Page 20

OLLIE

“This isn’t going to be a Live, where we broadcast on my phone like last time.” Ollie started opening bags, going through the things they’d bought yesterday. Not only had Finn handled him like a pro throughout his meltdown but he’d also remembered to bring their purchases inside, supported Ollie while he ate and made difficult phone calls, and he had flowers delivered. Why was this man so perfect? He’d been knocking down Ollie’s walls since the moment they met and was easily scaling the last few, especially after the mind-blowing sex and gentle care.

Although dread still lurked in his peripheral vision, Ollie was beginning to believe that he could beat this, that bad things might not catch up to him, or that he could be shielded from them by Finn’s love.

As long as Finn stayed around.

Shaking his head, Ollie banished that thought, not giving his dread any quarter, busying himself with unzipping the clothing bag and removing Finn’s new suit. The deep charcoal-gray fabric gave a slight shimmer, and paired with a black shirt and matching tie, Finn would look like a mysterious billionaire.

“I’m going to take a before video, then more throughout, and finally the finished product. Once that’s done it’s just a quick edit. Do you have any musical choices?” Ollie watched Finn pull moisturizer and a few hair products out of another bag.

“Anything progressive rock?” Finn stared at a small pink can. “What’s this?”

“Mousse, it’ll hold your hair without making it heavy or wet.” Ollie shook out a red sweater that was a little darker than blood. The two of them had gravitated toward it as soon as they’d walked into the store, agreeing that it was vampire attire, and it fit Finn like a dream.

“What am I getting myself into again?” Finn flopped down on the bed, scattering a few empty bags to the floor. They’d decided to start in Finn’s bedroom because the attached bath had wonderful mirrors and Ollie kept glancing at the mattress, trying not to remember all the moaning he’d done into it last night.

“Just relax and trust me.” Ollie shook his head free of sexy thoughts and dragged Finn up, putting him in front of the closet door. “Let’s pose you for your before shot. Stand over by the closet and look natural.” Finn nodded seriously and then waved his arms around like he was an inflatable marketing puppet. Ollie rolled his eyes. “Really?”

“Okay, okay.” Running a hand through his hair, Finn straightened his spine and smiled, looking at the camera in a way that got Ollie half-hard as he captured the pictures and video.

“Damn.” Ollie flipped through the photos once he finished, his cheeks burning. “It’s a shame you don’t have social media.”

“One of us being famous is enough.” Finn looked over Ollie’s shoulder, making him very aware of their size difference, which went straight to Ollie’s dick again, and he coughed, going to his bags and removing a mini tripod. Attaching his phone to the head mount, he placed it on the sink in Finn’s bathroom and then rolled the desk chair in front of it.

Gesturing to the seat, Ollie smirked at Finn and he practically hopped across the room. When he was situated, Ollie adjusted the camera, making sure a wide angle was selected, and then pressed the red button in the center, turning toward Finn with a short clap of his hands.

“Let the Just Finn to Just Fabulous makeover begin!”

Ollie started with Finn’s perpetual five o’clock shadow, which clearly got the bulk of his beauty ritual. It was gorgeous; however, it could be honed, shaped, and streamlined to perfection. Grabbing an electric trimmer, along with a straight razor, Ollie did just that, trimming Finn’s eyebrows too.

Holding up the hand mirror he’d brought with him - the very one he’d used to check his hairline - Ollie showed Finn the result and his eyes lit up in wonder. Gingerly, he reached up and touched his face. “Incredible. I have no idea what you did but it looks amazing.”

Ollie beamed. “Your scruff is kinda legendary, most men have to work for that, but the angle was wrong for the shape of your face so I changed it. Now you look more chiseled.” Ollie shrugged, trying not to seem too thirsty. “Your hair is next.” Stopping the camera, he restarted it for part two, wetting Finn’s hair down. “When was the last time you got a haircut?”

“A few months ago.” His large hand closed around Ollie’s wrist but it wasn’t possessive, only familiar, and it made Ollie’s skin buzz. “Do whatever you want to. You told me to trust you, and I do.”

It was such a simple statement but Ollie knew that Finn meant it one hundred percent, and it lit him up from the inside. “Okay! I promise, it’ll look just as good as the beard.”

