her. So far, Kennedy hasn’t been able to sense my not-so-subtle cues that I’m not interested in idle chit-chat with a total stranger off the street. This leads me to believe that maybe the rumors of the twins’ stellar intelligence are completely unfounded or, more likely, fabricated by their father. We can’t have people believing that the dean of a prestigious university, such as Richfield, has kids that are total duds, now can we?
“Finn said you were a knockout. He also said you were naturally suspicious. I really can’t blame you for that. I would be, too, if I were in your shoes.” She winks at me.
“You know Finn?” I ask, my arms dislodging themselves from their guarded pose with the mere mention of pretty boy’s name.
“All my life. We grew up together, and I have to say, I never thought I’d see that boy be so enamored with someone. Now that I’ve met you, I can see why he’s fallen so hard.”
I try to keep my blush at bay, but the little smirk she throws at me tells me I’m doing a terrible job at it.
“I was waiting for him, actually,” I state, completely deflecting her comment about how Finn feels about me, but her eyes continue to twinkle in approval as if I just confessed to something.
“Actually, you’re here to meet me, not Finn. Consider me as your own personal shopper for the day. We’re going to pick something that will leave Finn even more of a drooling fool than you’ve already made him,” she teases, opening the door to the fancy shop and ushering me in.
Hesitantly, I step inside the extravagant boutique, instantly noting how the store clerks bombard Kennedy even before she’s made her way inside. I also don’t miss how the same eager clerks look at me sideways but keep their plastic smiles on their faces while Kennedy tells them what she’s looking for. As they leave to retrieve the items, Kennedy pulls me to her side, her arms latched onto mine as if she has known me her whole life. My knee-jerk reaction is to pull away, considering we just met five minutes ago, but blondie has one mighty grip that keeps me locked to her side.
“I’m going to make a little confession here,” she begins to susurrate in my ear, my hackles rising in preparation for whatever she’s going to lay on me.
She begins to giggle, her head falling all the way back, the sound of her laughter not as annoying as I would have expected. A remarkable feat since this whole situation is irritating the fuck out of me. I make a mental note to castrate Finn when I see him. Okay, maybe not snip his junk since I’ve got good use for it, but definitely a good tongue lashing.
“Don’t look so worried, Stone. I’m not going to tell you I’m after your man or anything.” She continues to laugh, pulling me toward the dressing rooms where two clerks are already standing with various dresses in their hands.
“I just wanted to thank you,” she adds, her genuine tone taking me even more off-guard.
“Thank me? For what?”
“Isn’t it obvious? For Finn,” she beams, but the confused scowl on my face hints that she’ll have to clarify her statement. “Okay, so you might not know this, but our little group has gone through some hurdles these past few months. Not all of us are dealing with it so well. I guess I’m just glad that Finn, at least, has been able to find happiness throughout all the chaos. One of us deserves some joy in their lives.”
Kennedy’s blue eyes darken with the same sadness her words are tainted with.
“What type of hurdles?” I question, my curiosity piquing at the details of Finn’s life that I’m not aware of.
“One of our best friends tragically lost both of his parents earlier this year, and we haven’t quite moved on from the shock. When one of us hurts, all of us feel the pinch,” she explains.
“The Hamilton murders? I read about it in the paper. I didn’t realize Finn was so close to Ashville’s founding family,” I murmur.
No wonder he was so insistent about me attending his parents’ party tomorrow. It’s pretty boy’s desperate attempt to merge his two worlds together. I just wish this union was going to happen on my turf rather than his.
“Yes. Our families are very close. Lincoln is like a brother to Finn. I’m surprised he hasn’t talked about him,” she states,