Shadow Souls

Chapter Forty-Seven

I come back to find Finn sitting on my front steps with his head in his hands. As soon as he hears the truck pull in, his head pops up and I can see his eyes are red and his cheeks are tear stained.

He jumps up dropping a blanket from around his shoulders and runs over to throw the door open. I barely manage to get the car in park and the key out of the ignition, before he is yanking me out, and pulling me into his arms, apologizing profusely the entire time. I feel his whole-body shudder and my chest tightens in response. I know I won't be able to tell him goodbye.

"Shit, Alice. You're freezing," he comments.

"Yeah, I forgot my jacket."

He pulls me inside the house and sits me down in front of the fireplace. I'm relieved to see he is now wearing his shirt and socks again and didn't sit outside half naked the whole time I was gone. Even with a blanket. At least he had enough sense not to want to catch pneumonia or die of hypothermia.

"Let me get you some hot tea, and then I will start a fire," he says wrapping the blanket around my shoulders.

I grab hold of it and notice it's one of the quilts we keep over the back of the couch. The same one Finn and I laid on at the gazebo.

"Actually," I tell him, shaking it off and letting it fall to the floor, "I think I am going to take a hot shower first."

"Okay, I will have some tea ready for you when you get out. Any flavor preference?"

"Finn," I try to get his attention, but he continues talking without notice.

"Or would you prefer something else? Coffee or hot chocolate maybe?"

"Finn I-"

"Do you even have hot chocolate?" he asks as he starts raiding the cupboards.

"Finn!" I shout and finally get his attention.

"What is it?"

"Is Zoey in school today?"

"No, but I texted her earlier and she says she is fine." He clearly already knows what I am getting at, and I can see he will be stubborn about it.

"Why don't you go make sure?"

"I'm not leaving," he says firmly.

I know it's low using his sister as a pawn in my plan, but I can't think of anything else that can accomplish what I need. I just have to keep reminding myself it's necessary to save his life.

"Hey," I say while walking over to wrap my arms around him, "I'm not going anywhere. I am going to take a shower and change, and in the meantime, you should go home, check on your sister, and do the same. Okay?" I smile up at him.

He looks at me but doesn't say anything. I can see him battling between the fear of leaving me alone, versus the fear he carries for his sister.

"And then you can come back over, and I will be here. And we can talk," I continue.

I can see him wanting to protest more, but he holds his tongue as the need to check on Zoey ultimately wins out.

"Okay," he finally agrees, "But you have to promise me that you will be here."

"I promise."

"Fine," he sighs, "I will be back in half an hour."

He leans in to kiss me, and as much as I want to pull away and spare myself the pain, I can't. I lean into him and kiss him like it is the last time I will ever get to feel his lips on mine. Because it probably is.