Protecting Love (LarssonSiblingSeries #3)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Betty

"Promise me you'll ring when you get to the hotel?" Laine says, in her dressing gown, hair pushed up in every direction.

I nod, squeezing her hand. "I promise."

"Thank you for last night," she whispers, referring to our late night chat where we slept in the same bed, and she said sorry on repeat.

I still get the feeling there is something she's hiding from me, but I won't push for it now.

If anything is going on, she'll reveal it in her own time.

"You can stop thanking me now. It's okay."

Laine bites her thumb nail, moving from left to right on her feet. "Did you mean it about George and me travelling up to see you when you are away? Because, I'd love to spend more time with you, Bumble Bee."

I stop at the nickname. "Bumble Bee."

"Yeah, you remember when I used to call you it? And you used to call me Laine the pain."

I laugh, my chest spamming. "I remember."

"I want to get back to how we were before everything became a huge mess."

I back up feeling suffocated. "One step at a time, okay?"

Laine looks to the ground and nods, making me feel incredibly guilty. "I get it. I'm coming on too strong."

"A little bit," I attempt to smile.

"Can I book the flights out to see you? There's still so much I want to tell you," she breaks off with watering eyes, "need to tell you."

I nod. "I'll get my schedule from Jade and email it to you. Maybe it would be better for George if you fly out when I'm in Europe. Not such a long flight."

"I don't care as long as we are a long way away," she whispers, crossing her arms over her chest looking so fragile.

"We'll get it sorted. I promise."

Laine nods, still shuffling her feet back and forth.

I look down at my watch and see it's fifteen minutes before we need to leave and Finn is late. I texted him at six to make sure he was up, and he messaged back to say he was and that he'd see me later. Two hours later and he's a no show. I pull my phone out of my pocket and see the home screen is blank.

"Finn isn't here yet. Aren't you supposed to leave now?"

"Yeah," I respond, biting my thumb nail, silently worrying that he's hurt. "I might call him."

"Good idea. That way at least you know where he is," Laine says.

I enter my passcode, seeing George's toothy grin when the screen comes to life, click on the phonebook icon, searching for Finn's name and hearing his voicemail picking up right away. I frown down at the phone, looking down the driveway when our car drives down the gravel.

"I got his answer phone," I say.

"Maybe he's driving on his way here," Laine replies.

I bite my thumb once more and redial his number, getting the monotone voice telling me to leave a message at the beep. I hang up and pace the path back and forth, thinking the worst. What if he's stuck down a ditch? Or decided he doesn't want to come?

Have I scared him off?

Does he realise I'm not worth it?

I call him back and almost throw my phone across the garden when he doesn't answer. I've blown it. Did I say something wrong last night? I shouldn't have invited him to my parent's house so soon. But, then he came for Bailey and Noah's wedding and didn't see a problem with it.