An hour later, Finn’s hair had been trimmed and styled, his skin had been moisturized, and Ollie had given him a lecture on sunscreen. Moving to the bedroom, Ollie posed him in the same place, and Finn began to model the suit for the after shots.

“Work it!” Ollie shrieked, stunned at what he’d created. Finn had always been model-handsome, but now he was a downright smokeshow, and Ollie had to keep checking his mouth for drool. “Okay I think I have enough footage, let’s change your outfit.”

Somehow, the vampire sweater and pitch-black slacks were even sexier, turning Finn from a romance-novel billionaire into a smoldering undead billionaire and Ollie couldn’t stop photographing him. Slowly, Finn’s poses became more and more ridiculous, and Ollie ended up grabbing a bunch of them on video; they’d be comedy gold at the end of the makeover reel, boosting views and likes. The last one was Finn doing the robot badly and Ollie laughed so hard that he dropped his phone, Finn joining him until they collapsed against each other, falling back onto the bed and gasping for air.

“Honestly, Sunshine, you worked a miracle,” Finn stated once he caught his breath. Slowly, he stroked Ollie’s cheek, and the air between them grew charged, bringing them closer together, and when their lips met they kissed gently, both mindful that they were still recovering from what Ollie had now branded the best sex he’d ever had.

And if he were asked, he’d tell the truth, that Finn was the best anything he’d ever had. While his past self would curse him, he had no regrets, because the support couldn’t be described, and Ollie felt it around him at all times, calming him, and claiming his heart.

Because he was in love.

Should he tell Finn? Did Finn even love him back? Would he say it if he did?

As the kiss broke and they breathed, Ollie bit his lip, unsure. A chime echoed through the room, breaking the moment, and Finn blinked, checking his phone. Slowly, his eyebrows went up.

“Is everything okay?” Ollie leaned in.

Finn sighed. “I feel like an idiot. I completely forgot that I have to visit my uncle today.” He stared at Ollie, considering, before smiling brightly. “Do you want to come with me?”

“Does he know you’re with a man?” Ollie didn’t want to ask that question but he had to, for both their sakes.

“He will today if you’re okay with that.” Finn grabbed his hand, kissing the back of it. “Don’t worry, my uncle is super open-minded. All he wants is for me to be happy. And I am. Besides, I want everyone to know about us.”

Tingles ran up Ollie’s spine, blooming in his brain and making him giddy. Finn continued to prove, time and time again, that he was never going to be Idiot Number Three because he was First Knight, and the pride in his voice when he spoke about their relationship made Ollie fall a little further in love than he already was.

“I’d love to come along.” He’d heard tons of legendary stories about Uncle Joe and wanted to meet the man who’d selflessly raised Finn into the chivalrous charmer he’d become. “But will you have to change?” He gestured at Finn’s outfit.

“Why would I change? You worked super hard and I want to show it off. He’ll love it and he’ll be thrilled to meet you.” Finn stood, bringing Ollie up from the bed as well. “This isn’t like meeting the parents.” Finn made quotation marks with his fingers. “Uncle Joe is already stoned off his ass if his text is anything to go by. We’re just driving up there to make sure he’s taking his medicine and feeling okay.”

“What’s wrong with him?” While Ollie had cleaned during the makeover, there were a few things left out, and the two of them tidied up with perfect teamwork.

“The usual. He drinks too much even though he takes meds for his heart and his high blood pressure. He can also outsmoke people a third his age but he’s not twenty-five, he’s in his seventies, so I have to check on him twice a week.” They moved into the living room and Finn gathered his wallet and keys while Ollie packed a light bag with essential makeup and a phone charger. “I thought about hiring someone to check on him but I know he wouldn’t like it.”

“You can’t get him to move down here?” Ollie squatted down to sort through his overnight case, putting back the shaver he’d brought with him. As he rose, a sharp pain lanced through his foot and he sat back on the floor, shaking it out.

“I’ve tried so many times. I think he’ll throw his bass at me if I ask again.” Finn patted his pockets, turning back toward Ollie. “Are you okay?” His brows pinched in worry as he stared at Ollie’s foot.

“Yeah, I think so.” Gently, he rose. The ball throbbed a little, in a faint echo of the earlier pain, but it was nothing like the stab he’d gotten. “It’s fine.” He shook it out again for good measure.

