My scheming just landed me a car ride back to Philly with Finn’s asshole brother, I type, smiling as I lean against the car.

Oh, a brother… I’m intrigued.

Don’t be, I type.

The front door shuts and I glance up to find Sawyer walking towards me. He’s attractive, I’ll give him that. If you go for tall, incredibly fit men with chiseled jaws and thick dark hair. Which no girl does, ever. It must suck to be him.

He grabs my stuff and leads me to a small silvery blue sports car—a Porsche, I note with a roll of my eyes. He holds the passenger door open for me before tossing my bag in the trunk.

I slide into the passenger seat of the low-slung car as the door thuds shut behind me and busy myself with the seatbelt, using the opportunity to watch him as he crosses the front of the car. His strides are confident, unhurried. The fingers of his left hand skim the hood before he rounds the headlight and reaches the driver’s side door.

I suddenly feel uneasy, and I never feel uneasy.

This car is too small for the both of us. I’m annoyed at the idea of being cooped up inside the same ten square feet as him all the way to Philadelphia. I just met him twenty minutes ago. Why is he having this effect on me?

The door handle clicks and he’s behind the wheel, the engine purring a second later. I watch him buckle himself in from the corner of my eye, but keep my head straight, my focus on my hands folded in my lap, until the silence goes on too long. He’s staring at me, the car idling, apparently content to wait until he has my attention. I turn my head and meet his eyes. They’re brown, another check mark completing tall, dark and handsome. They light up with amusement as he speaks, which unsettles me. Why?

“How can you possibly think Finn Camden is the right man for you?”

That’s why.

Seventeen

Present

We exit the interstate at 30th Street and I sigh in relief. We’re less than two miles from my dorm. This car ride is almost over.

“Did you just sigh at me?” Sawyer asks as he merges the car into traffic.

“Yes. You’re exhausting.”

“Not used to this level of attention, Boots?”

I snort and lean against the door so I can watch him.

“Do you prefer to be in charge?” We’re sitting at a stoplight and he turns to examine me. “Do you prefer to do the chasing? Or are you happy dating boys you have to pursue?”

I shrug. “They were just practice for Finn. What does it matter?”

He’s shaking his head before I’m even finished speaking. “This idea you have of being with my brother, it’s never happening. He’s not right for you, you must know that.”

“Why not? Why is it such a bad idea? Finn’s a great guy. He’s my brother’s best friend. My parents already love him. And he’s hot.” I know it’s a bitchy move to throw that in but Sawyer just nods in response.

“No chemistry.”

“We have chemistry.”

“You know that you don’t.”

“Well—” I pause. “It’s only because he won’t give it a chance.” I know this is a weak argument, but I don’t want to give in.

“You overwhelm him, Everly. You’re a whirlwind, and Finn, he’s not an aggressive guy. You’d steamroll his life and end up disappointed by his lack of intensity.”

“You know this from spending three hours with me?”

“I do,” he says, looking me in the eye. “How can you not?”

I break his gaze and look out the window. I’m a lot to handle, I know that. But I never thought of it like that before.