Chapter 8 #2
“I’ll be fine,” I say weakly, feeling a little nauseous. “Just a little burn.”
Maggie shakes her head. “No, Lani. This is not okay. You’ve been injured on the job and we need to take care of you.”
“Okay.” I feel all kinds of awkward. I was meant to be helping and I just seem to have made everything worse today.
“You are not to blame for this. There will be no negative repercussions on you whatsoever, I promise. And I’d have you back in my restaurant anytime you wanted.”
“Thanks.”
“Here, take this. It’s a spare and it’s clean.” She holds out a fresh shirt for me to take. I thank her again and shrug it on, wincing when the starched material catches my tender chest. I need to get some ointment on that, but I’m sure my grandmother will have something back at the house.
“Am I okay to go?”
“Of course. I’m going to speak to Pete. He mentioned you were on the late shift at TBG tonight, but I’m going to tell him you need the night off.”
“Oh no, that’s not necessary—” I panic. I need the money and I can’t risk the reputation of being flaky when I’m so new.
“I insist. You’ll receive full pay of course, though I can’t do anything about any missed tips.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“It’s standard procedure when an employee is injured.”
“Okay. If you’re sure.” Actually, after the day I’ve had, a night resting probably isn’t a bad idea. “Thank you, Maggie. I promise I’ll be less trouble next time.”
She shushes and shoos me away, and I exit the staff room with my coffee stained shirt in my hands, surprised to find Finn still there, waiting for me.
“Can I please cover your dry cleaning bill?” Finn asks.
“You don’t have to do that, Finn. But thank you,” I say, feeling touched by his kindness.
“Nonsense,” he says, smiling at me. “I want to help.”
I nod, feeling a lump form in my throat as I try to hold back tears.
“Okay,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. “Thank you.”
He takes the shirt from me and then holds my hand, gives it a reassuring squeeze. “Let’s go, Lani. I’ll walk you home.”
We exit the restaurant together, hand in hand, and make our way to the gardens. There’s a path which leads down the cliff to the beach, and from there it’s only a short walk back to my grandmother’s house.
As we walk down the path, Finn’s grip on my hand tightens. I look over at him, and he’s staring straight ahead, his jaw clenched. I can tell he’s trying to hold something back, but I don’t know what.
“Is everything okay?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
He doesn’t answer right away, and I can feel the tension between us building. Finally, he stops and turns to face me.
“Lani, I cannot apologise for my father’s behaviour enough. I’m so sorry that both times you’ve met me now, it’s been a negative experience because of him. Please believe I’m not anything like him,” he says, his voice low and serious.
I look into Finn’s eyes, and I see the sincerity in them. I feel my own eyes start to well up with tears, not because of the hurt that his father caused me, but because of the tenderness in Finn’s words.
“It’s okay,” I say, my voice catching. “I believe you. Anyone can see you’re nothing like him.”
Finn lets out a sigh of relief and pulls me into a tight embrace. We hold each other for a few moments, the warmth of his body seeping into mine, before we break apart and continue down the path.
“My father is leaving today. He’s probably already gone after the shame of being thrown out of the restaurant. He’ll be gone for the whole summer. I hope we can see each other again and hang out. Get to know one another.”
“I’d like that.”
I don’t know why I don’t tell him I’m the girl from the party in the blonde wig.
It’s the perfect time, but I find myself keeping quiet.
I don’t want Finn to feel guilty for not recognising me, or to feel obliged to give me his time because we slept together.
I’d rather we get to know each other properly and maybe form a friendship.
Sure, he’s gorgeous, and I’m attracted to him, but I have a date with Koa to look forward to.
As we reach the beach, Finn stops and turns to face me again. “Lani, I have to be honest with you about something,” he says, his voice serious.
“What is it?” I ask, my heart starting to race.
“I’m not looking for just a friendship with you,” he says, his eyes locking onto mine. “I feel a strong connection with you, and I want to explore that.”
A jolt of electricity shoots through my body at his words. I’ve been trying to convince myself that I only see him as a potential friend, but the truth is I am attracted to him. The sex was amazing and I know that there’s a connection between us.
I don’t know what this is yet.
But I want to figure it out.
Only—
“Finn, I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Why not?” he asks, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“Your dad clearly hates me,” I say, feeling the weight of his disapproval still heavy on my chest. “I don’t want to cause any more problems for you or your family.”
“Lani, my dad doesn’t dictate who I choose to be with,” Finn says firmly, fierce determination crossing his face. “And honestly, I don’t care what he thinks. I want to be with you. Or at least explore the possibility of something developing between us.”
I look into Finn’s eyes, and I can see the sincerity in them. My heart is telling me to say yes, to give in to the attraction that we share. But my head is telling me to be cautious, to not jump into anything too quickly.
“I need some time to think about it,” I say finally. “Can we just take things slow?”
How ironic when I’ve already slept with him, but he doesn’t know that.
“Of course,” Finn says, his eyes softening. “We’ll take it slow. Whatever that looks like, Lani.”
We walk in silence for a few moments, heading back to the house.