“Are you sure?” Finn approached, checking Ollie over as he nodded. “I know we’re about to leave but I’d like to make us some sandwiches for the road. Or we could stop and pick something up. Are you comfortable eating here? Or in the car?”

The consideration made Ollie want to bury his head in Finn’s sweater and cry. Because he wished he didn’t have this problem. No, not a problem, a disorder. One that he had to start taking responsibility for.

“Let’s see what you have in the fridge.”

“It’s beautiful here!” The drive took them north out of town, up winding roads into a mountain range that had already begun to show off for the season, with trees and bushes in chartreuse bloom. Ollie had spent the last forty-five minutes watching the scenery go by while slowly eating the toast he’d made, thrilled and terrified of the butter and strawberry jam on them. However, he powered through, managing to finish almost all of it.

“Agreed. It’s wonderful in the fall too. I’ll bring you back up here so you can see how colorful it is.” Finn gave him a quick smile, staying focused on the curvy road ahead.

“I’d like that.” Ollie returned to studying the sprouting greenery around them, his mind latching onto several things at once - Finn acting like it was natural that they’d be together in the fall, the upcoming meeting with Uncle Joe, and the fact that he was now afraid of food. He didn’t know which to tackle first so he checked his phone instead, relieved that his parents still hadn’t called but disappointed that none of the therapists had gotten back to him. Switching to the editing app as the signal got spotty, he started cutting and arranging Finn’s video, choosing a swirly shoegaze song from his list of bangers.

“I don’t know how you can work on that thing without getting a headache.” Slowing down, Finn took a hairpin turn and a pond appeared next to them, with swans drifting in the distance.

“It’s innate in my generation.” Ollie adjusted the audio track to start with the chorus.

“Is that what you’re using for my makeover?” Finn asked, taking another wild turn that had them both leaning in their seats.

“Mmhmm…” Ollie nodded. “Do you want me to change it?”

“I thought you were going to use progressive rock.”

“I don’t even know what that means.” Ollie waved his phone. “Is that old man music?”

“Old man mus- what?”Shaking his head, Finn pressed a few buttons on the steering wheel and the center dashboard lit up with his satellite radio selection. A guitar solo filled the car, keyboards alongside them and a high-pitched man’s voice started singing about being in the limelight. “I’m going to have to educate you, child.”

A peal of laughter burst from Ollie’s lips. “Okay, Daddy,” he drawled, silly and childlike.

Jolting, Finn quickly looked at Ollie before taking a turn that popped up out of nowhere, and the road went from paved to not.

“Did I say something wrong?” Ollie held on tightly to the handle above the window, trying to reduce the jostling as they drove over well-packed dirt.

“No.” Finn shook his head with a self-deprecating grin. “It’s the way you said it. It sounded familiar and I can’t place exactly how.”

Familiar? Ollie’s eyebrows practically flew off his head but the car lurched again as Finn pulled into a driveway that suddenly appeared out of the brush, and he became distracted by the cabin in front of him. Ollie had expected something quaint and cute, like a vacation cottage, but this was something out of a magazine. While it did have the alternating log build, it was huge, with an on-brand porch wrapping around the front and side. A shed-sized version of the cabin sat to its left, next to a fenced-in vegetable garden, and a wood pile took up most of the right, yellow bushes marking the rest of the perimeter, which sank into the surrounding woods.

It was like they’d driven through a portal into a secret forest; everything around them buzzed, hovering right on the cusp of spring. Stepping out of the car, Ollie took a deep breath, letting the warm wind caress his face.

“You grew up here?” No wonder Finn radiated calm. The air held birdsong and the hum of insects but was otherwise quiet, serene like a meditation retreat except for the pirate flag next to the front door.

“I did,” Finn nodded, picking a small yellow flower from a nearby bush and putting it in Ollie’s hair. The gesture was so natural and sweet that Ollie practically melted on the spot, sure that he was making the dumbest face but not caring one whit about it.

Pulling out his phone, he sidled up to Finn, who wrapped arms around him from behind, putting his chin on Ollie’s shoulder. Holding his arm out just right, Ollie snapped a few different photos, one of them smiling, one of him kissing Finn on the cheek, and one of them with duck faces. The first one was disgustingly perfect so he immediately sent it to Finn, who saved it as his lock screen.

