“Hey, I’m going to make a quick call, I’ll be right back.” I told the guys.

I stepped out on the patio where I’d just kissed Em. I had my resolve. I need to talk to her. I cheated by looking up Harper’s number online through her realtor website, and I hit talk. It rang three times before she answered. “Harper Graham speaking.”

“Hey Harper, it’s Finn. Please don’t hang up.”

“Boy you have some nerve calling me. What did you do to her?” She was pissed.

“She didn’t tell you?” I was shocked.

“No. She was a mess when we left and was tight lipped. She had me take her to her parents' house so she could pack and fly home Finn! Start talking.”

I told her everything that happened and when I was done, Harper let out a string of curse words out that made even me blush. “What the hell do you want me to do about this!? Don’t you realize the effect you still have on her?” She let out a frustrated sigh. “Listen, I don’t give a rat’s ass that she’s married to West. She’s too stubborn to give up on her marriage. But you pulling this shit is just going to send her in to a tailspin!”

“I just need her number Harper.” I wasn’t opposed to begging but hopefully she wouldn’t make me.

“If I give you her number, what are you going to do?”

“I just need to talk to her. To make sure that she is okay. Please Harper?”

“If she becomes at all like she was the first time you walked out on her, I will find you, tranquilize your ass, and tattoo “gay” on your forehead. Do we understand each other?” She was stone cold serious.

“I’m not trying to hurt her Harper, I promise.”

“Yeah well, you know what they say about the best laid plans…” She gave me Emilyn’s number—and threatened my life again—before we hung up.

I went back inside and told Kyler I needed to get out of there and get some sleep. We said our goodbyes and headed out. I decided to text Em instead of calling. I didn’t want give her the chance to hang up on me. My plan was set and I just wanted to get back to Ky’s parents' house to have some privacy in case I heard from her. Hopefully she’d listen to me.

Sitting on a United flight headed back to Chicago—a full day early—I had nothing but time to think about the events that occurred. What led to that mind-blowing kiss? Had I wanted it to happen? What did it mean? Why did Finn have to tell me that he missed me? I had no clue what I was going to do now. Did I ignore the kiss that rocked my heart and shattered the defenses that I’d taken years to build? I knew that wasn’t possible. As much as I didn’t want it to, what happened had meant something to me. It meant that he did still think about me, but how much? I was physically exhausted and on mental overload. I’d left my parents and Harper in the middle of the night to run home to what? If I stayed, I ran the risk of my heart taking over. And what I really wanted to do was find Finley and demand to know what that kiss had meant to him.

As we reached cruising altitude, exhaustion overtook me and I fell into a deep sleep that I so desperately needed. Drifting off with a mind full of unanswered questions, I took myself back to the time and place that Finley first captured my heart…

“Hey, how’s it going?” I heard from behind me.

I was standing by the bleachers next to the softball field, watching Harper’s practice. She was my ride home and I didn’t mind waiting around because it gave me a chance to finish any homework I’d been assigned that day.

Turning around, I looked into the most gorgeous pair of deep blue eyes I’d ever seen. I knew who Finley Morgan was; who didn’t know who Finley Morgan was? Unsure of how to respond to this stunning boy in front of me, I replied nervously “Good, thank you.”

His smile tipped up a bit, causing butterflies in my stomach. I gave a small smile back and looked down.

“I’ve seen you out here everyday watching the girls. How come you don’t play?”

Ummm because I’m uncoordinated, clumsy, and have huge paddle sized feet that I’d trip over, was what I really wanted to say but decided playing it cool would suit me best. “It’s Harper’s thing. I’m just here for support.” Smiling, I looked back up at him and added, “Plus she’s my ride home.”

By now he was giving me a full blown smile, and I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. Why was Finley Morgan talking to ME? He was one of the star football players, he talked to the cheerleaders and the girls in the drama club; in other words… the popular crowd. They were the crowd that Harper and I didn’t associate with much because those girls didn’t give us the time of day. Frankly I was okay with that because I had Harper and a couple other friends and that’s all that I needed. And did Finn seriously just tell me that he’d seen me out here? Since when did a guy like him ever notice someone like me?

“So what is your thing, Tiny Girl?” His eyes were dancing around my face.

OH MY GOD I THINK I JUST PEED MY PANTS! Finley Morgan just called me ‘Tiny Girl’. He actually gave me a nickname. Wait, why had he done that? Did he not know my name? “Tiny Girl?” I asked, feeling brave.

His smile dropped a bit and in that second I was willing to do anything to fix it. “Sure. I mean, if you don’t mind me calling you that? I do know your real name. Emilyn, right?”

I was elated by the news. I had no idea that Finn had even noticed me, let alone knew my name! “Yeah, it’s Emilyn and no I don’t mind, but why ‘Tiny Girl’?”

“Because you are quite the tiny little thing and you seem quiet and shy.”

Okay so he had me pegged pretty quick but I didn’t want him to think that just because I was those things or that I couldn’t take care of myself. Standing up straight I looked him square in the face. “Yeah well, the best things sometimes come in small packages. And being quiet isn’t always a bad thing. It makes me observant.”

Holding his hands up in surrender he chuckled “Okay, you’ve made your point.” Looking down at his feet, now he looked like he was the shy one. “So uh, do you think your friend would mind if I gave you a ride home? I mean, that is if you don’t mind me driving you.”

Was he for real? Who would turn down being in a car with him alone? “No I don’t mind. Let me tell Harper and grab my things.” Pushing away from the bleachers I made my way over to the fence and flagged Harper down.

“Oh my god Harper, Finley Morgan just came over here to talk to me and wants to give me a ride home!” I was practically bouncing up and down but I tried to keep my cool. I didn’t want to look like an idiot in front of Finn. “Are you cool with me leaving?”

She glanced over my shoulder with wide eyes. “You little slut!” She was grinning like a fool. “No I don’t fucking mind. Get ‘em tiger!” she teased, then added, “But I’m calling you as soon as practice is over and you WILL tell me everything!”

“As if you’d let me get away with anything else!” I hollered as I made my way back towards Finley, who was watching me intently. Was this really happening?

Grabbing my bag, Finn reached out and took it off my shoulder. “I’ve got this”, he said with a smile.

We walked silently to his dark blue mustang. He threw my bag in the back seat and we both climbed in. Starting the ignition, Linkin Park started blasting through the speakers. He looked a little embarrassed and turned it down. “Sorry.”

“No, don’t be. I love Linkin Park.”

Looking at me he smiled and said, “She’s cute AND she’s got good taste in music.” He shook his head and started making his way out of the school parking lot. I sat there stunned. I wasn’t sure I’d heard him right. Finley Morgan couldn’t possibly find me cute. I was just an average girl that tried to blend in.