Chapter 10

Ten

“You’re telling me that a Navy SEAL can afford this room?” Kaley asked as she gazed around the large hotel suite.

Jess frowned. How should she answer?

Would Finn be okay with her telling her best friend that he was the son of a billionaire? That Finn didn’t have to work, but he did it because he loved giving back and helping people.

“I guess. Do you want a drink?” she asked, in an attempt to distract her bestie. “We’ve got champagne, soda, juice, water.”

Finn had got her settled in the room before saying he needed to go back to the base and grab things so he could stay with her until she left for San Antonio.

Kaley had been texting her all day, but Jess had had her phone turned off, too worried to have it on, in case it was Bartholomew who’d left that ‘present’ in her room.

She might’ve changed her number, but past experience told her he had ways of getting information about her.

Jess had only turned her phone back on because Oak had called Finn and told him Kaley was going out of her mind with worry.

Wait…Kaley had spoken to Oak? How had she gotten Oak’s number?

Even amidst everything that’d been going on, she’d noticed the way Finn’s friend had remained at her best friend’s side.

“What’s the deal with you and Oak?” Jess blurted.

Color bloomed in Kaley’s cheeks.

Her friend never blushed, but she was blushing right now.

“Um...I’ll have a soda, thanks.”

Jess bit her lip to keep from laughing. Considering how she’d used offering Kaley a drink as a diversion, her friend had returned the favor.

“Guess we’ve both got things we don’t want to talk about.” She smirked, but headed to the fridge and grabbed two cans of soda.

“I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours,” Kaley said, her tone sly and her embarrassment gone.

Jess finally laughed and held her can out, waiting for her bestie to tap hers against it. “I’ll drink to that.”

“Are you doing okay?” Kaley asked after they found seats on the comfy, oversized sofa.

“I think so. I’ve tried not to think about what happened last night too much. If I do, I’ll spiral into a well of what ifs . It helped that Finn took me on a tour of the base and we went to the beach for a while. I met a couple of guys he knows from another SEAL team. I don’t know what they feed these guys, but man, I’ve never seen such good-looking men.”

Smiley and Flash were tall and muscular. Considering all the training they did and the equipment they had to carry, they had to be strong. It made sense, but those guys had abs that were as impressive as Finn’s. Yet, with all their good looks, they did nothing for her.

“So, you did make it to the beach after all,” Kaley said.

What does she mean?

Her confusion must’ve shown on her face because her friend chuckled. “You said last night that we should go to the beach today. You know, so we could drool over guys without their shirts on who likely had small dicks.”

Their conversation from the night before came back to her and so did the guilt that she’d made plans, but had completely forgotten about them because of everything that’d happened.

“Oh God, Kay-Kay. I’m so sorry. It totally slipped my mind.”

Kaley squeezed her forearm. “It’s all good. I, um...” She looked away. “I ended up doing something else.”

Jess arched an eyebrow, the wheels turning in her mind, especially with Kaley’s earlier comment. “You and Oak?”

“Yes, me and Brennan. I can’t call him Oak . Sounds like I’m a college girl on spring break looking to get hammered every time I say his name. Oak! Oak for everyone!”

Jess giggled. “Now, that’s a visual I want to see.”

Her bestie shrugged and took a long drink from her soda. “He didn’t mind when I said I wasn’t using his nickname. He can save that for his friends.”

“I have to agree. I don’t think I could call Finn ‘Hive,’ like his teammates do. It seems so foreign, but it doesn’t bother him.”

“Boys. I think they do it so they can still feel like they’re in a fraternity or something. I wonder if there’s a Navy SEAL out there with the nickname Chugger because he liked to chug beers in college or basic training.”

Again, Jess laughed. “Maybe we should ask Finn when he gets back. Or you could ask Oak...sorry... Brennan ,” she said slyly.

Kaley tossed a flower-patterned pillow at her, but Jess easily fended it off. “Maybe I will. If I see him again.”

“Do you like him?”

“Do you like Finn?” her bestie countered.

Jess stared, as if she’d just asked if the world was flat. “You know all about Finn and me. What sort of question is that? Of course I like him.”

“Well, yeah, but things could’ve changed since you last saw him. He might’ve developed a horrible habit. Like picking his nose in public. Or become an asshole since he became a SEAL,” Kaley said.

“I can assure you, Finn hasn’t developed any of those bad habits. If he had, do you think I would’ve spent the night, let alone most of the day, with him?”

“I suppose not. No wonder you’re looking so happy.”

