Bet in the Dark (43 page)

             
“Don’t joke around, Ellie, tell me your serious,” he demanded, the authoritative tone cutting the air between us.

             
“Yeesh, you’re always so bossy!” I grumbled but fell forward, grabbing at his shirt to hold myself against his chest. I looked up at him and smiled. “I’m being serious, Finley Hunter. I love you. I have for a while now, although not as early as the Burgerwich.”

             
His palm cupped my jaw and his thumb brushed against my cheekbone, “The real kind of love? Not just the kind you say but don’t mean?”

             
“The real kind,” I promised. “The kind that has a future, so you better hope you don’t get tired of me.”

             
“Does that mean you’ll introduce me to your family?” he asked carefully.

             
“Sure,” I tilted up so I could kiss his chin and he pulled me against him, tucking me into him. “Apparently you’ve already met Lennox and Grayson.”

             
I felt it through his whole body when he smiled. “They had no idea why you were so worried.”

             
I snorted something unintelligible. We were silent again and then I said, “You should probably tell me you love me again.”

             
He chuckled, his chest shaking against me, “I love you, Ellie. You came into my life and demanded that I paid attention. I’m not letting you go, I won’t. I’ve let a lot of things go in my life, things that needed to be set free, things that if I didn’t release I would have become bitter and empty. You are not one of those things; you are one of the rare, beautiful things that I am desperate to keep. I want you forever, Ellie.”

             
I turned to face him, ignoring the tears pooling in my eyes and kissed him long and hard until cat calls and whistles could be heard through the window from Declan and Ty. Finally I said, “I love you too.”

             
And Fin said, “Good.”

Chapter
Twenty

              “Alright, B,” I called down the hall. “I’m going to help Fin with his big poker game.”

             
She poked her head out into the hall and threw me a sly smile, “Is that what the kids call it these days? You didn’t tell me Fin had a
big
poker game.”

             
“Oh my gosh,” I laughed. “I’m telling Beckett to start texting you again.” I threatened on my way to the door.

             
“Don’t you dare!” she squealed and then ducked back into her room. “I
just
got him to stop!”

             
I laughed at her, wondering how my brother was really handling rejection for the first time in his life. Probably not well.

             
Oh well.

             
I pulled on the door and came to a screaming halt. Literally. Tara was standing on the other side of the door with her hand poised to knock.

             
“Sorry,” I breathed when I finally stopped screeching. “You scared me.”

             
“I could tell,” she intoned dryly. She looked pretty much the same, her wild faded pink dreads a mess in a ponytail on the top of her head. Her light blue eyes were bloodshot and dull but clearer than I’d seen them in the past and her skin had just a touch more sun to it than the last I’d seen of her.

             
It had only been six weeks since we’d said goodbye in this very place, but it felt like a lifetime. I was a different person now, but I highly doubted she was.

             
“What do you want, Tara?” I asked with little patience.

             
She suddenly seemed on edge, like she was meeting me for the first time and she was
nervous
. “I just came by to talk, Ellie.”

             
“Oh.” That kind of threw me; I guess I wasn’t expecting that. “Well, I’m on my way out actually,
to dinner
.” I mentioned dinner as a reminder of the last time we’d talked, but by her blank expression I didn’t think she remembered saying that phrase to me moments before my whole life fell apart.

             
“I’ll be quick.” She gave me a sheepish smile and I felt my resolve cracking just a little.

             
“Ok, I guess.”

             
“Did you get my note?” she asked casually and I almost laughed.

             
“The one on the back of my Biology notes?”

             
“Um, no,” she shook her head emphatically. “The one that explained my addiction?”

             
She was serious.
“Oh, right. That one.”

             
She broke into a relieved smile, “Ok, good. Well, I just got out.” When I made no expression or move to say something, she continued, “Of rehab and I’m here as part of my…. um, steps. I’m here to apologize. To make amends.” She announced this with a flourish as if I should start getting excited.

             
“Did you bring back all my furniture?” I asked slowly, even though it didn’t matter anymore. I came clean to my parents and my brothers. I told them all about my roommate problems and how she stole all my money and furniture. I even introduced them to Fin at Beckett’s last home game. They immediately adored him.

             
I couldn’t help feeling shocked. And when they invited us both up to the house for a weekend I accepted. I was working on this whole family thing. And Fin was more than eager to encourage me.

             
“Uh, no, that’s been gone for a….” she cleared her throat nervously, “A while. Didn’t I explain that in the note? I thought I put in something about that.” She cleared her throat again.

             
“No, you didn’t. You explained you have a gambling addiction but you failed to mention why you needed to steal
all
of my furniture.”

             
After one more throat clear and in a very small voice she said, “Ellie, I really am sorry. I screwed up, I know that. And you suffered because of it. My actions hurt you. Please forgive me. I wasn’t myself at the time.”

             
I wanted to stay angry at her, especially when I could blame her for so many things. But at the same time because of her some really, really good things happened too. And if my parents could let go of all the missing furniture with a shrug and a careless, “Oh well, they were on their way to Goodwill anyway. I’m sure your Aunt Trudy will have more for you when she redoes her great room.” Then so could I.