“You seem to be smitten with me, Mr. Cooper,” Ollie stated with a Southern drawl, fluttering an imaginary fan.

“Not smitten. Besotted.” He placed another kiss on Ollie’s cheek and Ollie squeaked in return, loving how Finn caught everything he threw at him, tossing it right back.

“You’re always a charmer.”

“Guilty as charged.” Heading up the porch stairs, Finn extended his hand. “Are you ready?”

Ollie took it easily, swinging their joined arms. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

The door opened before they even reached it, and Finn let go of Ollie to hug his uncle, their bond clear as day. “How’s it going, Uncledad?”

“Good, Nephewson, good.” He met Ollie’s eyes and winked, stepping back from the hug, and Ollie tried not to let his mouth hang open as he realized that Finn’s fashion sense was genetic; however, Joe’s band T-shirts had dates from the sixties on them. They also had the same nose and jawline, but while Finn still rocked his hair, Uncle Joe was mostly bald and had grown out what little he had into a low ponytail. With a gentle kindness that ran in the family, he welcomed them inside, smiling. “And who’s this stunning lad? The one you’ve been head over heels for?”

Finn choked, falling back against the door and Ollie couldn’t help but laugh. “W-Wait. How did you-”

“He acts like I didn’t raise him and know everything about him.” Finn’s uncle winked again, holding out his hand. “Hello. I’m Joe.”

“Ollie.” They shook, grinning, and Joe gestured toward the couch. “Make yourself at home. He’s been talking about you since Christmas when he very carefully didn’t use she.” He raised an eyebrow at Finn. “I can read between the lines.”

“You are way too sharp for your age, aren’t you supposed to have dementia by now?” Hands on his hips, Finn shook his head.

“It’s all the weed,” Joe tapped his index finger against his temple. “Keeps me quick.”

“And you’re…okay with this?” Finn seemed uncharacteristically anxious and Ollie immediately went to his side, interlocking their fingers. Looking down, Finn smiled, pressing their palms together.

Joe walked over to them, clapping Finn on the shoulder. “All I want is for you to be happy, Nephewson.” Grinning at Ollie, he looked down at their joined hands. “And from what I can see, this nice young man is making you happy.” Finn seemed to slump with relief and Joe laughed, reaching out to ruffle Finn’s hair but stopping an inch away. “By the way, you’re looking pretty snazzy today, what’s the occasion?”

“Ollie wanted to give me a makeover for his social media accounts.” Finn posed ridiculously again. “What do you think?”

“I think he had his work cut out for him.” Joe gave Ollie an affectionate chuck under the chin. “He did a terrific job. You look expensive.”

“I’ll take that!” Finn laughed, ushering Ollie into the main room, where the walls were covered in framed photos and guitars in an echo of Finn’s decor. “Do you want anything to drink, Sunshine?”

“I’ve got beer, water, and more beer,” Joe called out, already in the kitchen. “And some of that carrot cake from the bakery in tooooown.” The final word was sung in a knowing tone.

Finn’s head turned so fast that Ollie’s neck vicariously hurt. “Really? I’ll take a slice of that. A large slice.”

“Thought you would.” Joe turned to Ollie. “What about you, lad?”

“Um, I’m okay for now, thank you.” Ollie tensed, ready for a comment about his weight or how he needed to be fattened up, but nothing was said and he glanced over his shoulder to find Joe plating the cake.

“I told you.” Finn sauntered over, wrapping his arms around Ollie again. “My uncle is the coolest cat around. But what I haven’t told you is that you’re the first person I’ve ever brought home to him.”

“I am?” Turning in the hold, Ollie placed his hands on Finn’s chest.

“Yep! I’ve met Owen and maybe one or two friends Finn did a school project with. And you.” Handing Finn his plate, Joe shuffled to the recliner, plopping down into it with a hearty grunt.

“Have you ever met Liam? Owen’s partner?” Ollie sat on the end of the couch beside Joe, enjoying his grandfatherly hippie vibe. He was exactly what Ollie had expected and yet so much more.

“Once, I believe. Nice young man.” Picking up a bag and a pipe, Joe put them both in his lap.

“He’s my best friend.” Ollie should send him the cute photo from outside since they were now both grossly in love.

