MAYA BROOKE
Idecided to go to campus today with Finn. Alice and Jade are at home looking after Skye, and as much as Finn told me he was okay doing this by himself, I wanted to be there.
As Finn pulls up into an empty spot, he turns off the engine and stares forward at the windshield. I reach over and take his hand in mine before giving his knuckles a tender kiss.
He glances at me with those green eyes, and I watch as they soften as he takes me in. “Do you know how much I love you?”
I smile at his words. “Very much, and I love you too, so I’m not letting you do this alone.”
The corner of Finn’s mouth curls as he flicks his eyes between mine. “Even if you have to sit in the library with me for hours.”
“Being by your side? It’s my favourite thing in the world. And besides, you have a therapy session today, and I’m not missing it. You want me to be there, and I will.” Without fail.
He blinks at me before clutching my cheek and drawing me in for a kiss, before exhaling with satisfaction. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For not giving up on me.”
“It’s us for life, Finn. There’s no other outcome.”
He kisses me again, and I close my eyes with the pure emotion he pours into the action. It takes my breath away, literally, and I know I’ll feel like this forever.
“Come on,” I say as I pull away and beckon with my head. “These essays aren’t going to write themselves.”
Finn’s face spreads into a bright grin that makes my insides quiver like butterflies. “I guess not.”
Once we’re out of the car and Finn locks it, another car pulls up directly opposite us. I freeze when I spot Alfie step out, and I grit my teeth at the instant fury that bubbles in my veins.
Finn squeezes my hand when Alfie’s eyes clock us, and he visibly scoffs like seeing us together offends him.
“Don’t give him the satisfaction of even looking,” I grumble under my breath as I avert my gaze. “He’s nothing, he knows nothing.”
“I know,” Finn sighs. “I can’t believe I let him get in my head.”
I twist to face him as I press my palms to his forearms. “The only voices you should listen to are the ones of people who love and support you, the ones who really know you,” I say as I dip my head so his eyes land on mine. “Not weasels like Alfie.”
He snorts, and it gives me a wave of relief. “Weasels.”
“Because that’s what he is,” I say as I squeeze his arms. “He was projecting his insecurities onto you, and that’s his issue, not yours. You know who you are, Finn Thompson.”
He focuses on my face as he inhales deeply with recognition. “Yeah, I know who I am.”
I nod sternly. “Good. Come on, let’s go.”
“Maya, you can’t drop him as a partner if your professor said it’ll ruin your grade,” Finn huffs as we walk back to the car after a day spent together studying, talking, and laughing. “That’s just stupid. I know you want to get a first.”
I narrow my eyes as I look up at him. “Do you know what else is stupid? Spending a single breathing second around him. I don’t care if I lose this grade, it’s only a small portion of my entire degree, and it’ll be worth it.”
Finn’s face falls slack. “I don’t—”
“It’s my choice,” I say over him. “And I’m never speaking to him again.”
He sighs. “What did your professor say?”
“That I can try and play catch-up if I do it alone, but I still have to present in two weeks. I can get it done, Finn. I know I can.”
I practically had to beg him to let me do it by myself, and by a miracle, he agreed, but said he’d be deducting a portion of my grade, but I couldn’t care less.
“Okay,” he says eventually.
When we get back to Finn’s car, my phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out to find Alfie’s name on the screen. I almost chuckle at the text and the nasty words he’s decided to call me after finding out I’ve dropped him as a partner.
“What?” Finn’s brows pinch.
I screenshot the message. “Well, I think this might just help with my cause.”
My head tilts upwards to find Alfie’s car still parked up in front of us. I poke my tongue into the corner of my mouth as my blood starts to boil. God, I wish I could deck him one, but this will have to do.
Mess with my family? I’ll fucking destroy you.
I rummage through my bag before removing my comb with a sharp metal end.
“What are you doing?” Finn asks, sounding alarmed.
“Something I’ve wanted to do for months.”
I pop open the car door and glance around the car park to find no cameras. My feet hurry towards Alfie’s car before I take the sharp edge of my comb and slam it into his front tyre.
The second I hear the air start to seep out, a triumphant laugh bursts from me. The adrenaline that rushes through my body is unlike anything I’ve ever felt. God, it feels liberating, and empowering, and fucking fantastic.
I hurry back towards Finn’s car as he stares at me wide-eyed.
“What the hell did you just do?”
“He had it coming.” I shrug casually.
Finn’s mouth opens as his eyes roam my face in shock, but then he starts to laugh.“Why was that the hottest thing I’ve ever seen?”
“Oh, you think that was hot?”
He buries his teeth into his bottom lip as I lean forward. “Incredibly stupid, but incredibly hot.”
“Well, maybe next time, he should learn to stay away from me and my family.”
Finn releases a low sound before he grabs the back of my neck with his hand and smashes my lips to his. I sigh into the ferocity of it and how alive I currently feel.
“Maya Brooke, you are a devil,” he grumbles against my mouth.
I grin, unable to help myself. “Let’s go before he comes back, and we don’t want to miss your therapy session.”
He nods as he pulls back, starts the engine, and we drive away.
The smile on my face doesn’t leave. It might have been stupid, but I’m no pushover, and I’ll protect my family until the day I die.