The Outskirts (The Outskirts Duet #1)

“That didn’t answer the question,” Josh said knowingly.

“No, it’s not just the three of us.” I set the wine glasses out on the table. I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. My heart thumped hard against my rib cage. My palms began to sweat.

“Then who else is coming?” Miller asked.

Finn stepped out of the shadows into the moonlight wearing a tight black t-shirt and jeans, his blond hair slicked back from a recent shower, his dark jeans low on his hips.

“Me.”





Chapter Thirty-Two





Finn





My friends looked me over as if they’d seen a ghost and it was fair because in a way, they had.

They looked accusingly to Sawyer, only she smiled and pretended not to feel their questioning stares. She went about pulling out chairs for us to have a seat at the table like having the four of us together was a regular occurrence. “I made lasagna,” she said, biting her lower lip, “I’ve never made one before. I followed the instructions on the box. I hope it turned out okay.”

“What in the holy fuck is going on here?” Miller asked, sitting down on the little four-person table on Sawyer’s new deck. “Is this a friendervention?”

Sawyer popped a cube of cheese in her mouth and held out her hand as I approached. Once our hands connected it was as if I knew, despite everything, despite the looks of hurt and betrayal on my friends’ faces, despite the damage I’d caused, it was all going to be all right.

“It’s called a dinner party,” Sawyer started. “Kayla told me about them. It’s my first time ever hosting one. Isn’t it exciting?” She clapped her hands together and bounced on the balls of her feet.

If they were thinking of leaving or barking or even grumbling about the circumstances, Sawyer had pretty much made it impossible with her excitement. There was no way they were going to kill that for her. You’d have to be completely soulless to want to have any part in tearing that smile off her gorgeous face.

Miller and Josh both nodded slowly, neither one of them took their eyes off me as if at any moment I was going to be wielding a knife and taking both of them hostage.

“Sit, guys,” Sawyer said, as she turned to me. “Can you help me inside?”

I followed her inside leaving Josh and Miller on the deck with a confused look on their faces that was almost laughable if my gut wasn’t churning. “It’s going to be fine,” Sawyer said, smiling as she bent over and pulled a tray of lasagna from the oven. I couldn’t help staring at the back of her legs and her ass when her dress rose up. She grabbed a pot holder and removed the foil from the top. The most amazing smell rose with the steam.

The blue color she was wearing made her entire face and eyes light up. It didn’t hurt that she was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. Dress or not. “Before I forget to tell you, you look absolutely beautiful,” I said, coming up behind her and kissing her on the head. She leaned back and inhaled my scent.

“Thank you. You don’t look too bad either.”

She turned in my arms and handed me two of the four salad bowls on the counter. “It really is going to be okay,” she assured me.

I didn’t know if she was right or wrong but after I’d helped her see storms in a different light she insisted that she help me with my biggest fear.

My friends.

I laughed. “I’m a grown-ass man and I’m scared to fucking death because I have to apologize for being the world’s biggest dick to them for over two years. Why are you so confident that they’ll forgive me?”

“The reason why they’re so mad at you is because they love you so much. I know they’ll forgive you. You haven’t known me long but you let me in. You’ve known them almost your entire life. Let them in, too. They’ll forgive you.”

“When did you get so wise?” I asked, staring deeply into her beautiful golden-brown eyes. Eyes I could get lost in.

Eyes I was already lost in.

“Are you ready?” Sawyer asked, pushing open the door with her knee.

“Not even a little,” I muttered, stepping outside into the moonlight and into the scrutiny of my two former best friends.

We set the salad on the table. “Can you open this for me?” Sawyer asked as if she couldn’t sense the tension all around her.

“I think I need to say something,” I said before I sat down.

“I think that’s wise,” Miller quipped.

“This is Sawyer’s housewarming dinner. I think we should enjoy it and if you’re up for it, afterward I’d like to talk to both of you. If not, we enjoy a great meal and go our separate ways.”

“Did I mention it’s my first time making a lasagna?” Sawyer chimed in.

“It smells great,” Josh said, taking the wine glass Sawyer handed her. Seemingly agreeing to the offer I just made without acknowledging it. Miller opened a cooler by his feet and grabbed a beer. He twisted off the top and was about to take a sip when he paused and set it on the table, sliding it over to me.

“This is for you, shithead,” he muttered, grabbing another beer and cracking it open.

“Thanks,” I said, taking a sip and setting it back down.

“You should bash it over his fucking skull,” Josh muttered.

“What was that?” Sawyer asked.

Josh switched gears and smiled up at Sawyer. “I said I can’t wait to taste the lasagna. What kind of dressing is on the salad?”

Sawyer and I both sat and she beamed across the table, practically glowing with excitement. “It’s Bebe. She makes it and sells it at the farmer’s market in Brillhart County. She said it’s supposed to be like the dressing from one of those big chain Italian restaurants, but I’ve never been to one so I can’t really compare.”

“It’s better,” I offered, taking a bite. Bebe really did make the best dressing. It was slightly sweet with a tangy bite.

Miller and Josh both nodded and nobody spoke again until the salads were done and I helped Sawyer plate the lasagna and serve it.

“Are you not going to try the wine?” Josh said, pointing to Sawyer’s still full glass even though Josh’s was still full as well.

Sawyer smiled and turned her shoulders inward. “I’ve actually never had wine before. I saw a picture in the general store of a big feast and they had wine and I really liked the way it looked,” she admitted.

Her confession made my heart constrict. I coughed into my fist and pointed to my food like I had a bit of pasta caught in my throat.

“How have you never had wine?” Miller asked. “I mean, Josh told me that your family was all Waco and shit but don’t cult people drink?”

There was a bang under the table. The pasta sauce on my plate jumped.

“Ouch, what the hell?” Miller asked, glaring at Josh.

“It’s okay. My family wasn’t in a cult. They lived in regular society but they are what you’d call…” she searched for the word.

“Extremists?” I offered.

“That’s it,” she said and I could tell she didn’t want to talk any more about her past so I tried to think of something to change the subject but luckily Josh was thinking the same thing.