The fact Kaley hadn’t made a comment about the unusual familial relationship she and Finn shared had some of the tension seeping out of Jess.

If her best friend didn’t even think about it, then maybe no one else would. There was no need for her to introduce Finn to her friends as her cousin. He was simply going to be her boyfriend.

Boyfriend .

Was that what he was?

All they’d shared was one night in a huge bed and a few kisses. Although...Finn had bared his soul on the beach. How it was her he’d thought about when things had gotten tough during his SEAL training.

“Wait, you don’t look so happy now. What’s wrong, Jess? Don’t you want this?” Her best friend scooted closer to her.

“I do. I really do, but—well, something happened a few years ago.”

“What?” Kaley asked.

Jess sighed. Telling her best friend this big secret was going to be hard. Would she get angry for Jess not saying anything before now?

Kaley had asked her way back then if anything was wrong when they’d started their first rehearsals with the Baxter Company. She’d played it off as nerves, not wanting to relive her humiliation from that night.

“Remember when I went out with friends just after we both got notification we’d made Baxter’s? But you were sick and couldn’t come?” Jess asked, after taking a big breath.

“Ugh, don’t remind me. Worst case of food poisoning ever. I don’t think I’ve had a taco since then. And I used to love tacos.”

“That’s what you get for buying one off that dodgy street food cart. I told you not to do it.”

Kaley mock-glared. “Yeah, well, lesson learned. Anyway, you were saying?”

“Finn turned up at the bar that night and we danced and then we kissed.”

“You what!” her bestie screeched so loud the whole hotel could probably hear her.

“Shhh. We kissed, but that was it. After that, he ghosted me. Didn’t answer any texts I sent. Told his mom he couldn’t make it to opening night of our first show. I hadn’t seen him in four years until he turned up backstage last night,” Jess said.

“Whoa, that’s some—wow, I’m not sure what that was. No wonder you didn’t want to hang out with him last night. Although, that changed pretty quickly. You were pretty happy to leave with him. Why? What changed?”

“The thought of him walking away and never seeing him again...that’s what happened.”

Kaley gazed at her with her head cocked, as if her friend were trying to see inside Jess’s mind. “I’m gonna need a little more than that.”

She finished off her soda and placed the empty can on the coffee table, taking the time to get her thoughts together. “You remember what Timon said about how Finn was happy waiting for us? You and I both know that we can get ready to leave the theatre quicker than we did last night. It was like both of us had made an unspoken agreement that we were going to take an extra-long time before we headed to the back door.”

“I guess. I mean, I was taking my cues from you. You were the one who was dragging ass. Not me.”

“True.” Jess had taken her time, hoping that whoever had been waiting would get bored and leave. “Anyway, Finn was there, and he was the last person I’d expected to see. The humiliation from our last encounter came flooding back, and I brushed him off when he asked me to dinner. I saw the acceptance in his eyes, along with a little bit of sadness, but I decided he couldn’t just turn up as if nothing happened and expect things to be the same.”

“That’s my girl!” Kaley held her hand up and Jess high-fived her.

“Then, he and Oak came up to us at the bar. I called him out, but he said he was just there because of Oak. I could tell that he was respecting my wishes, even if they went against everything he wanted. When he said he was going to leave, I couldn’t let him. I didn’t want him to go. And, well, you know how the rest of the night turned out, and here we are.” Jess shrugged.

Her bestie didn’t say anything for a few seconds. Kaley was obviously taking in everything she’d told her and turning it over in her mind. Probably working out if Jess was being truthful or wistful.

“If you’re happy, that’s all that matters,” Kaley finally said. “But if he hurts you, he’s going to wish he didn’t, because I’m going to make sure he knows what an asshole he is.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t plan on doing anything to hurt Jess. I’d rather cut off my right arm than cause her pain.”

Jess yelped and jumped from the couch.

Finn stood, leaning against the wall, looking casual and sexy all at the same time.

“What the heck? When did you get back here? How long have you been standing there?” The questions tumbled out, and her heart thundered.

He smirked, and it was even more sexy. “Not that long.”

How much had he heard of her and Kaley’s conversation?

Had Finn heard Jess say she didn’t want him to go?

Although he would’ve gotten that idea when she’d launched herself into his arms.

There was a knock at the door, and Finn turned to answer it, saving her from embarrassing herself by demanding he tell her exactly what he’d heard.

“I believe him, you know,” Kaley said quietly beside her.

“What?”

“That he wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. That guy is as smitten with you as you are with him.”

Everything in Jess wanted to believe her friend, but after having been burned by Finn once before, she planned to proceed with caution.