A Little Secret (The Little Things #4)

Chapter 27

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

FINLEY

G riffin’s softening cock slips out of me as he blocks my half-naked body from my older freaking brother.

Shit.

My stomach bottoms out, and I squat down, grabbing my jeans and sliding them back into place as my face burns like it was dipped in acid. I don’t get embarrassed. Not really. But this? My brother catching me with my pants literally down as his best friend fucks me in the men’s locker room was not the way I wanted to end my day.

Well, the fucking part I’m cool with, but the brother catching me part? Not so much.

His footsteps are slow but oh-so deliberate as Everett moves toward us.

Step. Step. Step.

They echo off the tile walls, and I fight to steady my breathing. I’ve pissed my brother off more times than I can count in my short life, but this? Yeah. This takes the cake.

“What. The. Fuck?” he demands .

Peeking around Griffin’s very naked body, I start, “Everett, calm down.”

“Is this the friend you were coming to see?” he spits. His sneakers threaten to touch Griffin’s bare toes as they stand chest to chest. Face to face.

Lifting his hands in surrender, Griffin starts, “Look, Ev?—”

His head snaps to the side from Everett’s sucker punch, and my hands press against his bare back as he stumbles into me. Holy shit. Did my brother really just hit Griff?

Yup. Yup, he did.

Once he’s steady, I move around Griff and shove my brother in the chest. “Back the hell up, Everett!”

“Don’t start with me, Fin.”

Craning my neck, I glare up at him. “No, don’t start with me .” I jab at my sternum. “I know this is a little bit of a shock to you, but you are not allowed to walk in here and act like Griffin was defiling me or whatever. I’m a grown adult.”

“How long have you been fucking my best friend, Finley?” he growls.

The words are like a lash. So cold and heartless, my body reacts on its own, and I flinch back. The disgust in his voice? The hurt? I guess it hits different, doesn’t it? And I don’t…I don’t know what to say.

“Back up, Everett,” Griffin warns. The heat of his chest seeps into my back as he moves behind me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

My brother’s attention snaps from me to his best friend. “Using my sister as a shield, asshole?” He scoffs. “Fucking coward.”

Griffin’s chest expands on a slow breath, but he doesn’t pull away. Doesn’t move me aside. Just stares at his best friend as if contemplating how to handle this situation now that the cat’s out of the bag. Well, one of the cats, anyway. There’s still the doozy of the bun in my oven, but hey. One surprise at a time, right?

It would probably help the entire situation if Griffin’s bare cock wasn’t nudged against my jeans-covered ass, though. I glance at the towel splayed on the ground behind Everett but decide it isn’t worth the effort. Not at the moment.

Silence surrounds us. Heavy. Thick. Toxic.

Seriously, I’ve never been speechless like this. I’ve never not known what to say. But right now? Standing between my brother and his very naked best friend? I don’t know what to say or how the hell I can fix this. If I can even fix this. This was the look I’d been hoping to avoid. The one tainted in disappointment. Disgust. Betrayal.

Shame unfurls inside of me, and I cross my arms. “Ev,” I start. “I know you’re disappointed, but?—”

“Disappointed?” Another laugh escapes him. “I’m more than disappointed.”

“Let me handle this, Fin,” Griff murmurs. “Ev, I know you’re pissed, all right? And you have every right to be, but don’t put this on her, and don’t act like you’re oblivious to my feelings for Fin.”

Nostrils flaring, Everett’s attention snaps from me to Griffin. “What the hell are you talking about?”

With a low chuckle, Griffin dips his head over my shoulder, skates his lips across my cheek, and steps around me with a confidence I honestly envy, especially while sporting his birthday suit.

“I’ve had a thing for Finley since she was a freshman in high school,” Griffin tells him. “Remember?”

My brother’s expression falls, but he doesn’t back away. Doesn’t give his best friend any room as Griffin bends down and grabs the towel from the floor. It’s probably dirty, and I have no doubt that under different circumstances, there isn’t a chance in hell he’d wrap that thing around his waist again, but considering his current predicament, it’s the least of his worries. The least of mine, too.

“And what did you tell me, Ev?” he pushes, knotting the fabric to cover his impressive cock.

Not the time, Finley.

I tear my attention from Griffin’s bulge in time to witness my brother’s teeth grinding, and for the first time ever, I have enough empathy to not want to sweep this under the rug or make light of his overbearing theatrics. Ev has every right to be shaken, and if I’m being honest, so do I. This entire situation is…a little much. But even so, I can’t make myself regret it.

Also, did Griffin just admit he had feelings for me since high school? Be still my pattering heart. Seriously, I would swoon if I wasn’t terrified of Everett throwing another punch at his best friend because of me.

“You told me if I touched her, I could kiss our friendship goodbye,” Griffin continues.

“You said you were joking,” Everett defends.

“Yeah, well, I wasn’t.”

My sternum aches from the pressure his words bring, and I press my fist against it. He’s telling the truth. Everett threatened him? Seriously? I mean, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but still. Knowing they actually talked about me is kind of…flattering in a really twisted, messed-up way, but also a little heartbreaking because…well, because I know how much their friendship means to each other, and here I am, coming between them.

