Lies We Tell (Thistle Cove 3)

He follows that up with a scorching kiss, and yeah, a million naughty ideas come to mind. Unfortunately, he pulls away too quickly, dropping his backpack on the chair in the corner of my room.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, trying to settle my heartbeat. After the pancake breakfast, my mom and I went into the city for some Christmas shopping. We didn’t get home until after dinner.

“I talked to Ezra after the breakfast. He told me and Ozzy about what you guys overheard.” Finn frowns. “He’s worried.”

“He has a great way of showing it.”

Finn takes my hand. “I know this is difficult. He’s miserable, if that makes you feel any better.”

“It doesn’t.”

“Well, I promised him I’d come over here and make sure you’re okay.”

I sigh and walk over to my bed and sit down. “I’m fine.”

“Good.” He moves to the chair and pushes his backpack aside, then sits.

I frown. “You’re just going to sit there?”

“Someone has been in your room twice—that we know of. Ezra says his dad is scared. His dad, Kenley. I’ve never seen that man afraid of anything or anyone.” He kicks off his shoes. “Until something changes, I’m sleeping over.”

“This is unnecessary—no one has come in here while I’m here.”

“Are you sure about that?” he asks.

We hold eye contact, and there’s no way for me to say that I do. I have no idea what’s going on and like Ezra, the conversation we’d overheard that day was unnerving. When I can’t respond to Finn, he says, “I won’t bother you.”

“It’s not a bother, I just don’t want you rearranging your life to keep me safe from some unknown threat.”

“It’s not a problem. I can sleep here,” he jerks his head toward the window, “or there. I feel better being over here.”

He pulls out his book, the one we have a final on in three days, and starts reading. I focus on my own homework, trying not to be distracted by the boy in the corner of the room. I’m not sure I’m happy that he’s here—that he’s doing this—but from the set of his jaw and the glint in his eye, I can tell there’s no use arguing with him.

At some point I must doze off, waking with a jerk when my math book falls off the bed. I blink, looking around, and see Finn asleep on the chair. I get up, find a blanket in the closet, and spread it over his legs. He doesn’t stir and I don’t bother him, just getting back in bed and turning off the light.

I fall asleep easily, more comforted by him being there than I’d like to admit.

I plan on telling him so first thing in the morning, but when my alarm goes off and I turn on the light, he’s already gone.

“That stuff smells awful.”

I look up from where I’m painting my nails. My hand is flat on my binder and I’m sitting on the floor in my room.

“You’re welcome to go back out the window.”

He shakes his head and attempts to stretch his legs across the floor. There’s not enough space. We’re in the cramped space between my bed and the dresser because I’ve promised my mom I will not paint my nails on the bed anymore after the time I made a huge mess.

Finn’s across from me and his soapy, clean, post-workout scent is driving me crazy.

“You should paint mine,” he says suddenly. “Like when we were kids.”

I swipe the last coat across my pointer and a long-forgotten memory pops in my head. “God, I forgot about that.”

“The trip to the beach with all our families after Christmas when we were twelve? How could you forget?”

It was my family, Finn’s, and Ozzy’s. Rose’s family went on a cruise and the Baxters were in the middle of a divorce. Juliette hadn’t moved into town yet. Things were normal, fun, but even so, the trip was a total disaster.

“I think I intentionally tried to repress