5. Chapter Five
Chapter Five
Finn
“ D amon, I don’t know how to get her out of my head,” I said as I rubbed my temple.
“You know, she has been all you talked about since you came to get me at the airport. I can’t even have peace and quiet in this house,” Damon said as he paced around the living room.
“I was with her when your silly call came in. You’ve been here so many times, and yet you don’t know your way around,” I said.
“Well, that’s why I have you as my best friend. I won’t need a Google map.”
“Yeah, right,” I exhaled.
“Are you in love with her?” Damon asked as he rubbed his head...
“To be honest, I don’t know… All I know is that I want to be around her all the time… I want to kiss her at every chance I get… Her smile… it’s so divine. Just one touch from her puts me at ease.”
“Yeah, that sounds like someone in love,” Damon chuckled as he sat opposite me.
“But then there’s a problem. Seems like Aidan is interested in her.”
“Wait, the guy you rescued?”
“Yeah, I saw the way he looked at her in the hospital, it was intense.”
“About Aidan, what if he’s one of us?”
“What do you mean?” I asked as I sat up.
“You clearly stated something about his wounds healing—what if he’s a…”
“Hell no! That’s not possible,” I interrupted.
“If he’s not one of us, then he is one of them. You realize that, right?”
“If he is one of them, then that’s a big problem. Amelia is not safe around him. I need to protect her, but before then, I need to be sure.”
“Who’s going to protect her from you? How do you think she’d react when she finds out your identity?”
“So, what do you suggest?” I asked.
“Either you come clean or stay away from her.”
I leaned back, processing Damon’s words, but they didn’t sit well with me. The thought of staying away from Amelia felt impossible.
“You’re serious, huh?” I asked, my voice quiet as I stared at Damon, trying to gauge if he was just messing with me.
Damon didn’t crack a smile.
“As serious as it gets, man. She deserves the truth. You can’t keep dancing around it forever. You want to protect her, right? Then stop hiding.”
I ran my hand through my hair, frustration bubbling up.
“You don’t get it, Damon. Telling her means everything changes. I’ve lived in the shadows for so long... now, I’d have to drag her into it, and I don’t know if I can do that to her.”
“I’m not saying it’ll be easy,” Damon said, his voice softening just a little. “But keeping secrets? That’s what makes it worse. Look, if she’s in danger, then yeah, protect her. But you can’t protect her by running away from the truth.”
His words hit harder than I expected. I stared out the window, the night stretching out before me, like it held a thousand unanswered questions. I could already picture Amelia’s face when I tell her, the confusion, the disbelief. But... maybe it was better she knew. Maybe she'd see the truth for what it was, not just as something to fear.
“I don’t know, man...” I muttered. “I guess it’s best I get to spend more time with her and decide on if I should or not.”
“That works. Now make me something to eat, I’m famished.”
“Oh my! You ate like an hour ago.”
“When I give advice, I get hungry,” Damon chuckled.
“You are unbelievable… There’s food in the fridge, help yourself out. I’m going to bed,” I said and left.
The next morning, I was restless. I spent the whole night turning over thoughts of Amelia in my head. I checked on Damon, but he was sleeping like a log. I picked up my phone and dialed Amelia’s number, the nerves hitting me right as it rang. When she answered, her voice felt like a balm to my anxious thoughts.
“Hello?”
“Amelia,” I said, trying to sound casual. “Hey, it’s Finn. I was wondering if you were free today. Thought maybe we could hang out. Do something... different. I could come pick you up from the hospital.”
There was a slight pause on the other end, and I braced myself for her response.
“Well, I’m not at the hospital today,” she said, and I could hear the amusement in her tone. “It’s my day off.”
“Oh, your day off? I didn’t know that.”
She laughed softly.
“Yeah, I figured I’d take a break for once. Got a few things I need to take care of, but... I’ve got some free time. What did you have in mind?”
I felt my pulse quicken. Here was my chance.
“How about breakfast? I know a cozy spot. It’s also my day off, and I’m hoping that you’re hungry.”
“That sounds nice.”
A wave of relief flooded through me.
“Great. How about I come pick you up in an hour?”
“Perfect.”
“Send me your location.”
“I’ll… send right now.”
I hung up, a grin spreading across my face. I hadn’t planned for this, but I wasn’t about to waste an opportunity. A minute later, Amelia sent me her location.
“Oh wow… her house is further than the hospital, I better leave now,” I said as I picked up my car keys and left.
I finally arrived at her house after what seemed like a long drive. When I knocked on her door, she immediately opened the door, and my eyes beheld to be the most beautiful being ever.
“Oh my …” I muttered.
“Is something wrong?” she asked as her grey eyes searched my blue eyes.
