Page 13 of It's Just You

He’d been a little older than me in high school, and he’d been able to go to college. He’d come back to this shitty town for this mediocre job for reasons I couldn’t even begin to guess.

“Yeah, maybe.” I sighed. “My brother and his friend are going to be there though.”

“Just ignore ‘em,” Pierce said with a sage nod. “Anyway, gotta go. See you there?”

“Maybe.” If my parents didn’t need me, maybe it would be nice to get out of the house and catch up with people I hadn’t seen in a while.

Unsurprisingly,the bonfire was bustling with activity. There wasn’t much else to do in this town, and it had always been one of the things people could do together that didn’t involve going to the movies or the slowly dying mall. It used to be somewhere to spend hours with friends, browsing and shopping, but now I couldn’t even go in there without feeling like I was desecrating a tomb. The shops had begun to close, and there were more empty spaces than full. It made it a less than enjoyable evening, especially when I remembered just how fun it had been when I’d been younger.

Things like the bonfire tended to gather a crowd, especially those looking for… well, some fun, and more often than not, a quick fuck somewhere in the woods. That was never a pleasant one to stumble upon, and as much as I loved the outdoors, I could never understand the risk of leaves and bark in intimate places.

Today, I took the usual route to avoid seeing anyone fucking or being fucked — or puking their guts out, another thing that happened regularly. Nine was a little early in the night for getting sick, but some of the college kids would’ve started partying as soon as the sun had gone down.

I didn’t see Pierce yet, which was a little disappointing. I saw guys my age there, but I definitely didn’t want to go up to the crowds where there were seventeen-year-olds at my age. If I’d thought it was awkward for Finn to flirt with me, that was downright disturbing.

I might not have known who I was, exactly, or whether I was even attracted to women, but underage girls definitely weren’t my thing.

I spotted Sam and Finn, red plastic cups in their hands as they laughed and talked. I paused for a moment, studying Finn. What was it about him that intrigued me just a little — because it was only a little, right? It wasn’t like I was obsessing about him or anything. He just didn’t look like anyone I knew, and that was something different in a small town where everything else was the same.

Since Pierce and the other guys I knew weren’t around yet, I headed toward my brother and his friend. It was better than standing around alone — and besides, they were right by the keg, and I could stand to get some alcohol in my system. I grabbed a cup and filled it, wrinkling my nose. I knew it wasn’t the best stuff, but it was better than nothing unless I wanted to hit the bar instead.

Why hadn’t I? Why had I come here instead?

Sam saw me first, and he waved. “Kane! You came!”

I waved back, heading in their direction. It was totally natural to say hello to your brother, right? Especially when he hadn’t been at home in ages?

I just didn’t want to admit to myself that most of my attention was on his best friend.

“Hi Kane! Didn’t think you’d actually come!” Where Sam’s greeting had been friendly and welcoming, Finn’s was somehow over the top — and totally him.

“Yeah, I figured I’d check what was happening here. Not much else to do in this town.” I cringed. How lame.

But Finn laughed, a full, hearty sound. “Ain’t that the truth. If it wasn’t for my parents, I’d never have set a foot back here, believe me. Even though I love catching up with you,” he said aside to Sam. Then he looked, more slowly, at me. His lips moved again, this time to a smile… a teasing one? What was up with that?

“I don’t mind it here that much.” I shrugged. “I like staying closer to our parents.” Which was a total fucking lie at the end of the day, but it wasn’t like I wanted my brother to know just how much it chafed to be trapped in this town by my own sense of responsibility.

Finn stepped closer, tilting his head back to look up at me. Not too close, but definitely close enough. He wore something like jeans, but I hadn’t known it was possible to bedazzle a pair of them that thoroughly. It had to weigh a ton. The wide t-shirt hid a part of his body, though the wind still blew in a way that highlighted his lean upper chest. He wore his usual makeup, but it looked so natural on him. Not like some of the younger girls, who wore far too much. Finn seemed to know the right amount to make himself look good without going over the top.

“So…” Finn’s voice dropped a little. “Tell me a bit more about yourself. Sam’s a little biased, and younger brothers are assholes.” He laughed, casting a glance back at Sam. My brother was making eyes at a girl near us, who was apparently returning his interest.

I rolled my eyes then looked back at Finn. He wasn’t that small, but I still towered over him. “Yeah? And what kind of things has he been saying?” I was more curious than anything. At the end of the day, I loved my brother, and I knew he loved me too. But what did my younger brother tell people about me?

Finn tilted his head, a smile on his lip. One hand rested on his hip, while the other held the plastic cup. “Wouldn’t you like to know? Hmm. What do I get for giving you that kind of information?” He licked his lips, a slow, deliberate gesture. Was that normal for him?

I stared at him, a little mortified and a lot intrigued, then cast a glance behind me. “...the pleasure of my company?” I tried. No. That sounded like I was flirting. Was I flirting? “I mean, ah… What do you want? I mean…” That wasn’t right either. “I don’t know.”

I wanted the ground to swallow me up where I stood.

Could I be any more awkward?

Finn stepped even closer. What the hell was he doing? “Your company… now that’s something I can’t refuse.”

“I— What?” I stared at him, at his cocky grin, trying to make sense of his words. The way he tilted his head, he looked at me from below from under his lashes. I’d never seen anyone pull off that demure yet sexy look before without looking ridiculous in the process.

“Let’s get another beer and walk around a bit.” Finn nodded toward the keg.

Walking around a little bit couldn’t hurt anything, especially while Sam was busy. Finn could flirt with me if he wanted, but it wasn’t like I was interested so I didn’t have to worry about reciprocating. I might as well have someone to talk to until Pierce or someone else I knew showed up.

“Sure,” I said, nodding. I touched my brother’s arm, and he jumped, looking guiltily at me. I rolled my eyes again. “Go talk to her, you fucking donut. We’re going for a walk.”

He blinked, obviously trying to process. “You and Finn? Going for a walk?”

I smirked. “He’s going to tell me all the nice things you say about me when I’m not around.”

Sam grinned. “I’ll make sure to lock my bedroom door.”

I laughed, then followed Finn, who’d already gotten new beers for us. Somehow, I really was curious to find out if I was the topic of conversation — and whether Finn would tell me what was being said.

I did have my pride, after all.

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