When we arrive, I leave Finn in the lounge while I run upstairs to get changed into something comfy.
Now that I know I don’t have to go out again today, it’s comfort all the way with leggings and an oversized hoodie, teamed with fluffy socks.
Is it cold? No. Does it make me feel better?
Yes. It really does. I stop by the bathroom and find some burn gel in the medicine cabinet, slathering it over my raw skin before returning downstairs.
“Hey, how are you doing?” Finn asks when my feet hit the bottom step.
“I’m good. Glad I don’t have to work tonight actually.”
Finn nods in agreement. “Me too. It’s nice to have a break sometimes.”
We settle onto the couch, and Finn puts on some music. The melody fills the room, and I find myself feeling relaxed and content. Finn scoots closer to me, and I lean into him, feeling his arm wrap around me. It feels easy. Too easy, but he doesn’t seem to mind.
We sit in comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying each other’s company.
But soon, Finn’s hand starts to wander, trailing up and down my arm, sending shivers through my body. I can tell he wants me, and part of me wants him too. But the other part of me is still hesitant, still trying to protect my heart.
“Finn, I don’t know if I’m ready for…anything,” I say finally, pulling away from him slightly.
“I’m not here to push you,” he says, his eyes searching mine. “I just needed to know you were okay.”
I nod, feeling grateful for his understanding, even though it’s the second time he’s said something along those lines to me and I feel like his wandering hands are less keen to wait.
Finn strokes my hair back from my face and I wince when he catches the sore spot from earlier.
“Lani, what’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. I just took a knock to the head this morning. You touched a tender spot.”
“What happened?”
“I was swimming in the wrong spot and got bopped on the head by a surfboard.”
“Shit. That’s bad.”
“It’s fine.”
“Did you get looked over? You really shouldn’t have been working. What if you have a concussion?”
“I really am fine, Finn,” I insist. He looks unconvinced and I sigh.
“I think I should stay and keep an eye on you for a while.”
“Yes, doctor,” I tease. “But no funny business.”
“I’d never risk a malpractice lawsuit like that,” he jokes, making me smile.
“Film?”
“Excellent. Have you ever seen Point Break?”
“No. What’s it about?”
“Surfing.”
“Oh. Do you surf too?”
“Too? Are you telling me you surf? Are you my dream girl?”
I laugh. “No. Well, I mean, I have a couple of times before. I just meant I met someone on the beach this morning who surfs.”
“It’s one of the best beaches in the country for surfing, so that doesn’t surprise me. And yes, I surf too. My friends own the surf school here, so I often help out there in the summer, but we spend a lot of our free time in the water.”
“Okay. It sounds like a good choice then. Let’s do it.”
“I tell you what, if you don’t mind me rummaging around in the kitchen, you set the movie up and I’ll get snacks and drinks. Sound good?”
“Perfect.”
As Finn walks towards the kitchen, I can’t help but admire the way his muscular back tenses and relaxes with each step. My heart races, and I consider giving in to my desires. But a part of me still feels guarded, and I’m not sure if I’m ready to take that step with him yet.
I try to distract myself by setting up the movie, but my thoughts keep drifting back to Finn. As he returns with a tray of snacks and drinks, I can’t help but notice the bulge in his shorts.
I bite my lower lip, my body betraying my intentions. He sets the tray down on the coffee table, and our eyes lock for a moment. I can feel the sexual tension building between us, and I know I won’t be able to resist him for long.
Without another word, Finn leans in and presses his lips to mine. Sparks fly, and I feel my body relax into his embrace. His hand trails down my back, sending shivers of desire through my body. I moan into his mouth, giving into the pleasure that he’s offering me.
He pulls away, and I can see the desire burning in his eyes. “Are you sure about this?” he asks, his voice husky with desire.
I nod, unable to speak as his hands roam over my body, igniting a fire within me. “Kissing’s fine.”
For a moment, he doesn’t move. Like he’s recalibrating. His hand stills at my waist, fingers flexing once like he’s resisting the instinct to pull me closer.
“Okay,” he says quietly. “Then we’ll keep it there.”
His mouth finds mine again, slower this time. Softer. No rush, no claiming – just the steady press of his lips, the heat of him held in check. A kiss that feels deliberate instead of desperate. Like he’s proving to both of us that he can stop.
My pulse kicks anyway, loud and traitorous, and I hate how much effort it takes not to lean into him.
When he finally pulls back, his forehead rests against mine.
“You should rest,” he murmurs. “Concussion or not, today’s been a lot.”
I pout but nod, even though part of me wants to argue. Wants to rewind five minutes and make different choices. Or maybe the same ones, just louder.
He exhales a soft laugh against my mouth. “You’re dangerous, you know that?”
My heart is doing absolutely nothing helpful.
“Funny,” I say. “I was just thinking the same about you.”
He settles back beside me, close but not touching, the heat of him still bleeding into my space. The film starts properly this time, but I don’t take in a single frame.
Slow, I told him.
He’s giving me exactly what I asked for.
Time.
Space.
So why does it feel like I’m the one giving something up?