He blinks at me, like he can’t believe I’m standing here. I can’t believe I’m standing here at ten in the morning, after my mother expressly commanded me to rest. Not only that, but I’ve clearly woken him up. One of his cheeks is still pink, like it was recently pressed into a pillow.

“Not really,” he says, and a gust of wind wraps its frozen claws around me and hits him in the face. Finn takes a look around, like this is some kind of trick, and then back at me. I’m obviously looking my best in this get-up. “Do you want to come in?”

“That would be great.”

I’ve never been to Finn’s house before. Last time I saw him, he still lived at his dad’s place. But, since this is Lakewood, it only took a minimum of sleuthing to get his address from Kenzie’s friend Laura, who’s lived here every day of her life and still likes to reign over the local city council like she reigned over the senior class back in the day.

I step in behind him and he shuts the door firmly, then flips the lock, tests the door with the flat of his hand.

I’m instantly burning up.

“It’s warm in here.” I snatch the hat off my head and the scarf, too, and then wriggle out of the coat before I’m sweating. I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me. I don’t have a fever—at least, I don’t think I do—but I’m so hot.

“I’d hope so. If it was cold, I’d have to replace the furnace.”

We look at each other, and my whole body goes even hotter. Jesus. What was I thinking, coming here? Oh, right—there are matters to be dealt with. Matters that had my heart racing at four o’clock this morning, even after the late travel last night that left me so exhausted I went to sleep right after I walked in the door. Looking at him, the speech I rehearsed on the way over in my mother’s SUV blows away on the winter wind.

“I…” I have nothing. I was going to come right out with it, and now I’ve said nothing.

Finn looks at me levelly. “Em, what are you doing here?”

I swallow hard. “I wanted to see you.”

He lets out a low breath. “I don’t want to be a prick, but last time didn’t end so well.”

“Really?” My voice is too bright, and it cracks a little. “I thought it ended okay.”

A flash of pain crosses his face, but he locks it down. “Look, I don’t know why you’re here. I’m glad to see you, but—” He shrugs. “I’m not really into one-night stands.”

It cuts me to the core. All of it. His expression. The fact that he reduced me to a one-night stand. The fact that he’s right. Of course he’s right. What have I been to him in the years since graduation? Nothing but a one-night stand on Thanksgiving, a woman who snuck out without waking him up and didn’t even leave her number. It’s a choking, aching sadness, and I’m crying before I realize it’s happening.

“Em—” Finn starts toward me, then turns abruptly on his heel and heads further into the house.

I wipe furiously at my eyes. What the hell is this? I’m not a crier. “I’m fine,” I call after him, but the tears keep falling. “You’re right, Finn. This is not a big deal. I’m just—”

“Here.”

He’s back at my side, pressing tissues into my hands. Nice tissues, the kind with embedded lotion.

First things first. I blow my nose and it’s loud, like a honking goose. “Oh, my God. This could not get any worse.”

Finn laughs under his breath. “It’s almost Christmas. Does that help?”

I finish with the tissues. “Where’s your sink?”

“Right this way.”

He leads me into the kitchen, which is spotless. Spotless. Finn, it turns out, is not the high school boy with a collection of energy-drink cans in the corner of his room and God knows what else in his closet. This place is clean. As if at any moment, he’s expecting guests. I wash my hands at the pristine sink and turn toward him, straightening my back.

“Let’s just…forget that happened.”

“I don’t think so.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “What’s going on with you? Did you really come here to cry in my foyer?”

“That was unexpected.”

“This is all unexpected.”

“I’m going to blow your mind, Finn. There’s a lot in life that’s unexpected.” It’s on the tip of my tongue to blurt it out, but now that the moment is here, I can’t do it. What he said about being a one-night stand rattled me, and now I need a different plan. Clearly, if that’s where we stand, there’s not going to be a sit-down conversation at the kitchen table.

At least, not right now.

“I didn’t think you’d be here,” I say lamely.

Finn looks off to the side, a sheepish smile on his face. “It’s where I am every day that I don’t work.”

“This close to a national holiday?” I tease. “Last one of those that came around, you were at the bar.”

“I didn’t feel like it today.”

Change of plans. I’m not telling him now. Not after that embarrassing outburst. I’ll tell him once we’ve had time to get used to each other again.

“Well, good, because I have something else in mind.” I reach up and adjust my hat. “But you can’t wear that. Go and get ready.”

He raises his eyebrows. “You woke me up, barged into my house, and now you’re going to make plans for my day?”

“Incorrect,” I say. I can’t help smiling a little. “You invited me in. Now go. I’ll be out here when you’re done.”