Author's note: all characters are 18+
"Just wipe the back tables down, and you can head home, hon," Susie, the co-owner of the diner, called to Jess from behind the counter.
It was a slow night, so Susie had asked Jess if she'd like to take off early. Jess had jumped at the opportunity. After Finn had dropped her off at home last night, she'd lain in bed for a long time, her mind swirling with what-ifs. What if he regretted being with her again? What if he repeated his silent act? Or, what if he did have feelings for her? What if he realized she was perfect for him? What if...
She'd not gone to sleep until the sun was creeping over the horizon, and now she was completely exhausted.
Jess took a damp white rag- or maybe it had been white at one time- and ran it over the glossy tabletops in her section, checking the red vinyl booths for stray bits of food. Once she was done, she tipped out the kitchen staff, gathered her things, and, with a wave to Susie, left.
As Jess turned the corner onto her street, her heart began to beat faster. A familiar black truck was parked in front of her house.
Finn.
She parked and quickly checked her reflection in her rearview mirror. Her strawberry blond hair was thrown up in a messy bun, her face sans makeup. She sighed and wished she'd taken the time earlier to at least put in some mascara. Ah, well, there was nothing she could do about that now.
She pulled the bobby pins out of her hair and shook it out, the rose-tinted waves tumbling around her shoulders. She wore her uniform, a blue polo with 'Susie's Place' embroidered over her heart, khaki shorts, and white Vans, but maybe she could slip back to her room and change into something more flattering.
Jess slid out of the car and locked it. She opened the front door and walked inside. Glancing into the dining room off the foyer, she saw that her parents, Aiden, and Finn were finishing up dinner. Empty plates and two empty bottles of wine littered the table.
Jess' mother, Lydia, was seated at the head of the table, a spot that afforded her a clear view of the entrance way. She was in the middle of opening what looked to be a third bottle of red wine, but paused as she caught sight of Jess standing awkwardly in the foyer. "Jessie, honey!" Her mother's cheeks were flushed deep pink, a sure sign that she'd had one too many. "You're home early!"
The other heads at the table—Jess' dad, James, Aiden, and Finn- swiveled in her direction. Jess clenched her teeth, irritated that she'd lost her chance to sneak to her room and freshen up for Finn's benefit. So, she forced a smile and walked into the dining room.
The dark oak table they'd had since she and Aiden were children had two empty seats. One was next to her father and one was at the opposite end of the table from her mother, angled next to Finn.
Her instinct was to get as close to Finn as possible. Hell, she wanted to climb onto his lap and right into his clothes. So, she headed toward the other seat. If she was within touching distance, she might not be able to keep her hands to herself. She wanted to respect his worries about how Aiden might react to the fact that they were—well, that they were attracted to each other and acting on it.
Her eyes flicked to Finn as she approached the table. His eyes met hers for a split second before he looked away, his face impassive.
Trying not to be upset that she didn't get a greeting from Finn, Jess sat down next to her father. She set her bag down and then reached for the wine. James, who looked just like Aiden, only two decades older, frowned at her as she began to pour herself a glass.
"Half a glass only, young lady," her father said. She made a face at him and then nodded meaningfully to the empty bottles. "Looks like I'm lucky y'all left me any at all," she joked.
"Aiden was telling us all about his semester abroad, and then your father and I got into reminiscing about our year living over there before you two came along, and then next thing we knew..." Lydia shrugged, a silly smile on her face, and held her wine glass up in a 'cheers' gesture.
James chuckled at his wife. "Maybe this should be your last glass." He looked over at Aiden. "So tell us what's next, son."
As Aiden filled his parents in on his plans for his senior year at his university, Jess lowered her eyes and snuck a look at Finn from underneath her lashes.
He was wearing a short-sleeved button-down in a checkered blue pattern, with the top two buttons undone and a white undershirt peeking out. His short, burnt-gold hair was slightly messy, as if he'd been running his hands through it, but as always, it looked great.
His face was turned toward her brother as he listened to the conversation. Jess took a sip of her wine and studied his profile, her eyes tracing over his features. Dark golden brows over thickly lashed emerald green eyes, a straight nose, and a square jaw. He smiled at something Jess' mother said, and the dimple on the cheek facing her popped out.
Jess squeezed her thighs together under the table to relieve the pressure that had started to build there. She loved that fucking dimple.
As the conversation dragged on, and Finn didn't so much as look
in her direction, Jess became more and more agitated. She understood that he wasn't ready to claim their relationship- if that's even what it was- openly, but at least he could give her some reassurance in the form of a smile or glance!
"So Finn, you've been pretty quiet all evening," Jess' father commented when the conversation came to a lull. "How're things?"
"Great." Finn leaned back in his chair, his eyes on Jess' father, never straying in her direction. Finn told them about his summer plans and the internship he had lined up in the fall while Jess watched him and tried to keep the growing irritation off her face.
Then, Lydia's mom opened her mouth and uttered a sentence that made Jess feel like all the air had been sucked out of the room.
"And what about that girlfriend of yours?" Lydia gave Finn a coy look. "Your mom was telling me that it was looking pretty serious."
Jess felt herself pale. Her head swam, and the Cobb salad she'd eaten earlier on her break threatened to come up.
Aiden jumped in, unaware of what was happening to his sister just across the table. "She's smoking hot, too." He jabbed Finn in a playful manner. "Lucky motherfucker."
"Language!" James chided, while Lydia just giggled at her son.
Jess had heard enough. Her heart was splintering into pieces and she didn't trust herself to keep it together in front of her family. She was humiliated enough- no need to make it public. Schooling her features the best she could, she grabbed her bag and stood.
"Really exhausted," she managed through stiff lips. "Gonna head to bed. G'night." She didn't look at Finn or wait for responses, hurrying down the hall as her parents and brother called their 'good nights' to her retreating back.
Closing the door behind her and locking it, Jess tore off her work uniform and bra. Without bothering to put on pajamas, she hurled herself on her bed and took deep breaths to calm herself and keep the nausea down.
