remi, and we continue on into the lounge.
The space is large and has been cleared of furniture. There’s strobe lights illuminating the room and a DJ booth against the wall next to a large projector screen. It strikes me that it’s a rather odd thing to have set up at a house party. But then, this is only the second house party I’ve been to, so what do I know?
We move towards the makeshift dance floor, slipping between a group of people before Finn and Cherry turn towards each other, their hips and arms moving towards the beat of the music.
It’s a song I know, the bass deep enough to vibrate in my bones. I let Remi guide me, his hand on my lower back as we get lost in each other and the music. The DJ turns it louder, and Remi pulls me closer, kissing me while our hips bump and grind and my hands explore his back.
His hand weaves into my hair, which I’ve left down. A sheen of sweat coats my skin, the heat of all the bodies in the room and the one against me making the lounge feel like an inferno.
I’m startled when the music softens and Finn’s voice booms through the speakers.
“Remington!” he yells and we turn towards where he’s standing next to the projector screen. He’s swaying, and there’s a look on his face that has my hackles rising.
“Bro. Have I got a surprise for you.”
He holds up a small black remote and clicks a button. Adorable photos of Finn and Remi as kids flash over the screen. Remi laughs and squeezes my hand.
And then my entire world shatters at my feet.
Chapter 28
Remington
Finn flashes up photos of the two of us. They’re cute – if not an odd thing to share at a random house party – but I say nothing, deciding he’s probably being sentimental. Things haven’t been great between us lately and this could be his attempt to mend fences.
The photos change to selfies of us in our later years. One of us playing soccer, before switching to us on the beach during a surfing holiday we took together last year. Then, the image fades and a photo of me fills the screen. I’m smiling, my chest glistening with sweat as I hold a wad of cash up for the camera. It was taken after the first fight I won.
Looking to my side, I catch Holden rolling his eyes. I squeeze his hand and turn back to the screen.