“Is that so?” Joe raised an eyebrow, looking between Ollie and Finn. “Did you two meet through them?”

“Not really.” Finn settled back on the couch, digging into the cake. “Ollie was my rideshare passenger. We hit it off but didn’t get each other’s numbers. Three months later? I saw him jogging on the side of the road. Almost hit a van,” Finn managed to say between bites. Clearly, he’d be willing to spill state secrets as long as the carrot cake was good.

“That’s fate!” Joe declared, slapping the recliner’s arm. “And a sign you should be paying better attention while driving, Nephewson.”

Ollie was glad he’d come with Finn, not just to meet the legendary Uncle Joe, or to witness Finn’s coming out, but for the entertainment of Finn being admonished like a child. He giggled and Finn pointed his fork at him.

“You’re supposed to have my back here.”

“I’m…” Ollie bit his lip, trying to hold back when he saw movement through the window. “Wait, is that a real deer?”

“No, it’s a rental.” Opening the bag, Joe packed the pipe with very fragrant green buds, chuckling to himself.

Making a silly face at Joe, Ollie got up. “I have to take a pic of that adorable girl.”

“Knock yourself out,” Joe told him. Finn gave him a nod as well and since Ollie knew that the two probably needed to talk, he didn’t feel bad about skipping out.

Walking onto the porch, Ollie filled his lungs with crisp clean air, stepping down onto the grass. His foot throbbed again, and he rotated it as he limped around the side of the cabin, glad that Finn had urged a doctor’s appointment along with a therapist.

She was there right as he turned the corner, her coat a sleek honey brown, her little ears flicking as she ate from a bird feeder that hung from a massive oak tree. Ollie didn’t want to disturb the gal so he used the zoom lens to grab a few photos and videos. He even managed to lean out and capture them both in selfie mode.

Since they were still in the middle of nowhere with zero reception, Ollie had to post later. So, he pocketed his phone, wished the doe - now named Lulu - the best, and headed back around the house.

“You know I only care about you. Can you at least slow down on the drinking? Please?”

Ollie froze, the gentle slope of the land putting him right under a cracked-open window, the cabin’s open floor plan enabling all voices to carry.

“Fine, I’ll limit it to weekends. Stop giving me that damn look, your mother did the same thing and it’s creepy.” The words sounded stern but Joe’s tone held affection.

“That would make me incredibly happy.” Finn’s voice emitted relief that washed over Ollie, making him understand his own family even more. All they’d been guilty of was caring, and he’d shunned them, moved away, and refused their help. If Joe had done that to Finn, he would’ve been devastated, so Ollie could only imagine what his family had been going through.

A wave of shame rushed through him, and instead of wallowing, Ollie added it to his determination. He needed to heal - he didn’t want them to see him like this. He’d let them down but at least he’d taken the first few steps, and he wasn’t doing it alone. Finn had been his savior, and Ollie shouldn’t be eavesdropping on him.

“I think Ollie is already taking care of that,” Joe teased.

Now that Ollie had heard his name, he couldn’t help but linger.

“He is.” Finn’s quick and earnest admission did Ollie’s heart good.

“Are you in love with him?”

Ollie couldn’t move a muscle and he stared at the window hard enough to break it, every part of him needing to know the answer.

“Yeah.” It was sure but laced with shock and wonder, and Ollie understood because he was still getting used to the idea as well. “He has some problems though.”

Frowning, Ollie waited, not wanting to celebrate just yet.

“Who doesn’t?” Joe’s voice was tight like he was using the pipe. “It’s how you get through the problems that shows your love.”

It was quiet for a moment, as Finn thought things over. “Have you ever been in love?”

A lighter flicked, and after a moment Ollie could hear the exhale. Joe coughed. “Sure, many times.”

“It’s kind of scary.”

Ollie nodded, for it truly was, but knowing that Finn loved him back made the whole thing a lot less terrifying.

“It is, Nephewson, it is. Just remember to talk to each other.” The lighter flicked again and a long exhale followed a few seconds later. “Also, I’m gonna sound like a broken record but your father has been real pushy lately, he says all he needs is five minutes.”

