by Nia Arthurs
The door opened and Finn appeared, looking down at her in disbelief. “Jewls? I mean, Jewel. Hey, what are you doing here?”
She studied him—the messy brown hair, the squinty hazel eyes that were ringed black and blue, the square jaw that shared the same purplish color. It was obvious he’d taken a beating.
They were both lucky to get out alive.
“Can I come in?”
“Yeah.” He ran a hand through his hair and pushed the door wider.
Jewel stepped into his room, recalling the short hours that she’d spent here with him. Talking. Sleeping. Hugging. He’d broken so many of her walls. Even if it was for selfish purposes.
In a way, she owed him for that.
“Are you okay?” He eyed her. “After last night?”
“I don’t know.”
He nodded. “That’s fair.”
“Are you?”
“He’s gone.” Finn sat on the edge of the bed.
Jewel dragged a chair over and sat. “Are you… happy now?”
“Happy?” He mulled it over, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth. “Not really. Empty. I feel empty.”
“It’s like you’ve gotten so used to the pain that when it’s gone, you don’t know what to do with yourself.”
His hazel eyes landed on hers. “Exactly.” Finn dropped his gaze and clasped his hands together. “I want to apologize again. For using you. For everything. I was wrong.”
“Do you mean that? Or are you just apologizing because you completed your mission?”
Finn tilted his head. “I didn’t want to hurt you. That was never my intention.”
“I understand why you did… what you did.” She sighed. “And there’s a part of me that thinks I would do the same.”
“But?”
“But I can’t trust a man who’d lie to me.”
Finn hung his head. “Jewel, I—” He licked his lips. “Truth is my feelings for you weren’t completely fake.”
Her heart jumped. “What?”
Finn opened his mouth but before he could finish, Nolan knocked on the door. “Robinson, for the love of all that is good, please get on the phone and answer Tiff. She’s been calling me all morning.”
Jewel stiffened. Tiff?
“Yeah!” Finn yelled.
Face tightening, Jewel stood. “I should go.”
“Wait, where are you going?”
“You’re obviously busy,” she said, striding for the door. “I didn’t mean to take up most of your time.”
He has a girlfriend. Of course he has a girlfriend. Stupid, stupid.
“Jewel.”
“What?” She spun, becoming doubly annoyed when she saw the smirk on his lips.
“Tiffany’s my step-mother.”
She blinked. It felt like an anchor had just dropped on her chest. “Your… what?”
“She’s running my dad’s company. He passed a couple years after Court. Tiffany’s older and wants to retire.” He lifted an envelope. The same one he’d received a few days ago. “She keeps sending contracts threatening to sell off the company and run away to Hawaii.”
“Your step-mother?” Jewel still couldn’t believe it.
“Yes.” Finn strode closer, his eyes on hers. “What did you think? She was my wife or something?”
“No,” Jewel sputtered.
Yes.
Finn’s lips did that thing where one corner lifted higher than the other. Jewel knew she shouldn’t feel this attracted to him after everything that had happened. It would take years to unpack the trauma.
And yet, here she was.
Finn ran his knuckles down her cheek. Slowly. The way he had at Sky’s wedding when they’d hidden out beneath the tree. “I’m leaving in a few hours.”
“That’s nice.”
“If you want, I’ll never come back.”
Her gaze skittered away from his. “Don’t worry about me. Do whatever you want.”
Finn leaned closer and her heart sped up. “I’ll hold you to that.”
She knew he would.
36
Two weeks later, Finn sat in his father’s chair, in his father’s office, looking down the barrel of a life that no longer felt like his own. He grasped his cell phone in his hand and stood, facing the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the city skyline.
The door burst open and Nolan entered, a big, sloppy grin on his face. “Look at you, Boss-man.”
“Shut up, Nolan.” Finn scowled.
His friend ignored the attitude and plopped a laptop on the desk. A news article filled the screen. “So I know you’ve been keeping up, but just in case, this is the latest from Belize.”
“What is it?”
“Jewel and her friends are home-free. The judge ruled it as self-defense.”
Finn sighed in relief. “That’s good.”
“Mm-hm.” Nolan sat on the edge of the desk. “So when are you gonna stop brooding and call her?”
“Me?”
“You see any other cowards in here?”
Finn picked up a paper clip and tossed it. “You’re fired.”
“I don’t work for you. I just occupy an office without paying rent and eat liberally from your cafeteria.”
Finn stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Kross is dead.”
“You said that like it’s a bad thing.”
“These clothes are confining.” Finn plucked at the blazer covering his forearms. “The sun isn’t hot enough.”
“Compared to the Caribbean, you mean?”
Finn cleared his throat. “There’s nothing for me there.”
“Jewel’s there.”
“She doesn’t want to hear from me.”
“True, given you stalked her, paid someone to steal her purse and seduced her while actively lying to her for days, I can understand why.”
Finn slanted his friend a look.
“But you did rescue her from Kross and help her get over her fear of interacting with men. The guys told me she’s even going to counseling to reconcile with… everything. Pretty soon, she might find a boyfriend, settle down…”
Finn closed his fingers into fists. “You’re doing that to aggravate me.”