             
I hesitated though and Tara asked again in a broken voice, “I really am sorry, Ellie. I probably hurt you the most. Please forgive me?”

             
I nodded. “Ok, Tara. I forgive you. I don’t understand why you did what you did, but I hope that you’re better now. And I’m over it, so no more worries.”

             
Relief broke out across her face and she immediately rocked back on her heels like a physical weight had been taken off of her. “Great, that’s really, really great.”

             
Awkward silence ensued where we just kind of looked around the hallway and apartment for a while. Finally Tara grew some balls, some really, really big ones, because she suddenly asked, “So, is my room still empty? Can I move back in?”

             
I really wanted to say, “Lesson learned biotch.” But that was not the highroad, so instead I said, “Sorry, someone moved in two weeks ago.”

             
“Oh, Ok,” her shoulders slumped and she looked so defeated I almost offered her a hug. Almost. “Oh, before I forget my parents wanted me to give you this.” She handed me a plain white envelope.

I opened it, so curious to see what was inside I couldn’t wait. My mouth dropped open when I looked down at the
ten thousand dollar cashier’s check made out to me. “What is this?” I gasped.

“It’s everything I owe you. I’m making, uh, reparations.
Or whatever. I figured you probably had to pay off that poker thing since I played it in your name and then the rest is for what I got from your furniture and the back rent.” She explained everything so matter of factly, so casually that her words barely penetrated my shock.

It was my turn to clear my throat, “
So, this is….? How can you just write me this check?”

“My parents are loaded,” she admitted on another shrug.

“So the gambling? The stealing?” I pressed, gripping the check like it had legs and could get up and walk away from me.

“I was acting out. I felt my parents tried to buy my love with material possessions and money and so I used that against them in a hurtful and offensive way.” Tara was just regurgitating everything she’d obviously learned in therapy and I had to wonder if
anything
had stuck.

But at the same time it wasn’t really my problem.

“Alright, well, I’m on my way out, so I’ll see you later,” I closed the door behind me and locked it quickly, making a mental note to call my superintendent and get them to change my locks this afternoon.

             
“Bye, Ellie,” Tara said with more enthusiasm than I’d ever heard out of her. “For the record, you’re a pretty chill roommate.”

             
I smiled at her but kept making my getaway, “Tara, for the record, you suck as a roommate.”

----

              “Come here,” Fin demanded as soon as I walked in his apartment.

             
“So bossy,” I complained on my way to do exactly as he commanded. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me until I was breathless and needy. “I thought we had a poker game to watch,” I murmured when he finally pulled away.

             
“Mmm.” He moved his mouth to my ear, paying special attention to every spot that drove me wild.

             
“Wait, wait,” I gasped. “I have something to show you.”

             
He groaned but stepped back just enough so he could keep his arms around me. “This better be good,” he warned.

             
“Oh it is,” I smiled and held up the check. “Guess who I ran into in the hallway.”

             
“Who?”

             
“My ex-roommate.”             

“Tara the Tw-“

              “Uh, uh-huh,” I shook my head quickly. Britte’s favorite moniker had caught on quickly with my brothers and Fin. I still didn’t allow it to be finished. “But yes, you are correct. She was making reparations and came to apologize for all her misdeeds.”

             
“Instead of forgiving her, did you thank her?” Fin grinned down at me.

             
“Uh, no. I made her sweat and then at the very end I bestowed upon her my benevolent forgiveness.”

             
He chuckled and I felt the rumble of his body glide over me. Good grief, I loved this man so much.

             
“Of course you did. So what are you going to do with all that money?”

             
“Pay back Ty of course!”

             
“What? Ellie, you don’t’ have to do that. It’s my debt; I’ll take care of it.” And I could see just how stubborn he was going to be about this.

             
“You’re wrong,” I reminded him gently. “This seven thousand dollars has always belonged to Tara and this is finally her money to pay it off. We’ll give it to Ty.”

             
“And the rest of it?” he asked through a smile that made my knees weak and my heart ache in my chest I loved it so much.

             
“I was thinking about maybe putting it in savings and increasing my food budget.”

             
“You mean, branching out beyond Ramen Noodles?” Fin asked dryly.

             
“Exactly.”

             
“Probably a good plan,” Fin agreed and then started kissing me again. “Oh wait!” He pulled away so fast that I followed him with my eyes still closed. I opened them, lips still impatiently waiting more of his kisses. He was grinning down at me. “God, I love those lips.” He stared down at me for a few more sEconds as if he was going to forget whatever it was he wanted to tell me and get right back to kissing me.

             
I was all for that.

             
“Tell me, quickly. I want to do a lot more of what we were just doing.” I shook him where my arms were holding onto his biceps.

             
“Oh right, I got something in the mail today too.” Fin reached into his back pocket and pulled out a form letter. Holding it up so I could see he exclaimed, “I got in.”