“You… are beautiful…” I said as I looked at her pink sweater and skintight black jeans which showed her sexy curves.
“Thank you,” she blushed.
“You’re welcome. Ready to go?”
“Yeah, let me just lock my door.”
Throughout our drive to the café, I couldn’t help but steal glances at her. Having her beside me was so amazing.
“Here we are!” I said with much enthusiasm.
“This place is pretty,” her eyes lit up.
“Not as pretty as you.”
She blushed as I led her in and sat at our table.
"You ever have one of those moments where you just don’t realize something is wrong, and then it hits you... way too late?"
"You mean like realizing your fly’s down? Or you have a piece of spinach stuck in your teeth?" Amelia raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
"No, no. It was a lot worse than that," I shook my head.
"Okay this should be good I’m listening."
"Okay, so here’s the deal," I started, running a hand through my hair. "A couple of weeks ago, I decided to grab a coffee at this café. I’m feeling good. I’m wearing my favorite pair of jeans, which, to be honest, I knew fit a little too snug, but I figured it was fine, right?"
"Uh-oh. This isn’t starting off well," Amelia looked like she was trying to hold in a laugh.
"So, I walk in, grab my coffee, everything’s going smoothly. I even managed to avoid spilling anything on myself, which, given my track record, was a small miracle. I find a seat near the window and start scrolling through my phone like I’m some sort of coffee-shop pro."
Amelia’s eyes were already gleaming. "Okay, so what happened?"
I sighed, leaning back in my chair, suddenly feeling self-conscious.
"I don’t know how it happened, but I must have been too distracted, but I didn’t realize my pants had torn. Right down the back."
"Wait—what?" Amelia’s jaw dropped.
"Yeah, right down the seam, and I didn’t notice until I got up to leave. So, I’m standing up, thinking everything’s fine, right? I grab my coffee and start walking toward the door. And as I’m walking, I feel this... breeze. You know that moment where your brain starts to process something, but you’re not sure if you’re just being paranoid or if it’s real?"
"Oh no," Amelia was practically on the edge of her seat now.
I nodded, grimacing.
"Apparently, my pants were torn and I’m not talking about a small rip. It’s like a full-on, from-the-waist-down tear that I had no idea about. And the worst part? I didn’t hear anything. No ripping sound, no anything. I just... didn’t know."
"Please tell me you didn’t make it all the way to the door like that," Amelia’s face contorted in secondhand embarrassment.
"Unfortunately, I did," I said, burying my face in my hands.
Amelia burst out laughing.
“You know, I didn’t expect this,” she said quietly, her voice soft but serious. “I didn’t expect to be so... comfortable with you.”
“Neither did I,” I said, my voice softening.
“I’m glad you wanted to meet up.”
The sincerity in her words sent a jolt through me.
“I’m glad you said yes. Do you want to go somewhere else?”
“Uhm… where do you have in mind?”
“Do you like Go-karting?”
“I haven’t tried it before, but I’d love to,” Amelia said as her eyes lit up.
“Great! Let’s go,” I said, standing up from the table and grabbing my jacket.
Amelia followed me out of the café, and we hopped into my car.
“I used to race my brother when we were kids,” she said, her voice light with the memory. “We didn’t have go-karts or anything fancy. Just our bikes, but we’d turn every street corner into a track.”
“Sounds like you were pretty competitive.” I smiled, intrigued.
She smirked, glancing at me.
“You could say that. I hated losing.”
When we arrived at the track, the sound of revving engines and excited chatter hit us immediately. The air was electric with energy. Amelia’s eyes sparkled as she looked around, a smile tugging at her lips.
“You weren’t kidding about this being fun,” she said, looking over at me.
“Not even a little bit,” I replied, grinning. “Get ready to be defeated.”
“We’ll see about that,” she raised an eyebrow.
After getting suited up and strapped into our helmets, we lined up at the start, both of us bouncing with anticipation.
“This is it,” I said, grinning beneath my helmet. “You ready to lose?”
“In your dreams, Finn,” Amelia shot me a quick, playful glare.
The light turned green, and we were off. The engines roared to life, and I could feel the adrenaline surge through me as I gunned the accelerator.
“You better keep up!” I called over the sound of the engine, shooting a quick glance at her.
She zipped past me on a sharp turn, her skills were impressive.
“I am keeping up,” she teased, her voice muffled through her helmet but still clear.
“I’m coming for you!” I pushed harder, trying to overtake her.
Amelia glanced over at me, a competitive glint in her eyes. “Good luck with that.” Then, she moved ahead, keeping her pace.
I shot forward, taking a sharp corner to try and edge ahead, but she was right there, leaning into the turn with ease. She flashed me a grin as we raced neck and neck.