Gritting his teeth, Ollie made another face. There was no way Finn wanted to talk about that, so he hauled ass around the side of the house, ignoring his foot as he raced up the stairs. Pushing open the door, he tapped his phone awake, selecting the gallery. He’d made it just in time because Finn’s expression was cloudy.

“I made a new friend - Lulu!” Ollie exclaimed. If there was one thing he knew how to do, it was derail a conversation. Waving his cell in Finn’s face, he plopped next to him. “Look at her.” Ollie scrolled through the photos. “She’s giving!”

The tension broke as Joe alternated between laughing and coughing, and Finn softened, his shoulders relaxing as he nosed Ollie’s hair.

“Thank you, Sunshine,” he whispered, and Ollie tried not to preen too much. Finn had been the knight for so long that it felt amazing to finally come to his rescue.

“Just so you know, I’m never breaking up with you. Every time Uncle Joe tried to bring up my father, you magically changed the subject. Are you sure you aren’t a wizard?” Finn raised an eyebrow, impressed.

“It’s more like my mom is a bloodhound so I have a PhD in getting parents off your back.” Ollie gave up resisting and embraced the smugness; it was well-deserved because, after everything that had happened yesterday, he’d taken life by the horns and pushed back. He’d not only had the best sex of his life, he’d also called a bunch of doctors and therapists, had two actual meals, met Finn’s Uncle - who hugged Ollie goodbye, thanking him for making his nephewson so happy - and helped Finn avoid father talk.

But the best part of the day was learning that Finn loved him back. It was the top news story spinning in his mind but it left him at an impasse. Should he confess first or wait for Finn? Either way, the bumpy dirt roads leading them back to civilization were not the place to approach the subject, although Ollie felt like he was going to burst with excitement and anticipation. This was like Christmas mornings as a kid but ten times more powerful and the present was Finn’s heart, something he’d treasure more than any material gift.

“Ah, your brother did say that.” Finn nodded, turning out onto the larger back road, which jostled them less, but not by much. “Still nothing from your family?”

“Nope.” Ollie let out a relieved sigh, leaning his head back against the headrest. “But I probably have a few more days at most.”

“Then maybe you should hide out with me,” Finn stated nonchalantly, as if he didn’t just give Ollie an open-ended invitation.

“What?” Ollie blinked, suddenly more awake.

“What?” Finn echoed, a smirk on his face.

“I mean…” Why the hell would Ollie say no to that? Especially when all he wanted was to spend more time with Finn, not just because he needed the support for mealtimes, doctor visits, and therapist callbacks, but because being around Finn was the easiest thing in the world. After spending the last twenty-four hours together, parting would feel unnatural. “Sure. But I need to pick up a few more things. Can we stop at my place on the way back?”

“Absolutely. You’re on the outside of town so we’ll pass right by it.” He pressed a button on the steering wheel and progressive rock blared from the speakers again. The music wasn’t bad but Ollie would never admit that. “By the way, we didn’t finish the earlier lesson on amazing music you need to hear.”

“How about we switch being DJ every fifteen minutes? I think I could broaden your horizons too.” Leaning over the center console, Ollie tapped Finn’s nose.

“I’m game.” Finn nipped at Ollie’s finger, flashing him a smile

The trip home went by far too fast. It turned out that Finn liked a lot of the electronic dance music that Ollie chose, doing some strange arm movement at red lights that had Ollie in stitches, and Ollie enjoyed about ninety percent of what Finn played, smirking whenever Finn asked if he liked it.

“It’s okay,” he eventually relented.

”A-ha!” Finn pointed, the two of them being silly as they waited at the stoplight around the corner from Mason’s house. “I knew you couldn’t resist!”

Giggling, Ollie put his hands up. “I didn’t say it was amazing.”

“We all know you loved it.” Finn drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, his grin infuriating.

“We? Who else is in the car with us?” Ollie glanced around, still giggling. Finally, the light changed and within seconds they were turning up the long green driveway, with pines on either side standing proudly like soldiers.

“Well, there’s me, and there’s also my feelings for you - which take up so much more room than this car.” Finn parked near the garage and faced Ollie, his deep brown eyes intense and full of meaning.

Wow, okay, they were going to do this right now. Ollie took in a deep breath, steadying himself. This was a big moment but he was ready. Ready to tell Finn that he’d been wrong to push him away, that he was grateful they’d run into each other on Christmas Eve, and that he returned his love.

