Page 25 of Only Ever Yours

Chapter Twenty-Four

Hollis

The house was empty when we got home shortly after midnight. We had both messaged Finn to see where he was, but neither of us had received a reply and had expected him to have headed home.

“I’ll see if Ella’s still with him.”

Is my brother with you? He’s not at home and we’re obviously concerned about him. Let me know? xx

While I waited for a response, I headed up to my room to get changed into something more comfortable and take my make-up off.

Even though everyone who mattered now knew the truth about Jase and me being together, I still felt a slight sense of unease.

I hadn’t spoken to Finn myself to explain how I felt, and how I knew this was for the long-term, that it wasn’t just a fling.

By the time I’d pulled on leggings and a hoodie, Ella still hadn’t replied, and there wasn’t any evidence she had even seen the message.

I went back downstairs to find Jase similarly dressed, in sweatpants and a long-sleeved T-shirt, perching on the edge of the sofa, his head bowed as he looked at something on his phone.

“Have you heard from Finn?” I dashed over to him and dropped onto the cushion next to him, glancing over at his screen.

“No. Nothing.” He passed the device to me, and I saw his message thread with my brother: a string of unanswered messages he’d sent.

Defeated, I sank back into the sofa. “I don’t want to go to bed until I know he’s okay. Even if he’s with Ella or Liam, or whoever, and isn’t coming home tonight.” I wished I’d had the chance to talk to him before he’d disappeared.

Jase turned to me. “It’s going to be pretty cosy on this sofa then. I’m not prepared to move either.” He stood up. “Let me go and get some pillows and a duvet. We can camp out here until we hear something, or Finn gets home.”

While he was gone, I reached for my phone again.

Ella, if you know anything at all about where Finn is, please let me know. Jase and I are both worried xxx

I knew my brother was a fully grown adult. It didn’t stop me being concerned, particularly after the news we’d dropped on him. Deep down, I was sure he wouldn’t do anything stupid even if he had overreacted.

Jase re-entered the room, arms laden with a duvet and pillows from his bed. I got up while he made up a makeshift bed on the sofa for the two of us.

“Come on, let’s try and get some rest. I think we’ve done all we can tonight.” He patted the cushion next to him. “Liam hasn’t seen Finn, and I’ve not had a reply from Barney for obvious reasons. ”

“You don’t think he’d be with Felicity, do you?” I snuggled into the crook of his arm.

“Don’t think he’s that fucking stupid. But I’ll drop her a message just in case. At least, we can say we covered all bases.”

I chewed on the inside of my lip. “Jase, do you think this is a bad idea?”

He shifted so he could look at me, brow furrowed. “What do you mean? Sleeping on the sofa?”

“No.” I didn’t want to say it, but I had to. “Us being together. If Finn can’t handle it, then…”

“Hollis, I love you, and you said you love me, too. Why would I want to give up on that?” Jase took my face in his hands, his rough hands brushing against my cheeks.

“You are everything for me, and I want the world to know. Finn and I have been best friends for almost our entire lives, and if we can’t work this out, then I don’t know what the fuck we’ve been doing all this time. ”

I blinked back tears. “You’re everything for me, too. I don’t want to have to give this up, but…”

He silenced me with a kiss. “We won’t have to give anything up. I promise you that.”

With all my heart, I hoped that was true.

Sometime later, I heard the front door bang open and shut, waking me from a fractious sleep. Elbowing Jase in the ribs, I woke him, too, and we both sat up, expectantly staring at the living room door.

“There’s a welcome party I wasn’t expecting.” Finn stood in the open doorway, still in his suit from the wedding, hair mussed up and looking more than a little dishevelled.

“Where have you been?” I demanded. “You’ve had us worried all night.”

“Really? Looks like it.” He snorted .

“Fully clothed, Finn. Nothing happened.” I pulled the duvet back, exposing Jase and me in our casual clothes. “We were waiting for you to come back.”

“Well, I’m back.” His voice was monotone.

“Can we talk? I know you spoke to Jase at the wedding, but you need to hear my side, too.”

He lifted a shoulder. “I do. But not now. I need some sleep first.” Before I could say anything else, he’d left the room and gone upstairs.

I turned to Jase. “What do you think? Is he going to be okay about this?”

He lifted a shoulder. “I guess we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out.”

Neither Jase nor I slept particularly well in the end.

After Finn had returned, we went up to my room and settled down there, snuggled up together in our underwear, enjoying the closeness.

