The Long Road Home

Chapter Three

Finlay and Bianca stumbled out of the condo and immediately turned back to the door as Gus slammed it closed and locked them out. Teary-eyed, Bianca begged to be let back in. She was rewarded with a large bang as the door shook with an impact. Fin could only guess it was a chair or another piece of furniture.

A gasp made him turn, and he suddenly paled, “Ah, Bianca.”

“What?” she snapped before looking over her shoulder to see they weren’t alone.

Gus’s neighbor and her seven-year-old daughter stood, staring at them in horror and disgust. With a squeal, Bianca clutched at the sheet, barely covering Fin’s nudity and tried to cover her own even as the neighbor came to her senses and hurriedly clapped a hand over her daughter’s eyes.

Growing red with embarrassment, Fin and Bianca side-stepped around their observers and retreated to the elevator. He nervously tapped the call button and didn’t breathe easily until the lift arrived. They retreated inside, escaping embarrassment for the time being. But another challenge waited once they got to the lobby.

They were both still very naked, sharing a sheet. Their phones were left behind in the condo along with their wallets, identification and money. Somehow, they had to get somewhere to change. The only place that came to mind was his parents’ home. He had a room and clothes there, as did Bianca due to the fact their families were so close, and she was a frequent visitor throughout their childhood.

But how to get there?

They couldn’t exactly call a cab. His car was parked in the parking garage, but his keys were still in the condo. It had a number lock, and he recalled he kept the spare fob in the glove box, much to Gus’s annoyance. That was about to be their saving grace.

Thank god!

Fin selected the garage sublevel. It was their only choice. When the doors opened, he checked to make sure the coast was clear. Then they darted to his car. Bianca yanked the sheet away as he fumbled to unlock the vehicle and they could climb inside. Finally, they were safe from prying eyes. Pushing the ignition button, he breathed a sigh of relief before pulling out of the parking spot.

“I can’t believe he threw me out! With no clothes! Does he realize how embarrassing that is?”

Fin gritted his teeth as Bianca kept complaining. Did she not realize the magnitude of what just happened? Gus caught them in bed together right in the middle of—f**k! What did he do? How could he let this happen? Was his jealousy toward his brother so unbearable?

Ever since they were little, Gus had always been the golden child. They may be identical twins, but that was only on the outside. Gus was the one with a rational mind, who understood numbers, logistics and analytics. All of that went over Fin’s head.

Gus and their father spent hours playing chess, discussing investments and financial scenarios. Meanwhile, Fin could only watch from afar. There were dozens of times he thought he could disappear, and no one would notice. But in the end, he was too much of a coward to simply leave.

So, when Bianca asked him to help plan the wedding, he jumped at the chance. Finally, he was doing something useful, and someone was paying attention to him. That was where it should have ended. But then Bianca started complaining about feeling neglected and lonely. He wanted to comfort her because that was how he often felt as well.

He should have explained it all to Gus, let him know so he could make more time for Bianca. But Fin was enjoying her attention too much. And then, they did it.

They slept together.

It felt so good. He always loved her, just like Gus had. Being with her was something he desperately wanted and something Gus had beaten him to yet again. But afterward he realized how wrong it was. He should have come clean then. But he didn’t.

He should have told Bianca no more when she came to him again…and again. But he didn’t. There were a hundred different things he should have done, but he didn’t do any of them. Instead, he just went along with it, like he always did.

What was he going to do now? How would he get Gus to listen to him when he tried to explain himself?

Leaving midtown, he headed to the family estate in Old Westbury. It was only twenty-five miles, but it took nearly an hour to cover the distance as he struggled to avoid tolls. He was nervous with all the traffic, but they didn’t seem to attract as much attention as he feared. Evidently, New Yorkers were unflappable. Fin grimaced as he noticed the half-dozen or so gathered vehicles parked in front of his parents’ home. Damn it, his parents were probably hosting some sort of event.

“There are so many people here, what are we going to do?” Bianca asked.

“They are probably all in the dining room,” Fin answered. “So, let’s circle around to the backdoor. We can get inside from the patio. The stairs leading up to the second floor are right there. We can sneak up before anyone even realizes we are here.”

“Fine,” Bianca huffed.

Sliding out of the car, Fin managed to reclaim some of the sheet Bianca tightly wrapped around herself. They hurried around the corner of the manor, avoiding windows and the prying eyes within. Coming around the back of the building, Fin was ready to breathe a sigh of relief. Just a few more steps and they could put the whole incident behind them.

Turning the corner, they suddenly froze. The back garden, which he expected to be empty, was full of older ladies. It appeared his mother was hosting a garden party and not the dinner he first assumed.

The clattering of silverware came to an abrupt stop with a flustered shriek. The group turned and stared at the naked pair, now burning with shame. Fin’s mother, Deirdre, stared at them before suddenly rushing forward.

“Finlay! Bianca! What are you—Inside! Both of you!”

Her shrieking chased them inside, past the startled servers and guests. Fin assumed they would be safe once they were out of sight, but they were met by his father. Tall and foreboding, Ronin Kimball eyed them with an expression that was impossible to read.

“Upstairs,” he finally said. “Change and come to the study.”

Fin grimaced but nodded. There was no arguing with him. They hurried upstairs, ignoring the startled maids they passed before reaching their rooms. Wanting to avoid his parents for as long as possible, Fin showered before changing. He was not about to face his father with the remnants of his passionate affair clinging to him like a stench he couldn’t escape.

His mind was a mess with the events that transpired only that day. Guilt racked him, but even he couldn’t make sense of what had gone through his head at the time. How did he let it all come to this?

And now he had to face his parents, who were well-aware of the truth. This was not news he wanted to share, but there was no denying it now. Given how they arrived, it was impossible for his parents not to connect the dots. Eventually, he couldn’t put it off any longer and headed to the study.

There he found not only his father, but also his mother, waiting for him. Deirdre sat with her head in her hands, “I can’t believe this is happening. I was so embarrassed. I can’t imagine how quickly this will get out. What are we going to do?”

“Have a seat, Finlay,” Ronin said, seeing him.

Deirdre stared at him, “Finlay, how could you?”

Finlay opened his mouth, but his father silenced him, “We’ll wait for Bianca, that way we only have to listen to this story once.”