I thought maybe it was time to open up, to share myself with someone. It seemed so natural with Finn, like fate put us together as a gift for persevering through so many hardships.

Obviously I was wrong.

* * * *

"I love this place. My Dad and I used to come here when I was little and mom was out of town." Finn sat down across from me, looking much more like the fun-loving guy that rolled around in the snow with me yesterday.

"What's going on? I'm not in the mood to bullshit around. I was excited about this afternoon and have been waiting all day to see you and you show up and treat me like one of your has-beens. Why?" Tears swam in my eyes again.

I pulled my arms off the table as he reached across to touch me.

"Chloe. Please don't cry. You're killing me. Seriously."

"You have three minutes to tell me what's up and then I'm out of here."

The waitress interrupted with a smile on her face. "Can I get you kiddos a drink?"

"Coke," I mumbled and picked up the menu and subsequently a napkin to wipe my eyes.

"I'll have the same. Can we get some house chips too?" Finn's voice was soft and left me wanting to look up and watch him for a minute.

I wanted to crawl into his arms and make the feeling that we were over before we started go away.

I glanced up. "What happened? Did you find another friend that fits your needs better than me? Was it because I didn't spend the night?"

His face grew red and he leaned in and barked at me between clenched teeth. "I'm not the man you think I am. I'm not looking for another girl to screw. Stop acting like I'm trash or I'll get up and walk out of this place and whatever was happening between us can go to hell."

I nodded and put my menu down. I was leaving. My Dad could keep his money and Finn could keep his heart. I didn't want either.

"Finn Warner! Oh my goodness." A bombshell blond with huge breasts slid into the booth across from me and wrapped Finn in a side hug, kissing his cheek several times before he could push her off.

I should have gone, but the sadist in me needed to see him push another woman off, a woman who he had no clue of who she was or what her name was. It would remind me what a piece of trash he was when I was lamenting in my bed later that night.

Wow. How quickly had things gone from good to really bad?

"Kari..."

He knew her name. My eyebrow rose and I turned to the girl, who completely ignored me as if I wasn't there.

"Finn. What are you doing here? I thought you were traveling to see family." She finally glanced my way and smiled. "Hey. I'm Kari."

"I'm Baby. Nice to meet you." I extended my hand and shook hers as I pinned Finn with a stare.

"Kari is a friend from high school, Chloe." He let out a sigh and pushed at her a little. "Scoot over."

"I'm his girlfriend from high school. We keep in touch," she said. She wagged her eyebrows at me and I pursed my lips as bile rose in my throat.

"That's awesome. Finn and I are just skiing buddies."

"Is that what you're calling it now? Skiing?" She laughed loudly.

"No, literally. Just friends. Like no sex nor the promise of it." I shrugged and lifted my eyebrows at her, hoping to shock the hell out of her.

I pulled up my phone and laughed. "Oh damn. Looky there. Something has come up. I have to go, but guess what Kari, it's your lucky day, hun. You can have my seat. You guys catch up and do what you do when you get together."

I got out of the booth and walked to the door. I made it outside as he caught up with me and pulled me back.

"What the hell was that?" He was pissed.

I slapped him, hard. "That was me saying goodbye. Fuck off and find someone else to play with. I'm done."

"You mean you're not available." He tightened his grip on me.

"Let me go, Finn. I have no clue what you're talking about."

"Sure you don't." He released me. "Brian told me about your boyfriend back home, Chloe. I thought maybe you'd lied to him, but then Parker told me it was true. When was I going to find out? Or was I not going to? I mean, really, does that make me the whore? Or you?"

His words were a harder slap than my hand hitting his face would ever be.

"I broke up with Seth before leaving because there was nothing left between us. I prayed for a brown haired boy with warm eyes and a big heart." Tears spilled onto my cheeks. "Someone that needed my love and would help me heal past becoming cold toward life. I thought I found him, but I was wrong."

I turned and jogged to my car as the world seemed to crash in around me. I had pinpointed exactly why Finn was so important. Somewhere deep inside of me where the crazy idea of true love existed, I thought maybe he was my someone.

I pulled out of the parking lot and drove home crying over the fear of having to grow up, and the anxiety of not being enough for my father. My heart broke over Finn thinking that I was the type of woman that would cheat on someone, and yet realizing how stupid I was being. He didn't know me.

"It's been a few weeks. Pull it together." I drove up to the house and turned the engine off before letting my head drop back and closing my eyes.

It had been so long since I'd felt the pain of loss that it was almost a welcomed reminder that I was alive. It didn't take more than a few minutes to understand why people protected themselves. It was necessary to survive in a world where people took and took and took and rarely gave.

My phone buzzed and I picked it up.

Jessie: You're on my mind. I miss you. You okay?

Me: Just got my heart broken, but other than that...I'm good.

Jessie: By Seth?

Me: No, a guy out here who's my dream guy.

The phone rang, which scared the hell out of me. I answered it and sat back, knowing Jessie would want details.

"What the hell? I told you that you were going to meet him. I'm psychic. I knew it!" Her voice was full of excitement, which was a little odd after my confession.

"Yeah, you're right. He's out here, and he's a total ass."

"Well, that parts not good. I thought maybe it was Seth."

"No. We broke up when I first got here. Besides...I think he's already moved on. He's not texting at all anymore, which is good. He can be someone else's problem."

"So about that..." Jessie stopped and realization rolled over me.

She was Seth's someone. That's why she kept asking about him, or nudging me toward finding someone else.

Right. When it rains it pours.

I hung up without another word and turned my phone on silent. Surely my Dad had a liquor cabinet. If not, I could call a cab and head back down to the club. The cute bartender would serve me beer and peanuts all night, no doubt.

Numbness settled over the center of me and I walked into the house and slammed the door behind me.

"Chloe?" My father's voice scared me, and I jumped.

"Dad?" I pulled myself together and walked into the kitchen to find him standing over a bottle of rum.

"Yeah. I canceled the trip. Sorry if you'd planned for a wild party. Consider it ruined." He gave me a smile.

I sat down at the bar across from him and nodded at the bottle. "Got an extra glass?"

"You've been crying...why?" He got out the glass and sat it in front of me.

"Where do I start?" I sniffled and wiped my nose with the back of my hand.

"From the beginning?" He poured me a drink and filled his back up. "Tell me all about it."