The Outliers (The Outskirts Duet 2)

I should say."

The plane leveled off. Sawyer grabbed her midsection.

"Are you going to be sick?" I asked.

Sawyer shook her head furiously from side to side.

The bumps subsided. The ride became smooth. "Look," I told Sawyer. "Open your eyes."

"No!" She exclaimed, placing her hands over her already closed eyes.

"Do you feel it? No more bumps. It's beautiful down there. You need to see it." When that didn't work I tried another tactic. "Where is my brave girl? Where is the one who wouldn't let anything stop her. Who was fearless when she should've been afraid? I need that girl to open her eyes and look because I know she would be upset when she found out what she missed. Because right now from where I'm sitting the view is incredible."

I lightly tugged on Sawyers rest removing her hand from her eyes. Slowly and reluctantly she opened her eyes and squinted from the sun. Once her eyes adjusted I leaned over her toward the window forcing her closer so she could see the ground below. "Isn't it amazing?"

Sawyer only nodded. Her lips parted. Wonder replaced the fear in her eyes. Her knee stopped bouncing. Her hand released mine as she pressed it to the window, trying to get a better glimpse of the earth beneath us. "It's so...wow."

For the rest of the flight, Sawyer could not peel her eyes from the window. Right before we landed, she turned to me and said, “It makes you think, doesn't it?"

"About what?"

About how unimportant it all is. And at the same time how important it all is."

I didn't know exactly what she was trying to say. All I knew was up most important thing in the world to me was sitting right next to me, squealing with joy as the wheels hit the tarmac.

Chapter 10

Sawyer

“Where are we exactly?” I asked as Ethan dropped us off in the driveway of a cabin style home built into the side of a mountain.

Finn thanked Ethan who pointed to his own home across the narrow path. "That's me, if you need anything."

Ethan backed up and pulled into his own driveway.

"We are in the Georgia mountains."

"Whose house is this?" I asked, just as an excited scream pierced the night air.

“My baby is home!”

The front door flung open and a tiny woman leapt down the porch, running toward Finn with open arms and colliding into him with such force it knocked him back a step.

“Hey, Mom. Good to see you too,” Finn chuckled against her head, returning her hug.

Mother.

We are at his parents’ house.

I began to panic more than I had on the plane. My palms grew sweaty. My throat went dry. At least the flight he'd told me about a few hours beforehand. He'd given me no warning at all about this.

Finn's mother pulled back but kept her hands on his arms. “Let me look at you,” she said, giving her son a once over. Her eyes were dark brown and full of warmth. Her short hair was a light strawberry blonde. She looked nothing like Finn at all and was at least a foot shorter than him. “You look great, honey.” her eyes welled up with happy tears.

“None of that now, Ma. But you look great too,” Finn said. He placed an arm around my shoulder and pulled me into him. “Mom, this is…”

“This is the one!” his mom shrieked, pulling me into her embrace. “It’s so wonderful to finally meet you. You are stunning. Finn, you didn’t tell me she was this beautiful.” She whispered her next words in my ear. “Thank you.”

When I pulled back to ask her why she was thanking me, I realized I’d been wrong. She did have one resemblance to Finn. The dimple that popped out on her cheek when she smiled.

“Are ya’ll gonna stand out there and hug all day or you gonna come on in?” Another loud yet much deeper voice boomed from the door.

Finn and his mother walked me up to the front steps to meet the man who was Finn, just older. White hair where Finn’s was dirty blonde. A few more lines on his slightly reddened face. But his height, build, and even the way he was standing with his arms crossed over his chest was entirely Finn.

“It’s eerie isn’t it, darling?” Finn’s mom whispered when she saw me staring between the two men.

I could only nod. I didn’t know if eerie was the right word, but it was certainly interesting how it appeared that the mold used to make Finn’s father was reused to make Finn.

“Nice seeing you again, son,” Finn’s dad said, “Been too damn long.” He held out his hand but the second Finn placed his hand out his father took it and pulled him in for a one-armed hug. “Get over here.”

“Great seeing you again too, old man.” Finn said sounding genuine. I couldn’t help but smile. His happiness was downright infectious.

“Old man? I don’t look a day over fifty-two.” His dad argued, puffing out his chest.

“That’s because you ARE fifty-two,” Finn’s mother said with a playful shove to his shoulder.

“This must be Sawyer,” his dad said, turning his attentions and his Finn-like killer smile on me.

I couldn’t help but smile back. “It’s great meeting you both, Mr. And Mrs. Hollis. Thank you for having me in your home.” I instantly realized we were still on the porch. “Or…outside of your home?” I amended.

Finn placed a hand on the small of my back. A reassuring gesture I desperately needed. I don’t know why I was suddenly nervous to meet new people. I’d been doing it practically every single day for months.

But this is your first time meeting the parents of the man you love.

“No need for the formalities, darling,” Mr. Hollis chuckled. “You can call me Joe and this here beautiful lady is my Josie.”

“Joe and Josie?” I raised my eyebrows at the similar yet adorably fitting names.

Josie placed an arm around my shoulder, pulling me away from Finn and leading me into the house. Joe and Finn followed closely behind. “You think that’s weird?" she whispered. "You should meet our neighbors. Sam and Samantha.”

I chuckled.

“Although, I think these kids here got us beat with the cute names, hun,” Joe chimed in.

“How is that…” Finn’s mom trailed off. She stopped walking and spun around as the realization hit her.

“I knew you’d get a kick out of it,” Finn said with a proud smile. “Since it is your favorite book and all.”

Josie clapped her hands together and looked like she was about to melt into the wood floor. She glanced between us with a smile that took up her entire face.

“Finn and Sawyer!”

Chapter 11

Finn