“Nice try,” she called out, voice full of playful challenge, “but you’re still behind!”
I narrowed my eyes, shifting into a higher gear. “Not for long,” I shot back.
“Not bad, Finn. But I’m not done yet,” she called out, her voice full of determination.
As we neared the finish line, I pushed harder, my engine roaring. But just as I thought I could catch her, Amelia crossed the finish line with a victorious smile.
“Ha! She said, laughing through her helmet as she slowed to a stop. “Better luck next time.”
I pulled up beside her, panting from the race.
“You’re good, I’ll give you that,” I said, unable to hide my grin.
Amelia took off her helmet, her hair a little wild but her smile even wilder.
“Told you I don’t lose.”
“You definitely earned that win.” I shook my head, laughing.
“That was awesome,” she said, hands on her hips as she caught her breath.
“I told you, didn’t I?” I laughed, wiping the sweat from my forehead.
She looked at me for a moment, her expression softening.
“You were right. That was exactly what I needed. Thank you.”
“You are welcome,” I said as I drowned in her gaze.
For a moment, everything faded, just the two of us, locked in a gaze that crackled with something undeniable. Her eyes flicked to my lips, then back to mine, and the tension hung thick between us, electric and unfinished.
“If you keep looking at me like that, I might lose my manners and kiss you here.”
She bit her lower lip and stroked her hair.
“And what if I want you to lose them?” she said as she moved closer.
“Don’t tempt me,” I said as I used my thumb to caress her lips, and she let out a soft moan.
She slowly stroked my hair as she inclined her lips to mine and then suddenly pulled back and smirked.
“Oh… so you are teasing me…” I muttered.
Amelia smiled as we both walked out.
“Wanna go somewhere else?”
“Yeah, definitely,” she said with a huge smile.
I drove us to a nearby bar after that, eager to keep the energy going. As soon as we walked in, I saw the karaoke sign flashing near the back, and the music filled the air.
“Do you sing?” I asked as we grabbed a table.
She shrugged, looking a little bashful.
“Not much, but... I guess I could try.”
“Don’t worry,” I said, leaning in, “You’ll be great. And if you’re lucky, I’ll sing with you.”
Her eyes brightened at that.
“You? Sing?”
“I’m full of surprises,” I said with a grin, the challenge hanging in my tone.
“Come on, let’s do it,” I added, pulling her toward the stage.
She hesitated for a second but then laughed, nodding.
“Alright, but I’m warning you, I’m terrible.”
We grabbed the mic, and as the music started, we both fumbled through the lyrics. We were completely offbeat, missing lines, but it didn’t matter. Amelia was laughing so hard she could barely keep a straight face, and I was no better.
“You’re killing me!” she shouted between bursts of laughter.
“I’m just getting started!” I teased, making it worse as I dramatically belted out the chorus.
I could barely catch my breath from laughing as the last note of the song fizzled out, and the crowd cheered us on. I shot Amelia a grin, feeling a mix of exhilaration and amusement.
“That was a mess,” I said, still grinning. “But seriously, that might’ve been the most fun I’ve had in ages.”
“I can't believe we just did that,” Amelia wiped a tear from her eye, still trying to catch her breath.
“You were amazing,” I leaned back in my seat, laughing again.
She raised an eyebrow at me, her lips twitching into a smile.
“Oh, I was amazing, huh? What about you?”
“Hey, I was the backup,” I shot back with a grin. “But if I’m being honest, you might’ve just stolen the show.”
“Yeah, right. That was... something,” she rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide the smile tugging at her lips.
We left the bar, the weight of everything else fading as we enjoyed the carefree moments together. The drive back to her place felt different now, a deeper connection between us.
I stole a glance at Amelia as I drove, the streetlights casting soft shadows across her face, highlighting the smile still lingering there.
“Thanks for a fun day,” I said, my voice quieter now, the tone more sincere than I expected.
“No, thank you. I needed that. I haven’t had this much fun in... Forever,” she glanced over at me, her eyes warm.
We pulled up to her place, the quiet of the night settled in around us. I stopped the car, the engine ticking as it cooled.
“Well, this is me,” she said, unbuckling her seatbelt. “I guess I’ll see you later?”
“Yeah,” I said, though I didn’t want to let her go.
“Thanks for coming out with me. I mean it. I really enjoyed today.”
She flashed me with a soft smile, her eyes lingering on mine for a second longer than usual.
“Me too. It was... nice.”
I stepped out of the car and walked her to the door, both of us still riding the high of the day’s adventures. When we reached the porch, just as I was about to say goodnight, I saw someone standing in the shadows by her front door.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I snapped.
“I just came to see my woman,” Aidan said as he gave Amelia a kiss on her cheek.
“What!” I snapped.