Social media.
He’d be going on tour to promote the show real soon, and tonight was just the start.
Cage
Mom’s already crying. You know I can’t handle this kind of emotion. Even Dad is teary-eyed. Where is everyone?
Hugh
Lila and I are here. Come to the lobby where Finn said to meet him.
Lincoln and I just pulled around back. We’ll be right there.
Georgia
Maddox, Wyle, and I are almost to the lobby. Finny, this is your day. I can’t stop crying either.
I dabbed at my eyes for the hundredth time in the last hour. My brother was a movie star. I’d already known it, but the rest of the world was about to find out.
“You okay?” Lincoln asked as the man Finn had told us would be waiting for us out back, opened the door and led us inside.
“Yes. I’m just really happy for him.”
“Did you call Tia and Romeo? Are they here?” I asked as we headed toward the lobby. Yes, we’d invited them to the premiere because Tia had nearly fainted when she realized that Finn Reynolds was my brother, and I was scoring serious points as the coolest girlfriend by inviting her. Romeo acted unfazed but agreed to come to hang out with me and Lincoln. But I’d seen the way his eyes had widened when I’d told them I could score them two tickets. They didn’t live too far from LA, so they’d used their mom’s car and made the trip here. Lincoln had gotten them a room next door to ours tonight, and we’d all spend the day together tomorrow before we headed back to New York and they went home.
“Yep. Apparently, they just found Georgia,” he said, as he glanced down at his phone.
Georgia
I’m with Romeo and Tia. We are already practically best friends.
Cage
Where the fuck are you people? Mom just stopped to pee for the ninth time since we left the hotel. Apparently, she’s nervous and has the bladder of a Labrador puppy. And Dad is talking to every stranger we see like they’re old friends. They all know that Finn is his son.
Let them take this in. It’s a big deal. How about you check your grumpy attitude at the door?
Cage
I’m sorry that my attitude is hindering you, Brinks. You’ve got your man, you’ve got a new house, a new job, and now you aren’t sulking like a big baby anymore, so now you’re the attitude police?
Bite me, Cage. I’ve always been the attitude police. Don’t be a hater.
Finn
Hey, no fighting today. Let Mom pee as much as her bladder requires. I’m heading to the lobby now to meet you.
When we got to the lobby, it was like a Reynolds family reunion. Everyone was there, aside from Gracie, who’d stayed back at home and was having a sleepover at her best friend Piper’s house.
Jenny and Grant Murphy were here. They were my parents’ closest friends, and their daughter, Reese and Finn had been best friends since they took their first steps. I knew Finn had been pretty miserable with Reese living in London, as they’d always been inseparable. He’d been bummed that she’d be missing his big premiere, but she was swamped with work, and it was a long way to travel for one night.
We all hugged, and I made introductions as I took Tia and Romeo around to meet everyone.
“I can’t believe I’m going to my first premiere ever,” Tia said as she gushed to my superstar brother.
“Well, I’m honored that you came,” Finn said to her before wrapping an arm around me and hugging me tight before doing the same to Lincoln. He then pulled out some kind of bracelet and tied it around Lincoln’s wrist. I glanced around to see Cage, Hugh, Maddox, and Wyle wearing them, as well, which made me laugh.
“Is that Finnegan Charles Reynolds, a.k.a. the movie star?” a voice called out, and we all gasped to see Reese standing there.
“Holy shit. I can’t believe you’re here!” Finn yelled before scooping her up and spinning her around, her feet leaving the floor.
They had always just been Finn and Reese. They were Cottonwood Cove’s favorite besties because they got into endless antics together and were always laughing and having a good time. I knew there had been tension with Reese’s ex-fiancé because he and Finn had never really gotten along, and it had been a bone of contention for years.
“Who’s that?” Tia asked, her eyes wide as she watched them gushing over one another.
“Damn, Tia, it’s none of your business.” Romeo shook his head and shot a look at Lincoln that basically said, welcome to my life.
“It’s okay to be curious about people. Is that his girlfriend? She’s gorgeous.” She glared at her brother.
“Well, thank you. That beautiful girl is my daughter,” Jenny said, as she and my mom walked up behind us. They both pulled out their phones and stood there, taking photos of them hugging. “And boy, do we wish they were dating.”
My mom chuckled. “We always thought it would happen, but they never crossed the line. But they sure are cute together. They’ve always been one another’s biggest cheerleaders.”
“It’s stupid. They should get a room and do the deed.” Cage raised a brow and crossed his arms over his chest.
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” Grant said as he and Dad snuck up on us, and we all laughed at the warning look that he shot Cage.
“You all knew she was coming, didn’t you?” I asked.
My mom and Jenny nodded and spoke at the same time. “We did.”
“Are you kidding? These two always know what’s going on. I wasn’t told until ten minutes ago,” my father said. “Apparently, they thought I would slip and tell everyone.”
“You’re a little loose-lipped.” Hugh chuckled. “If I want to know anything, you’re the one I go to.”
“What? I’m a vault.” My father held his hands up in defense.
“Dad, you’re a vault with a broken lock. But I’m grateful. I never know who the fuck is pissed at me and what I did. I can always get you to tell me.”
“Well, there’s a strategy there. I’m a peacekeeper.” My father winked at my mother.
“A very handsome peacekeeper.” Mom waggled her brows, and Cage rolled his eyes.
We were all chuckling and having a good time.
“Who the fuck is this?” someone hissed, and I whipped around to see Jessica Carson in a black-sequined gown that hugged her curves all the way down to the ground. I imagined the woman couldn’t eat so much as a single pistachio wearing that dress. Her breasts looked painfully lifted, and her strides were short due to the mermaid-style fitted gown, but it was clear she was on a mission. Her makeup gave her an airbrushed look, and even though she had the features of a gorgeous woman, she looked a bit scary at the moment.
Angry.
Enraged.
A little off-kilter.
“Oh my God. It’s Jessica Carson,” Tia whispered with her eyes wide as saucers. “She was the lead in my favorite Disney show a few years ago.”
“She doesn’t look like a Disney character right now. She looks kind of terrifying.” Lincoln leaned in and kept his voice low.
“Like boil-a-bunny-in-the-pot type of unhinged, right?” Cage said. “This is why you don’t dunk your pen in the company ink.”