Page 8 of The Neighborly Thing To Do
“Oh, hey,” he says awkwardly, and then there’s a giant hand on my back, patting me with unsure movements until it guides me forward, and then I’m pressed into him, cradled in his huge arms.
He’s softer than I thought he’d be. He looks like he’s made of rocks, which I guess makes sense for the whole gargoyle thing, but my face is smushed into his chest, and this is definitely not rocks. His frame is firm but not unyielding, and he’s so steady and warm.
Both of his hands are on me now, one holding me to him while the other strokes up and down my back. He doesn’t say anything, but his touch alone does a lot to get my heartrate to slow down.
Far from running, he seems to be sticking around. Not only sticking around, either—he’s actually dealing with the mess that is me. I wouldn’t have blamed him in the least if he’d left me to figure my emotions the fuck out, but he’s here rubbing my back like he can single-handedly fix it.
I pull myself together. Whether it’s his comfort or years of practice, I do it pretty quickly, determined not to look anymore like a mess. “Sorry about that.”
His chest rumbles. “You’re allowed to cry, Cassidy.”
Am I? That’d be new.
“Hey, Finn?” My voice is still a little shaky.
He hasn’t stopped holding me, one hand still on my back. It’s so warm through the thin layer of my t-shirt, like it’s radiating comfort straight into my skin. “Yeah?”
“Want to get married?”
His chest does that rumbling thing again. “It’d be my pleasure.”
Chapter 6
Cassidy
Married.
An absolutely insane word, and one I never thought about applied to me.Married.
I’m getting married today. I don’t have a dress or flowers or a ring. Not that any of that stuff matters; I’m not deluded into thinking this is some grand romantic event. This is Finn doing me a favor for some reason, nothing more.
I knock on the door to his apartment at exactly ten, right when we agreed to meet. He opens it immediately like he did yesterday, no doubt his huge strides big enough to cross his living room in a step or two.
I’ve spotted Finn wandering around his yard in ripped jeans without a shirt dozens of times, and he looks damn good like that. But today he looks put-together with his pressed slacksand button-down shirt. The juxtaposition between that and his huge, leathery wings is kind of jarring, but not in a bad way.
“You look good,” I tell him. That’s not weird, right? We’re about to bemarried, and even if it’s only on paper, I should still be able to tell the man that he looks good, right?
“Thank you. You too,” he murmurs, eyes raking over me. I squirm a bit. I pulled this dress out of the back of my closet. It’s baby blue and hits mid thigh, not exactly the wedding dress little girls dream of, but it’ll do for today. I hope, anyway. I don’t want him to think that I don’t take this seriously. “Do you still want to do this?”
“Do you?” I ask, worried that he’s changed his mind overnight. Not that I’d blame him; this is a big commitment for not a lot in return for him.
“Yeah, Cassidy. I do.” I breathe a sigh of relief.
“Should I drive? I don’t think you have a car.”
“I won’t fit in your car,” he reminds me, big wings flexing behind his back to make the point. “I fly places.”
“Oh.” I take in his wings. I’ve seen him fly before. I wonder what that’s like; I’ve always been a little jealous of people who can fly. It’s what happens when your baby sister turns into an owl and you’re stuck on the ground, I guess. “I could meet you there?”
He hesitates. “Will our ruse be as convincing if we don’t arrive together?”
“Probably not.” If we’re selling this as us hopelessly in love, then we’d definitely arrive together. Hopelessly in love people never want to be out of each other’s sight, right?
“I can fly you, too,” he tells me, holding his arms out. “I’d never drop you, I swear.” I wasn’t worried about that; everything about Finn says steady and in control.
I step closer. “How do I…?”
“Like this.” He bends to scoop me into his arms, then helps me wrap my arms around his neck. My fingers brush his wing. It is leathery, but much softer than I expected.
