Page 8 of Persuaded

Now

Finn hadn’t thought about Josh in years.

That was what he told himself when Sean first called with his stupid plan to buy the fucking Newton house. Finn hadn’t thought about Josh in years, he could barely remember what the guy looked like. He didn’t have any photos to remind him, after all. He’d gotten rid of them all the day after—

The day after .

Frankly, he was kind of embarrassed about the whole incident.

Looking back, he put it down to the craziness of that summer right after his dad died, when he’d been on the cusp of a new life and looking for distraction.

It hadn’t really meant anything. It was just a youthful infatuation with a rich kid who’d been so strange and compelling that Finn had found himself ensnared.

Mostly, when he thought about it at all, he was glad Sean never knew. Now that would have made things awkward.

He told himself that on the flight to New York. He even managed to maintain the illusion while Sean showed him around the Newton house— mansion ; it was a damned mansion—and into the room where—

Yeah, that room. The one where he’d begged.

And, Christ, if Finn was looking for evidence that he hadn’t been himself that summer then that was it. Finn Callaghan did not beg.

But even that wasn’t enough to shake his firm belief that the whole mess was in the distant past. No, it was only when Sean, utterly oblivious, of course, blithely led him into New Milton’s only coffee shop that the walls came crashing down.

Because Josh was right there .

Finn didn’t have time to retreat or to brace himself or anything .

Josh was just standing there in the middle of the coffee shop, clutching a rag in one hand because apparently he fucking worked there. Joshua Newton waited tables in a fucking coffee shop now? What the actual fuck?

Sean talked—he introduced them—and Josh lifted his uncertain gaze to Finn. For a fleeting moment their eyes half met. But it was too much. Finn turned away, muttered something to Sean, and bolted out the door.

The morning air was cool and he was grateful because his face felt flushed. He’d blame it on the hangover if Sean asked, but it wasn’t that. It was—

“Christ,” he growled as he stalked to the car. He’d never imagined that Josh would still be living here. He was meant to be some kind of corporate CEO by now, not serving coffee in this Podunk town. It didn’t make any sense.

Finn’s hand shook as he squeezed the back of his neck and he told himself it was the shock.

He hadn’t expected to see Josh again. Not ever.

And so what if he’d been scrutinizing the media circus surrounding Charles Newton’s trial, looking for a glimpse of a familiar face?

It wasn’t the same as running into him like this.

Not with Josh looking so... So different . So worn down and tired. So reduced.

He braced his hands on the roof of Sean’s car. He couldn’t lose control here, where people and smartphones could see. Behind him he heard the door to the coffee shop open, the giggle of the girls they’d met at the Rock House following him down the street. He had to hold it together.

He took a breath. Truth was, this should have been perfect.

It should have been perfect schadenfreude, served ice cold after eight long years.

Because Josh, who’d broken Finn’s heart on the orders of his asshole father, had apparently been reduced to waiting tables.

While Finn, who hadn’t been good enough for the great Newton clan, had made his name in the world.

He was somebody now. He had a career, money, a reputation.

He had fans . Finn was riding high and the Newtons were on their knees. He should have been fuckin’ dancing.

“Hey.” The sharp voice was Sean’s.

Finn curled his fingers, braced himself, and turned to face his brother.

Casting a warning look toward Lexa and Ali who preceded Sean along the street, Finn made a play of looking more hungover than he was.

He knew how to handle this kind of attention.

Sean didn’t, but, to his credit, he let Finn deal with it.

“Hope I didn’t offend your friend back there,” he said as Lexa handed him his coffee. “Wasn’t feeling too good.”

She looked blank. “You mean Newt? Don’t worry about him, he’s cool.”

Newt?

“He didn’t even know who you were until we told him,” Ali assured him with a grin. “Sorry.”

“That’s okay.” Finn took a sip of coffee to keep from having to look at anyone. He wished he had his sunglasses, but it was too overcast to wear them without looking like a total douche. “Most people don’t know who I am.”

Although, of course, Josh (Newt, now?) did and Finn wondered what it meant that he hadn’t told anyone about their...thing. Perhaps it didn’t mean anything to him, either.

Except, who the fuck was he kidding? Josh could barely look him in the eye.

He took another sip and said, “Well, thanks for the door-to-door service, girls. We, ah, we gotta go. Right, Sean?”

“Sure. We gotta go.”

Hopefully Finn was the only one who heard the bitchiness in his brother’s voice.

After a couple more minutes (and a selfie) they extricated themselves from Lexa and Ali, and then they were in the car and driving. Finn started a silent count to ten and Sean chimed in at seven with “So enlighten me—What the hell was that?”

Finn didn’t even know where to start.

“I mean, seriously?” Sean said. “Are you that much of a diva these days that you just cut people dead like that?”

“I told you. My head—”

“Bullshit.”

Finn sighed. “Okay, fine. I kinda vaguely know the guy, okay? And I didn’t want to get into a thing. People can be weird if they think they know you.”

“You know Joshua Newton?”

He glared out the window. “I spent that summer here, remember? Working on his dad’s cars.”

“Right,” Sean said. “Huh. I’d forgotten that. He didn’t mention knowing you, though.”

“Probably doesn’t remember, then. The Newtons always did have their heads up their asses.”

There was a pause before Sean said, “I don’t think Joshua’s like that. Lexa says he’s a music tutor—teaches kids privately and up at the school. He seems like a straight-up nice guy. Better than the rest of his family.”

Finn didn’t answer, ignored the slight tug in his chest at the thought of Josh teaching kids music—But no, he wasn’t interested.

Maybe Josh was a nice guy, maybe he was great with kids and puppies, but Finn had trusted him like he’d never trusted anyone and when things had gotten tough Josh had hung Finn out to dry.

He couldn’t forgive him for that, for giving up on them so easily. For being so damn weak .

No. He wanted nothing more to do with Joshua Newton. He’d learned his lesson eight years ago and he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.