My Arrogant Boss by Kylie King
Chapter Twenty-Nine
RACHEL
Katie called and told me she was having a last-minute surprise party for Aaron’s birthday, and I was dreading it. I should’ve had this date marked on my calendar because anything that involved Aaron also included Finn.
I wanted to make up an excuse, tell her I was working or sick, but before I could, she told me she was going to need my help with decorating and setting up. And who was I to deny my bestie a helping hand? Katie loved Aaron, and just because I didn’t want to see Finn didn’t mean I needed to take it out on her.
According to Katie, it was Finn’s job to make sure Aaron was with him while all the guests gathered. I figured as soon as we all screamed our surprises, then I could bail while Aaron and Finn weeded their way through the crowd. Katie’s house was big enough. I was sure I could sneak out without being noticed.
As I walked out of the PR office and into the busy streets of LA, Katie was waiting for me in front of the building.
“Come on! Get in! We only have six hours to get all the shit for the party and decorate, and you know LA traffic is a bitch!”
I climbed into the car and placed my purse on my lap after buckling in. “Are we the only two setting up?” I asked.
“No, Ally is also helping. And we don’t have to worry about food or drinks because I hired a caterer for that. I just want tonight to be perfect. Aaron has been working so hard, and he deserves this. And speaking of, I heard Finn just landed a huge deal with Viking Hotels!”
“Yeah, I heard too.” I peered out of the window. I couldn’t look at Katie while she spoke of Finn, and, fortunately, she was more concerned about Aaron’s surprise than whatever I was feeling. I’d heard Finn scored a bigger deal with Viking, which had obviously happened after I left. I wasn’t sure if he’d renegotiated or what, but apparently, he’d signed for seven years with their company, which resulted in a multi-million-dollar deal. All that money…and I still couldn’t figure out why he needed Ariel and her father. Was it because he felt indebted to her? Was he worried her father would smear his name and reputation? It didn’t make any sense. Finn was perfectly capable on his own, and the fact that he hadn’t gotten rid of Ariel yet only proved to me that he still had feelings for her and wasn’t completely ready to let her go. Then again, it’s been several days now, and I didn’t know what his status with Ariel was anymore.
Still, she was all over him in Vegas, and he didn’t seem too put off by it. He kept giving me his sympathy glances, but it wasn’t like he was shoving her away or telling her to stop. He just allowed her to do it…all while I stood or sat right beside them. What girl deserved that sort of treatment right after being told she was loved?
Katie and I spent the day picking up everything and even made a quick stop for her to buy a dress. Apparently, the hundreds of dresses in her closet weren’t good enough. Four hours later and we were at Katie and Aaron’s mansion.
I loaded my hands and arms with bags from the trunk and lugged them into the house, and we got straight to work, moving around the caterers and DJ booth to decorate.
When we were done, we put on makeup, got dressed, and before I knew it, the sun was setting, guests had filled up the living room and were mingling with drinks in hand, and Katie had received a text from Finn, alerting her that he was on the way with Aaron.
I sighed at the thought of Finn. I had to bolt as soon as he walked through that door. I was going to tell Katie I wasn’t feeling well or that I had late-night work to do for the agency—anything if it meant getting away from the party and as far away from Finn as possible.
“Okay, guys! Shh! He’s here! He’s here!” Katie hissed minutes later. “He’s pulling into the driveway right now. Ally, get the lights!”
Ally rushed to the light switches and turned them off, and then everyone crouched, smiling eagerly as they waited for the birthday boy.
I lowered to a squat next to Katie by the sofa, and she giggled while looking at me. “He’s going to be so surprised.
God. She was so happy. I needed to tell her that I had to go and why. I didn’t want to ruin her night by just disappearing without explanation. She was my best friend.
“Katie…I need to tell you something.”
“Yeah, babe. Of course—but can it wait just five minutes?” She lifted her head and looked out of the window. “They’re coming up the sidewalk.”
“Yeah, of course.” I forced a smile at her and then peered through the curtain. I saw Aaron coming up first, talking about how badly he needed a drink. And trailing right behind him was Finn. My heart lurched in my chest. I looked away, down at the purple nail polish on my fingernails.
“Okay, guys, get ready!” Katie whisper hissed.
The lock on the door clicked, and Aaron’s voice was much clearer as he loudly wondered where Katie was and why it was so dark inside the house if her car was there.
When the door swung open, and Aaron switched on a light, everyone sprung up and yelled SURPRISE! I shouted it too, but my smile immediately faded when my eyes shifted to the man behind him.
Finn.
As if I was the first person he was looking for, his eyes locked right on mine, and all I could make out was guilt.
I pulled my gaze away and forced a smile at Katie and Aaron as they hugged and kissed. Aaron exclaimed how insanely surprised he was and gave Katie another kiss, and then some of the guests approached, and this felt like the right time to leave, so I turned away and went to the kitchen to get my purse. It took everything in me not to look back at Finn.
I collected my purse from the top of the fridge and hurried for the double doors that lead out to the pool. There was a gate and a path I could take to get to the front of the house. I’d call an Uber and wait at the curb if I had to. Text Katie and tell her I wasn’t feeling well—I didn’t care. I just couldn’t be in the same room as Finn right now.
Just as I stepped outside, I heard footsteps behind me.
“Rachel,” a deep voice called after me.
I worked hard to swallow but kept going. I rounded the pool, and he called my name even louder.
“Rachel, please!” he called. I heard the door shut behind him and came to an abrupt halt. My breaths came out slow, shallow as I heard his steps coming closer and closer. “Rachel, I need to talk to you.”
I turned around. “There’s nothing to talk about, Finn.”
