And the award for the biggest moron in all of Asheville goes to… Yep, you guessed it—Finn-fucking-Walker.
‘If you don’t get me some of that almighty hotness, we can’t be friends anymore,’ he whines, throwing a tantrum.
And as much as I want to chastise my dick for only thinking about himself, on this matter, I’m inclined to agree with him.
What the fuck was I thinking?
Chapter 9
Stone
“I have to say this isn’t exactly the kind of place I thought you’d take me to,” I announce in awe, appreciative of the amazing view I’m enveloped in.
The gazebo’s strong-looking granite pillars surrounding me look much like any you’d find in North Carolina. However, these pavilion structures are usually on some rich folk’s property, not right in the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains. They look to have been abandoned for decades, and in need of some TLC. But to me, they’re just as exquisite as they must have been in their prime.
The clandestine gazebo faces the lights of Asheville’s city center, making the town look grander than what it realistically is. The glowing illumination from far way gives the view a nostalgic feel, like being trapped in another time where those same lights once shone.
I’ve got to hand it to pretty-boy Finn. He did good in bringing me up here. Real good.
“Does this place have a story?” I ask, curious about the history behind such a secluded landmark.
“Doesn’t every building in the south?” He shrugs as he reaches into the car to grab something behind the seats.
“Not everyone lives in a home which was built in the eighteen hundreds. Some of us live in places with wheels on them.”
“You live in a trailer?” he asks, standing straight and looking appalled on my behalf.
“Take it down a notch, quarterback. I can feel your judgment from way over here,” I quip back with a bite to each word.
Luckily for Finn, my temper is mollified when he looks instantly ashamed of his knee-jerk prejudice, his eyes staring at his feet rather than meeting mine.
“Sorry. That made me sound like an asshole, didn’t it?”
“Don’t sweat it.” I shrug. “I already know you’re an asshole, so I can’t be surprised when you act like one, now can I?” I raise my brow his way mockingly.
He rolls his tongue over his teeth, the mischievous glint in his eye that I’ve become addicted to returning in full force.
“Always the fucking brat. One of these days, your mouth is going to get you in trouble, little girl.”
“I’m counting on it,” I taunt to piss him off, even though at this point, our back-and-forth banter feels more like our own brand of flirting than taking jabs at each other.
To keep me occupied and away from such idiotic notions, I walk over to one of the bags filled with alcohol and pick up my man Jose Cuervo. When I turn around, Finn is already making himself comfortable on one of the two sports towels he has unrolled side-by-side over the lavish green earth. With my hands on my hips, I let out an exasperated sigh and holler at the fool.
“Why are you all the way over there?” I ask, standing in the very center of the monumental gazebo.
“Because it’s the best seat in the house. I don’t want to miss the view,” he explains, and I eye-roll him so hard, my eyeballs are in danger of popping out.
Seriously, how many hits to the head do football players need to take before they realize the damage they’re subjecting themselves to? Case in point is Mr. Star Quarterback himself sitting pretty on the open field, facing into the darkness.
“The view is right over there, Einstein,” I shout, pointing in the direction of the town’s lights.
“No, it isn’t,” he replies buoyantly, lying down on the towel with one arm under his head and the other pointing at the sky. “That’s the view I don’t want to miss.”
I take the two stairs down from the white monument and look up to see what he’s going on about. And when I do, my jaw falls to the ground in astonishment.
“Oh my God, Finn. It’s beautiful,” I hush, utterly amazed, taking small steps his way with a bottle in hand.
In all my twenty-one years of life, I don’t think I have ever seen so many stars. The whole sky looks like dark-blue fabric stretched as far as the eye can see, punctured through with a pin, making beams of glorious, white light descend all the way down on us.
It’s breathtaking. Just breathtaking.
Still speechless, I take a seat by his side and crane my neck, just so I don’t miss one bit of the spectacular sight.
“Pretty amazing, huh?” he asks, amused with my sudden muteness.
“I don’t think that’s the right word for it. At least not the one I’d pick to do it justice.”
“What word would you use, then?”
“Transcendent,” I mutter softly, still trapped within the surreal scenery.
As Finn’s silence lingers a bit too long, I turn to look down at him and see a wide, boyish smile shining on his face, which is almost just as stunning as the stars above us. He must sense my gaze on him because one minute he’s consumed with the specks of light over our heads, and the next he’s looking into my eyes.
“You’re missing the view,” he whispers, his tongue licking his suddenly dry lips.
I don’t think I am, pretty boy. The view looks mighty fine from where I’m sitting.
I watch his Adam’s apple bob away, his gaze still transfixed on mine, and my pulse begins to accelerate just by watching his own blue eyes light to life. Thankfully, he breaks the spell and begins to shake his head, pushing back whatever sultry thought had popped into that mind of his. Just when I’m thinking I’m out of the woods, he disarms me, yet again, by throwing one of his genuine, shy smiles my way, which seems to always make my knees weak. Not that I’ll ever let on to the fact that those suckers have become my kryptonite. It will be a cold day in hell before I admit that Finn Walker has any effect on me whatsoever.
“Come here, you little brat,” he orders playfully, before pulling me down to lie right beside him.
His bicep serves as a pillow to keep my head off the cold ground, so I don’t know if I should be thankful he’s being thoughtful or pissed that his burly tree-trunk for an arm is trapped under me and I can’t do anything about it.
“Relax, Stone. Just take it all in,” he breathes in my ear, and the gooseflesh my body is suddenly conflicted with, has nothing to do with the chill of the night around us, and everything to do with Finn’s strapping body scorching the left side of my petite frame.
Instead of making him aware of the cruel torture he’s putting me under, I do as he says and just lie there, admiring every inch of the marvel above us. Just when I’m becoming semi-relaxed, Finn breaks the silence with his husky, low voice, the very one that always gets my lady parts all tingly and stupid.
“I’m happy you’re able to see the beauty in this. Not many people do.”