“Finn, I feel the same wa-” Movement caught his eye and he looked past Finn out the driver’s side window. It was difficult to see the front porch from the driveway but he could tell a few people were standing on it, and Ollie instantly recognized them.

Heart rate skyrocketing, he checked his phone - not a single message. Swiveling his head, he tried to find their cars but they must’ve parked up the street.

“Sunshine, what’s wrong?” Cool hands rested on either side of Ollie’s face, grounding him. He was sweating, his breaths coming in little gasps. Dread taunted him from the sidelines but he leaned into Finn’s touch, trying to ignore its growing shadow.

Gulping down air, Ollie jutted his chin toward the house. “My family’s here.”

Turning toward the porch, Finn squinted into the distance.

“Wonderful.” His eyes sank to his lap, a small frown on his face and Ollie could practically see his mind whirring. Suddenly, he took a breath and nodded, determination in his eyes. “Okay, we got this.”

“Maybe you got this but I don’t.” Ollie pulled out of Finn’s hold, gesturing at the gear shift. “They haven’t seen us yet. Let’s go.”

“You can’t run from them forever.” Finn reached for one of Ollie’s hands and even though he was panicking he couldn’t refuse. “They’re here because they care-”

“But I haven’t seen them since Christmas. My mom is gonna freak out.” His body was one long tremor, and Finn’s soothing grip was helpless against it. “Please. I don’t want to face them right now.”

But it was too late because they’d been noticed, and all the oxygen in the car vanished as Ollie’s father knocked on the driver’s side window. Finn jumped, his head swiveling back and forth like it was a tennis match; eventually, he sighed in defeat.

“It’ll be okay, Sunshine. I’m here.” Clearing his throat, Finn got out of the car, giving Ollie’s dad a tight nod, and Ollie watched, detached, as if he wasn’t in his body. Nothing felt real, not the passenger door opening, the clasp of Finn’s hand, or the pavement underneath his shoes as he stood, finally facing his family.

As expected, his mother let out a little gasp, covering her mouth as tears welled in her eyes. His father crossed his arms, face stern. Tommy echoed him, and Sophie stared with pursed lips and a wrinkle in her brow that told Ollie she was very concerned.

“Where’s Biz?” he croaked out automatically, not recognizing his own voice.

“Traffic, she’ll be here any minute.” Tommy gestured at the street.

“Nice job, keeping things to yourself by the way,” Ollie snapped, not knowing where the anger came from but all of a sudden he was pissed. He’d been having the best day and was just about to hear Finn say those three magic words. Couldn’t they have waited until tomorrow to barge into his life? He loved them and he knew they were hurting but he wanted to fix his mistakes on his own, not have his shame paraded around and argued about.

“You know what, Ollie-” Tommy stepped forward but Ollie wasn’t having it.

“I don’t know what, Tommy, because I don’t care. I don’t want this intervention, or ambush, or whatever it is.” He flailed his hand around, embarrassed and furious. As his mother began to cry he added in a dose of guilt too.

“What happened to you, Oliver?” she whispered, the words tremulous. “What are you doing to yourself?” Turning away, she sobbed into a tissue, and his father put an arm around her.

Ollie sighed, rubbing his forehead. This was going about as well as he’d expected.

Large hands landed on his shoulders and he could feel Finn’s calm trying to seep in, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Ollie shook so hard that his teeth were chattering and he wanted to run away or throw things.

“How about we all go inside and talk about this?” To his credit, Finn tried to diffuse the situation but the last thing Ollie wanted was everyone hashing things out in his sanctuary; besides, Mason would not appreciate the crazy talk-show vibes this would bring to his living room. “Ollie has already been working to get better. He has a doctor’s appointment on Friday.”

“Good.” Sophie spoke for the first time. As the oldest, smartest, and most taciturn, whenever she said something, people listened. “This isn’t something trivial, Ollie. If you’re diagnosed with an eating disorder, it can kill you.”

“What?” Ollie had seen the statistics online but refused to believe them.

Sophie gave him a tight nod. “I work in the cardiac unit and I’ve seen a few ED patients come in who were way too young to be having heart attacks. Ollie, if you don’t get enough nutrition, your body eats your fat, but if there’s no fat to eat, it eats your muscles, including your cardiac muscle.”

