I Never Let You Go (I Never 3)

“Well, Finn played football, so he spent the majority of the next summer at different football camps. While he was there, he hit a bit of a growth spurt and filled out.” I bite my lip, recalling the muscles that appeared out of nowhere, but they were nothing compared to the muscles he has now.

“Wait, the football player and the cheerleader…”

I roll my eyes. Yeah, yeah, yeah, super sweet and cliché like in the romance novels I read. Too bad all of those don’t prepare you for the whole no happily ever after thing.

“When our family went to his parents’ end-of-summer barbecue again, I didn’t even recognize the boy in front of me. I mean, he wasn’t the only one who changed. I somehow grew boobs overnight. But it wasn’t just our appearances that had changed; there was something in our bond that shifted too. Things were different between us. It was no longer ‘Lo and Finn, BFFs.’ The air between us was charged and tense.”

I relax my arm against the back of the couch and prop my head on my fist as I recall when things entirely shifted from friends to lovers. “It was homecoming sophomore year. The JV team was making their way back on the field after halftime, but instead of heading directly to the sidelines, they came to where the cheerleaders stood. Each player delivered me a pink rose. Bringing up the re

ar was Finn. That gorgeous smile was just for me as he stepped in front of me. The crowd began cheering louder.”

“At the time, I was so embarrassed and hid my face in the flowers. Finn pulled them down and asked me to go to homecoming with him. I cried and said yes; then he leaned in and slowly brushed his lips against mine.” I run my thumb over my lips as I remember how perfect that kiss was.

“Oh my God, that’s so romantic.” Dani sighs.

I laugh. “Right? That was until his coach yelled at him to get his ass on the field. He asked me to wait for him after the game, which of course I did. The Bull Dogs had won 27-7. That night changed everything for us. The next night at the homecoming dance, he asked me to be his girlfriend, and that was that.”

We spend the rest of the evening talking about the love and demise of everything Lauren and Finn before moving on to talk about their honeymoon in St. Thomas.

The sound of the key turning in the front door, followed by laughter, breaks our conversation.

“Oh, hey, Laur,” my brother says the same time a muffled voice behind him says, “Oh, shit.”

Stepping out from behind, my brother is Finn. What is he doing here? I flip my gaze back and forth between Finn and Kyler.

“I didn’t know you were going to be here.” My brother walks over and swoops me into his arms. I hug him back, never taking my eyes off Finn. He stands there with his hands in his pockets, looking around the room nervously.

“I ended up stopping by after work. Dani and I ordered takeout.”

After opening up to Dani all evening, and now seeing Finn, I am hit with so many emotions all at once. I feel the room beginning to close in. I need to get out of here before I let him see me cry. Being reminded of how happy we once were, I’m torn between running up and hugging him or slapping him.

“Well, I should get going.” I give Dani an apologetic look, grabbing my purse from the floor.

“No, you don’t have to. You can stay,” Dani says, rising off the couch. I don’t miss the death stare she is throwing in her husband’s direction.

“It’s getting late, and I have some things to do at home.” Like drinking wine by myself. “Thanks for dinner.” I hug my sister-in-law before grabbing my purse.

“Welcome home, Ky.” I give my brother another brief hug.

“Really, you don’t have to leave,” he says, but I’ve already begun walking to the door.

When I pass Finn, he opens his mouth to say something, but I just give him a weak smile before slipping out the front door.

Once outside, I can finally breathe. The cool air stings my eyes as they begin to fill up. Come on, Lauren, don’t cry until you’re in the car.

I’m halfway to my car when I hear a voice shout, “Lauren, wait.” I wish my body didn’t react the way it does at the sound of his voice. I should have been running to my car to get away, yet I’m frozen in time, waiting to hear what he’ll say next.

When Kyler insisted on me following him home to give me one of the many bottles of rum he had brought back from his honeymoon, I had no idea I was about to walk into a storm.

The last person Lauren expected to walk into her brother’s house clearly wasn’t me. She scurried out of there so fast that I’m impressed that she didn’t leave smoke in her wake.

Kyler greeted his wife as Lauren closed the front door behind her. I couldn’t let her leave like this. I don’t want her to feel that I’m bombarding into every aspect of her life—that is not the case. I don’t want her feeling like I knew she was here or doing this on purpose.

Kyler and Dani are whispering, so I excuse myself from the room quietly and follow her out the door. She is halfway to her car when I shout, “Lauren, wait up.” She freezes, allowing me to catch up. That must mean something, right?

“Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I had no idea that you were here. Ky and I were out catching up, and he said that he had brought home a bunch of bottles of rum and offered me one. That’s all.”

She sniffles softly. Is she crying?