“We’ve both seen Jewel. How long do you think she’ll stay single after she gets over the whole I’m-scared-of-being-touched thing? And what if she needs a partner to experiment on? You won’t be there, but some hot, black guy with massive pecs might.”
“Don’t you have better things to do than annoy me?”
“Nope.” Nolan slapped his laptop lid closed. “I actually cleared my schedule for this.”
Finn glared at him.
Nolan wisely hopped off the desk. “If you must know, Jewel’s still got her friend Carrie’s phone. She uses that messenger app that’s so popular now. You know.” Nolan shrugged. “Just in case.”
“Leave.”
“Alright, alright. I’m going.” Nolan shot him a mischievous smirk before scrambling out of the office.
Finn dropped into his chair with a deep sigh. An image of Jewel smiling at some other guy, flashing those dimples and laughing made his heart squeeze in his chest.
Finn spun his chair around and covered his face with his hands. He didn’t do relationships. Found out long ago that he wasn’t the type. But that was before Kross was out of the picture.
Now, he could be anything he wanted to be.
Shaking his head, Finn pushed the thought from his mind and tried to focus on work.
A few hours later, he got home, showered, and parked himself in front of the TV. He was staring down the barrel of another lonely night.
Nolan’s warning kept running through his mind. Restless, he grabbed his phone and flicked to Jewel’s number.
Should I?
Somehow Finn found the courage to dial. If she didn’t answer, he’d take it as a sign that he should never try again and move on.
A moment passed.
Two.
He was about to ha
ng up when he heard a click.
“Hello?” Jewel’s voice danced over the line.
His throat closed up. Finn couldn’t speak.
“Hello? Is anyone there?”
“Hey.” Finn heard the huskiness in his voice, but was powerless to correct it. He was nervous as hell. To be honest, he hadn’t thought of much past the point of picking up his phone and dialing her number.
“Finn, is that you?” Jewel sounded shocked.
“Yeah, I’m just checking up. I saw the article about the court case.”
“Those are out already? Wow, news travels fast.”
“Are you okay?”
“I was nervous, but I had everyone there with me.”
“I’m glad.”
Jewel sighed. “Yeah, my friends are my family. I don’t know where I would be without them.”
“That’s good. That’s great.”
Awkward silence fell.
Unwilling to let her go so soon, Finn asked, “What about Juney? How does your brother feel about all of this?”
“He’s okay. A little confused, but I don’t think he understands the depth of it. Kross was never a topic I discussed with him. All he knows is that his sister stopped a bad man from doing more bad things.”
“He must be impressed.”
“He should be.” Jewel chuckled. “I’m pretty incredible.”
It was the first time he’d ever heard her compliment herself and for some reason, that newfound confidence made her ten times more intriguing to him.
A voice sounded in the background. “Jewls! Can you handle the counter for me?”
“You’re busy,” Finn said. “I should let you go.”
“It was nice to hear from you,” she whispered.
“Goodbye, Jewel.”
“Goodbye, Finn.”
They hung up.
Finn put his phone away and tried to drown his thoughts with the nightly news. His conversation with Jewel had been short, slightly awkward. It was clear that she was moving on with her life.
He shouldn’t bother her. Shouldn’t call her again.
But the next week, he did.
And she answered.
They talked for longer that time, maybe thirty minutes. At the end, she’d seemed reluctant to let him go.
Finn called a few days after that, making sure to calculate the time difference so he didn’t interrupt her at work.
Talking once every week turned to twice a week.
Then three times a week.
Four months later, Finn and Jewel were talking everyday, sometimes until dawn.
A few days later, Nolan called him out on it. “You’re yawning again.”
“What?” Finn glanced away from the files in his hands.
“What time did you sleep last night?”
“I don’t know.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Maybe three.”
“Three?” Nolan’s eyes bugged. “Because of Jewel?”
Finn shrugged.
“When are you going to see her, man?”
“Not right now.”
“Why not?”
Finn tapped his fingers on the desk. “It’s too soon.”
“Too soon for what? You’re talking everyday.”
“She hasn’t invited me down yet. I don’t want to crowd her.” He thought of Jewel’s fledgling steps toward breaking out of her shell. “She’s focusing on other things.”
“Like what?”
Finn thought back to their conversations. “Her dreams of becoming a chef, having a YouTube channel to teach others how to bake, taking care of her little brother. There’s a lot on her plate.”
“And there’s nothing on yours. Come on, man. You’re not getting any younger. Secure the bag. Tie her down. Do what you gotta do to stake your claim.”
“We’re just friends.”
“Mm-hm.” Nolan popped an eyebrow. “Since you and Jewel are so platonic, I guess I can make a move on her. She’s only a couple years older than me and, I mean, have you seen how hot she is? It’s insane. Maybe I’ll get to be her first real boyfriend.”
Finn opened a file and stared at it, his voice a severe whisper. “Try it and I’ll break you limb from limb.”
“You sound so unattached.”
Finn rubbed his temple. “I can’t just book a ticket and fly to Belize for no reason.”