With a wave of his hand, Everett snaps, “And here you are, fucking her in plain sight. ”

You read my mind, brother.

“Not exactly how I would’ve wanted our coming out party, but it is what it is.” Griffin offers his hand to Everett. “And yes. I’m aware that if I hurt her, you’ll kick my ass.”

My brother only stares at it. “So, you two are official?”

“We haven’t gotten that far,” I interject.

Griffin’s hand falls, and he glances over at me. “Your sister’s stubborn, and since she just got out of a relationship, she wants to take things slow.” It’s a lie. Partially. I mean, yes, I’m stubborn, and yes, I just got out of a relationship, and I want to take things slow, but the truth is, being pregnant and trying to navigate through all of this is messy and confusing and overwhelming, and I’ve never liked Griffin more for taking all of it into consideration without holding any of it against me.

“Let me get this straight,” Everett demands. “You’re saying that taking shit slow is fucking her in the men’s locker room?” Another scoff escapes him. “You shouldn’t have touched her until you were both ready to commit.”

“Funny because if you played by those rules, Raine would’ve taken your virginity,” I snap. “Now, get off your high horse, Everett. I’m allowed to sleep with whoever I want.”

My brother’s nostrils continue flaring, and he opens his mouth to say something when Griffin cuts him off. “I’m in this for the long haul, man. I promise. And despite the shit your sister’s spewing, I wouldn’t have touched her if I didn’t think she felt the same. I wouldn’t do that to you.”

Without a word, Everett turns on his heel and storms out of the locker room. The door slams against the cinderblock, and I flinch at the sound, moving toward a frozen Griffin at the center of the room.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “And thank you. Again. Seriously.” I touch his shoulder and move in front of him .

“Shouldn’t have touched you here,” he mutters.

A smile teases the edge of my lips as I peek up at him. “Pretty sure I found it hot as hell until my brother walked in.”

Like a dam, his stoic expression breaks, and his shoulders vibrate with amusement as he scrubs his hand over his face. “I can’t believe Ev walked in.”

“I mean, I could’ve been sucking you off, right?” I offer. “So, you know, look at the bright side.”

He shakes his head. “That’s what you call a bright side?”

“I mean…”

“Your brother seeing me balls deep inside of you is better than you swallowing my cock?” he challenges.

With a grin, I shrug. “Well, when you put it that way, I guess it’s kind of debatable, isn’t it?” I press my hand over his bare chest. “To be fair, it’s not like Everett’s one to talk. He had a sex video circulating not too long ago, remember?”

“Yeah, but,”—he lifts his hands in air quotes—“ to be fair, it wasn’t his fault.”

The man makes a good point, but I don’t back down.

“Well, neither was this,” I argue. “The door was closed, so…in a way, this is kind of on him, if you think about it.”

He cocks his head. “Are you always this stubborn?”

“I think we both know the answer to that,” I volley back at him. Tilting up my face, I wait for him to lean closer and kiss me, curious if he’ll take the bait after everything that just happened. When he does, I swear I feel it all the way down to my toes.

Pressing my body against him, I tug at the towel around his waist but keep it wrapped around his hips, teasing, “Don’t tempt me, Griffin, or I just might seduce you again.”

“Is that what you’re doing?”

With a nod, I smile against his lips. “That’s exactly what I’m doing.” My heels hit the ground a second later, and I add, “So, are we good?”

“Good?”

“You know…are you still mad at me?” I prod.

“Are you gonna go out with anyone other than me?”

I shake my head. “You’re the only one I want, Griffin Thor— Ouch! ”

With a loud smack against my ass, I yelp.

“Then, we’re good,” he replies, squeezing the tender flesh with his massive hands. “And now that your brother knows, does this mean our little secret has been blown out of the water?”

I shouldn’t find the spark of hope in his eyes so damn endearing, but I can’t help myself. Nibbling on the edge of my lip, I murmur, “I’m thinking…it might be, but we probably want to give my brother a day or two to warm up to the idea before we announce it to the world.”

“Yeah, you might be onto something,” he agrees. “Maybe we keep a wide berth from each other until tomorrow when I can talk to Ev?”

I nod. “Sounds good to me. But, uh, I did tell our friends you’d drive me to the party.”

“So, now you try for honesty?” he quips.

“Pardon me, sir, but the trick with lying is to weave them with as many truths as possible.” I give him a cheeky grin. “Now, get dressed. I’m almost finished chatting with my”—I lift my hand and do air quotes—“ friend and could really use a ride home.”

He rolls his eyes but steps toward a row of lockers so he can get dressed. “You know, it’s a good thing you’re not an evil mastermind or anything.”

“Don’t worry!” I reply, shamelessly checking out his broad shoulders and tan skin on full display. “I only use my powers for good.” I hesitate. “Well, most of the time. ”

His laughter bounces off the cinderblock walls. It turns my insides into goo as I soak it up. Because that sound? I did that. Even after tonight’s game and my brother walking in. I still managed to make Griffin smile. And it makes me feel lighter than air.