“Why are you leaving?” he asked.
“I’m not feeling well,” I lied.
“You look fine to me.”
“Yeah, well, seeing certain people makes me sick to my stomach sometimes.”
Finn’s eyes stretched, and then he pressed his lips and nodded. “Okay. I guess I deserve that one.” He took two steps closer. I took one back.
“What do you want?”
“I landed a great deal with Viking,” he said.
“I saw. Are you here to brag?”
“No. I just wanted to tell you that the articles aren’t accurate. Viking originally wanted a two-year deal, remember? I fought for the seven years after you left Vegas.”
I narrowed my eyes. “I don’t understand…”
“I fought for the seven years to get enough money to cover any future investments I would need from Ariel’s father and to pay back everyone I owed.” Another step closer. This time I didn’t move. “Rachel… I—” Finn clamped his mouth shut, and my next breath came out soft. “I can’t be without you, okay? I fought tooth and nail for this deal because I wanted to make things right and because I wanted you. Only you, okay? And yes, I know I’m a jackass for stringing Ariel along. I know I’m a fucking shithead for using her and her dad to build my company, but… I was doing what I had to do to stay afloat. But you made me realize that things like that…they won’t get me far. Especially when it comes to being one hundred percent open to someone else.”
He was standing right in front of me now, his eyes trained on mine. “Finn…”
“I love you, Rachel Quinn. And I want to be with you. I want you back. I think about you every night. I toss and turn and hope like hell you don’t hate me. I know I messed up…I just didn’t think it would backfire like this. I didn’t think my heart would get so involved. But it beats for you, Rachel. And I don’t give a damn how much you despise me or how badly you want to slap the shit out of me, it will always beat for you.”
My eyes had filled to the brim with tears, and my heart was beating so hard I could hear my pulse in my ears. I had never, ever been spoken to like this—so passionately, so raw and honest.
I felt the gaping hole in my chest healing with every word but also aching because everything he was saying was genuine. It was all I wanted to hear, but I was so hurt and guarded that I didn’t want to give him the chance. Really, I didn’t want to give anyone the chance of hurting me anymore. But I had hurt him too. I guess we were even in that way.
“Finn, I—”
He lifted a hand and cupped my cheek. “Quinn…I need you.”
“I know. You said that, but…I can’t.”
“Why can’t you?”
“Because I’m scared you’ll hurt me again, okay?”
This time he cradled my face in both his hands and forced me to look at him. “Rachel—I will never, ever hurt you again, do you hear me? I’m sorry for what happened in Vegas. I’m sorry for the way you were treated, but I swear to you I will never hurt you like I did in Vegas.”
I closed my eyes, and tears dripped down my cheeks, but I nodded. “Okay,” I whispered. Then I wiped my eyes and looked up at him. “Okay,” I repeated firmly. “And you swear no more Ariel? Ever?”
“I swear. No more Ariel. No more of her dad. I’m much better off without them.” His eyes lit up, and he smiled. “Wow…who knew I could make Rachel Quinn cry? And all this time, I thought your soul was made of black matter.”
“Oh, shut up,” I laughed, and he laughed too before reeling me in and kissing me. And this wasn’t like the kisses we’d shared before. This one was passionate and measured and slow as if he’d been waiting for this kiss to happen for a very long time and wanted to savor every second of it.
Hell, I’d wanted the same. And now I had it. We had it.
I heard a door shut, and then someone called my name. “Rachel?”
I pulled away from Finn and looked in the direction of the voice. Katie was coming down the stone steps and toward the pool area in her heels. “Oh my God! Were you two just kissing?” she screeched.
Finn and I looked at each other before laughing, and I started to answer, but Katie shook her head and said, “No! Don’t even say anything! I saw it! I came looking for you, and I found you kissing Finn! Hell must be freezing or something!”
I laughed, and Finn wrapped an arm around me. “Katie…you have no issue with us wanting to be together, do you?”
“What? No! Why would I have an issue with it? I like you, Finn, and of course, I love Rachel and want to see her happy. Oh my god, babe. Was this what you wanted to talk to me about? I’m so sorry I told you to wait!”
“No, no! It wasn’t this—well, it was this, but not the happiest version of it.” I winced and looked at Finn. “No offense.”
Finn shrugged. “None taken.”
“Aww!” Katie clasped her hands together. “I’m so happy for you guys! Finally, you two can stop fighting each other and love each other!”
The back door to the house opened again, and out came Aaron with a beer in hand. “Oh, hey! Wait—Rachel, you’re actually letting Finn touch you?”
I laughed and held onto Finn’s hand that was around my shoulder.
“Babe! They’re dating!” Katie chimed.
“What? Holy shit, congrats! See, Katie Kat, I told you they were secretly having sex.”
“What?” I yelped.
“Aaron! You weren’t supposed to bring that up!” Katie swatted at her husband.
“Well, they are, and we know it for a fact now, so it doesn’t matter!” Aaron said, laughing. “Katie and I were talking one night about you working together, and I figured all the close proximity and hostility you two have would result in some…heated moments.”
“It’s totally like you to think something like that, Aaron,” Finn said, chuckling.
“Hey, I know my best friend, alright? Women don’t get under your skin the way Rachel does unless you’re really into her. And Rachel? This dude was really into you and trying so hard to fight it.”
I smiled up at Finn. “Well, I’m glad he’s not fighting it anymore.”
Finn looked down at me with nothing but love and joy in his green eyes. Then he turned me in his arms and kissed me again, and Aaron and Katie whooped and laughed, and I was so glad there wasn’t anyone else outside they could embarrass us in front of.
Whether there were people around or not, though, this felt right. It felt real. And I wanted it to last forever.