“Yes. You can.” Nolan swung his phone around and showed him an electronic plane ticket. “It’s fine. Reimburse me later.”
He lumbered out of his seat and launched at Nolan. His friend laughed like a hyena on drugs and scampered out the door.
Finn returned to his seat, lost in thought. He would never do something as stupid and impulsive as fly to Belize just to see Jewel. Who did Nolan think he was?
I’d just make a fool of myself.
A few hours later, Finn found himself packing his bags and heading to the airport anyway.
The doubts slammed into him when he was already airborne and looking out into the cloudy sky. He should have at least called ahead instead of busting on Jewel without some type of warning.
It was too late now.
He was already on his way.
Sweet Treats looked exactly the way it had when he left it. Finn paid the taxi driver and stepped out into the dusk. Lampposts were popping on all along the street.
He checked his watch.
Five minutes until closing.
Hiking his duffel bag higher on his shoulder, Finn entered the building. The counter was empty, but the jangle of the bells above the door prompted a voice from the kitchen.
“Just a minute!”
He strode forward, his gaze skimming the empty display case and the two metal tables tucked away in the corner.
The kitchen door creaked open and a woman slipped out. Finn stood frozen, watching Jewel as she stared at him with a shocked expression.
She wore a simple blue T-shirt over form-fitting jeans. Her hair was up in a bun and a light glimmer of gloss brought his attention to her plump lips.
“Finn?” she breathed.
“Hey.”
To his surprise, Jewel skidded around the counter and galloped toward him. When she threw her arms around his waist, he naturally tucked her closer to him. The enthusiastic welcome was one he’d been hoping for but hadn’t expected.
She smelled like brownies and he pressed his nose to the top of her hair, taking a deep whiff. Jewel stepped back then, lifting her gorgeous face to the light. He softly ran a hand down her cheek, his heart thudding erratically.
“I can’t believe you’re in front of me,” she said with a wide smile that left Finn breathless. “When did you get here?”
“Just now.”
“Are you hungry? I’ve got a few leftover brownies.”
“Sure.”
Jewel scampered off. Still reeling from Jewel’s shift as a shy, scared girl when they’d first met to the confident woman who stared him in the eyes and hugged him without trembling.
A few moments later, she reappeared holding a dish of brownies and a glass of milk. He noticed the drink and grinned. “You remembered.”
“Only because you were so hurt when I made fun of you for having the palate of a child.”
“I don’t remember you apologizing for that.”
She smirked. “Really? I’m sure I did. There must have been phone static that day.”
“Phone static?”
Jewel rolled her eyes. “So what are you doing here?”
“I was in the neighborhood,” he said casually.
Jewel paused, a smirk on her lips. “Really. You just randomly walked into an airport, caught a flight and flew all the way to another country while wandering around your city?”
“Since when were you so direct?” He laughed.
“Since my therapist threatened to hike her prices if I didn’t stop wasting her time.”
“What?”
“Hey, she was counseling me for free so it was a fair demand. It was the ki
ck in the pants I needed to stop hiding from the world and embrace it instead.”
“That’s a good philosophy. You look,” he ran his gaze over her face, down to her slender hands and long legs, “amazing.”
“I know.” She preened.
Finn grinned. He’d heard the subtle changes over the phone, but seeing her this lively… it was incredible.
She noticed him watching her and arched an eyebrow. “Answer my question.”
“What question?” Finn asked, struggling to follow along with her words when all he wanted to do was hold her again.
Jewel scooted to the edge of her seat, gaze locked on his, a twinkle in her eye. “Why are you here?”
“Because you owe me.”
“I do?”
Finn leaned forward too, bringing his face close to hers. “A dance. We left Sky’s wedding reception before I could collect.”
Jewel laughed softly. “I’m afraid that offer’s expired.”
“Then I’ll make a new request.” He smiled. “Go on a date with me.”
Jewel studied him for a long moment. Finn let her analyze him to her heart’s content. They had a lot of baggage between them. He’d made a lot of mistakes. Honestly, he wouldn’t hold it against her if she never wanted to see him again.
But he hoped she’d give him another shot.
Jewel nodded. “I would love to.”
37
“I’m sorry. You’re what?”
Jewel stared at Sky, Carrie and Joana who’d crowded into her living room. Well, it was actually Sky’s living room, but since Joon Gi had built Sky her dream home close to the Caribbean Sea, Sky let her rent this place for a steal.
“I’m going on a date with Finn.”
“Wheel and come again, girl.” Carrie swung her arms. “I knew you and Finn were talking these past few months, but I didn’t think it was that serious.”
Jo thrust her hand high. “I called it!”
Jewel laughed. “All of a sudden…”
“I told you guys.” Jo smirked. “I said that Finn wouldn’t be able to resist her. I told you the woman he’d try to con would steal his heart instead. I called it.”
“He’s not a con,” Jewel defended.
“I think ‘con’ is a very tame word for what he did,” Carrie mumbled.
“Guys, I’ve already forgiven him. Finn had a good reason for approaching me four months ago. It’s water under the bridge.”