Having had to keep our distance, it felt like we were still doing something wrong even though everything was now out in the open.

I lay awake, Jase’s arm casually around me, wondering what Finn would say.

Just as I was finally drifting off, I heard Finn going downstairs.

Realising this would be the best time for me to share how I felt about Jase, I carefully extracted myself from his embrace and slid out of bed.

Pulling on leggings and a hoodie, I shoved my feet into a pair of slippers and wound my hair back into a ponytail.

Somehow, that felt like I meant business and wouldn’t take any nonsense.

Finn sat at the kitchen table, his head resting in his hands, a small groan escaping him.

“What’s up, bro? Too much to drink last night?” I tried to keep things light and went to the cupboard to get some mugs to make us tea.

“If that was the only thing,” I thought I heard him murmur. Then he lifted his head and stared straight at me, dark circles ringing his eyes. “You making tea?”

I nodded and busied myself with boiling the kettle and putting tea bags in the mugs.

Looking at the state of Finn, I added a heaped teaspoon of sugar.

He looked like he needed the boost this morning.

Once I’d made the drinks, I placed Finn’s down and sat at the end of the table, not across from him, so it didn’t look too confrontational.

“Where did you get to last night?”

He paused, lifting his cup to his mouth and blowing on the contents before clearing his throat. “Ella’s.”

I almost dropped my own tea into my lap.

If that was the case, why hadn’t Ella replied sooner to tell me Finn had been there?

Unless… had something happened between them last night?

My brain went into overdrive until I remembered why we were really there.

To talk about me and Jase, not about how my brother and Ella might have got back together.

Although, I was more than intrigued by that prospect.

Before I bombarded him with a million questions, I simply nodded.

“Good. We were worried about you.”

Finn fixed me with a look. “I’m sure you and Jase had more important things to do than worry about me.”

“You’re my brother, Finn. Of course, I worry about you.”

He grunted and mumbled something under his breath, which sounded a lot like, Didn’t seem to matter when you were hooking up with my best mate.

Taking a deep inhale, I ignored it and then started to talk, the words tumbling out so fast I couldn’t stop them.

“ Remember that summer we stayed at Barney’s and Liam’s grandparents’ place?

When I had that stupid crush on Neil Bradley, and you went all protective big brother on him?

Well, it was Jase who found me and looked after me then.

He helped me get back into the house and stayed with me until Kirsty got back.

That was years ago, and he’s never been anything but caring ever since.

When I came back here, and we went to the Live Lounge, I got so drunk, I puked in the ladies’ toilets.

Who was there to make sure I didn’t choke?

Jase. And when you sent him to London with me to get my stuff, who looked out for me when Gil made an appearance?

Jase. He’s always been there for me, Finn.

Always.” Pausing for breath, I sipped my tea, wishing I’d put sugar in mine, too.

Finn scrubbed a hand down his face. “Fuck, Hollis. I know that. Jase is one of the good guys. But even after everything, I didn’t expect the two of you to fall for each other.

It just never entered my head because Jase has always been about the one-night stands and the flings.

I never expected it to be because of how he felt about you all this time. ”

I allowed myself a small smile. Deep down, I knew that, too. “So, you’re okay with us seeing each other?”

“How can I stand in the way of true love?” He gave me a lopsided grin.

“He makes me happy, Finn. Something that I’d forgotten how to be when I was with Gil.” My heart contracted as I said the words, knowing how true they were. Pushing my chair back, I went around the table to Finn and engulfed him in an awkward hug.

“I’m glad to hear that.” Jase’s voice came from the doorway. “Am I too late to join in the group hug?”

“Fuck off.” Finn grunted. He gently pushed me away and stared Jase straight in the eye. “Although if you ever fuck her over, I will kill you.”

Jase held his hands up. “I have absolutely no intention of doing that. Fucking her, on the other hand…”

Finn clamped his hands over his ears. “La, la, la…that is exactly the kind of thing I don’t need to hear.”

Jase came up behind me and placed a tender kiss on my exposed neck. I shivered, knowing Finn was watching, still finding it strange that we were now all okay with this. My brother shook his head and dropped his hands to the table.

I looked between them. “Finn, thank you. I know it must have been a bit of a shock, but we’re both serious about each other. Nothing’s going to change that.”

He nodded. “I know that. And I’m pleased for you. Honestly, you make the perfect couple.”

My shoulders sagged as relief washed over me. I couldn’t have been happier at how everything had all worked out.