“Please,” his father sounded desperate, helpless. “Please stop this…”

That was the key to dissolving Ollie’s anger but he still felt twisted, unstable, and it made him want to float away. He’d started running from the dread because he didn’t want anything to happen to his family, because he wasn’t ready to face tragedy, yet he’d brought disaster right to them, placing it at their feet. And then he had the audacity to get mad when they became concerned.

He knew that he had to fix things but his emotions were all over the place; too much had happened in the last twenty-four hours for him to keep his head on straight. Thankfully, he had Finn, his knight, his protector, and his safety net. Ollie couldn’t imagine trying to do this without him; he wouldn’t have any strength left.

Another car pulled up behind Finn’s and Ollie instantly recognized Biz’s pitch-black sedan; before he could take another breath, she flew out of the driver’s seat, looking him up and down.

“Holy fucking shit.” Mouth open, she turned to the rest of the family. “I told you that he had an eating disorder but does anyone listen to me? No. And I-” She stopped, staring at Ollie again. No, behind Ollie. And Finn’s hands, which had been resting on his shoulders, slid off. “Finn? What are you doing here?”

Something was imminent, like a storm approaching, or a Sword of Damocles about to snap its hold, ready to descend straight into Ollie’s heart.

“Ellie?” Finn didn’t sound right. Wait, how did he know Biz’s not-name? As a child, his excitable sister had been called a busy little bee and ended up completely owning it, going first as Busy, which morphed into Bizzy and then Biz; however, to the world at large, she often used Elizabeth or Ellie.

Still shaken, Ollie’s brain couldn’t parse correctly so he turned, and his blood ran cold.

It was like Finn had seen a ghost. His skin had gone pasty and his eyes shifted between Biz and Ollie, growing wider with each passing second.

“What’s going on?” Ollie tilted his head, eyeing his sister. “How do you know each other?”

“We dated for a few months. How do you-” She froze like a statue. “Oh. Oh no. Oh fuck.” Worry, fear, and shame all washed across her features as she looked helplessly at Ollie; however, he’d tuned out after the first sentence. It rang in his head like a bell, shoving him offline and back onto the track in his mind. He’d been too cocky, too smug, too confident, thinking he could heal, that he could be in love. That if tragedy came, Finn could shield him from it. But he was losing Finn right now, and he needed to go back to protecting himself.

“Ollie…” Finn opened and closed his mouth, his hand out. “I…I had no idea. You call her Biz.”

“You dated her?” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his parents grab Tommy by the jacket and slowly move away, to the other side of the property, Sophie a few steps ahead of them. Biz hovered nearby, looking like she was going to be sick. “Did you know about this?” he barked at her. The world was spinning; he could only take so much. This was his punishment for trying to heal? That his boyfriend and his sister…

Ollie bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw blood, wishing that he could boil himself alive.

“I didn’t!” she exclaimed, hands in her turquoise hair. “Finn called me a few months ago for advice about-” Lowering her arms, she turned to Finn. “About Ollie?”

He swallowed and nodded, refocusing on Ollie.

“Please, Sunshine, I need you to listen to me.” Reaching out, Finn attempted to put a hand on Ollie’s bicep but he skittered back a few steps, not wanting Finn to touch him. Not wanting anyone to touch him.

It had been so difficult, so terrifying, to be vulnerable and trust Finn Cooper. To let him into his life, little by little. To break his no-straight-guys rule. To watch vampire movies with him and talk to him about his problems and eat for him. To meet his family and dream of a future together. But it had all been for nothing, because Finn was his sister’s ex, and therefore a complete dealbreaker.

He understood that this was just a nasty coincidence. But his heart fell out of his chest anyway, beating and bleeding all over his shoes as dread reared up beside him, laughing, victorious. Ollie could hear the shackles rattling and he began to tremble with despair. Sure, things were bad now but they could always get worse.

“I…” Ollie wanted to leave. So, he did the one thing he could count on.

He ran.

Taking off, he ignored Finn screaming his name, ducking around the back of the house and taking a quick left into the woods, tearing down a path only he knew, tears blurring his vision as he pumped his legs as if his life depended on it, vowing to never stop running again.