36. Finn
Chapter Thirty-Six
Finn
We've claimed the living room. There are blankets everywhere. Pillows stolen from at least three different bedrooms. The couch is no longer a couch. It's a nest. Our nest.
Kaia is tucked into my side. Obviously. Where else would she be?
Jonas is on her other side, leaning just slightly into her, like he doesn't even realize he's doing it.
Lachlan's stretched out on the floor, one arm under his head, watching the movie.
Adrian's in the chair. Laptop closed. Phone face down. Watching us. Not in a weird way. In his way. Which is somehow worse.
I grab another handful of chips and hold the bag out to Kaia. "Eat," I tell her.
She laughs softly. "You're bossy."
"I prefer helpful."
"Mmhm." She takes some anyway. I watch her for a second. Just watch her. She fits—too easily, like she's always been here, like we just...forgot her somewhere and finally found her again. This thought hits harder than I expect.
I lean my head against hers. She doesn't flinch or stiffen. Just tilts slightly so it's more comfortable.
Yeah. I'm in trouble.
On screen, there's a moment of quiet before the storm—two figures standing at the edge of something vast, the music swelling softly beneath them.
It's the kind of scene that feels like everything's about to shift.
The volume is low, intimate, letting the dialogue breathe.
We're somewhere in the middle, past the setup, heading toward something that matters.
"What are we watching?" Jonas murmurs, eyes half-closed.
"The best movie ever made," I say confidently.
Lachlan snorts from the floor. "This isn’t even top ten."
"You don't have taste."
"I have standards."
Kaia laughs. An actual, full laugh. And I swear to gods, I'd do anything to hear it again.
"Okay," she says, smiling, "what's your favorite movie then?"
Lachlan props his head up just enough to look at her. "Not this."
Rude. I gasp dramatically. "Wow. Betrayal. In my own home."
"It's our home," Jonas mutters.
"Details."
Kaia shifts slightly, turning toward Jonas. "Are you okay?" she asks quietly.
I go still. Just for a second.
Jonas nods. "Yeah. Just tired."
She studies him for a moment. Whatever she sees seems to satisfy her, because she nods. "Okay." No pushing. No hovering. Just trust. She's good at that.
I grab the blanket and pull it up over all of us, even though it's already warm. Because I can. Because I want to.
Because I want her closer.
She hums softly. Doesn't complain. Just tucks her feet under mine.
Yeah. I'm never recovering from this.
At some point, food happens. Not real food—chill food. Leftover sandwiches. More chips. Fruit that Adrian cut because apparently he thinks we need to be balanced. Kaia insists on helping. Of course she does.
"I can get it," I tell her, already halfway up.
She shakes her head. "I want to." There it is again. That choice. So I let her. But I follow anyway. Because I'm not letting her do things alone if I can help it. She hands me a plate. "Team effort.”
I grin. "Team effort."
We bring everything back to the nest. Because obviously we're not eating at the table like civilized people.
Adrian watches us as we settle back in. Again. Always watching.
"You're staring," I tell him.
"I'm observing."
"You're judging."
"Also true."
Kaia laughs again. And this time, Adrian's mouth twitches. Just slightly.
Oh. Oh that's new.
I elbow her gently. "You're breaking him."
She leans closer to me, whispering, "I think he was already a little broken."
I choke on a laugh. Adrian narrows his eyes at us. Worth it.
The afternoon melts around us. Movies blur together.
Blankets accumulate—someone (probably Lachlan) keeps adding more, layering them until we're buried in soft fabric.
Kaia shifts to grab more chips, and I adjust without thinking, pulling her back against me.
Jonas fidgets with the remote, cycling through options, then gives up and just lets whatever's playing continue.
At some point, Adrian reaches over and rearranges the pillows behind us, creating better support.
It's small. Domestic. The kind of thing that happens when you're not paying attention—just bodies and comfort and time passing in the best way.
At some point, Jonas fully falls asleep again, his head dropping onto Kaia's shoulder. I tense. Just a little. But she just adjusts slightly so he's more comfortable, her hand coming up to rest lightly on his arm.
Something inside me unclenches. I lean back into the couch, pulling her closer without thinking. She shifts with me easily. Like it's natural. Like it's expected.
The sun starts to dip outside. Warm, golden light fills the room. Soft. Slow. As the beams soak into the carpet, Lachlan sits up. "Dinner?" he asks.
I groan. "Do we have to move?"
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
Kaia laughs. "Can I help?"
Lachlan looks at her. Then at me. Then back at her. "Of course you can," he says. And there's something in his voice. Something soft. She smiles and goes with him.
I lean back into the couch, watching them move around the kitchen. Watching the way she fits there, too.
Yeah. We're done for.
But honestly? I wouldn't change a single thing.