The Struggle For Love ✔

Chapter 30 - Triggered

"Only one way to find that out, right?"

"Right..." He smiles again, retrieving two towels from a closet. "I'll get the jacuzzi ready."

"Wait!" I call out after he just left the room with a sweater and the towels in hand.

"Gimme a sec, be right back!" He calls out, while I frown and wonder why he didn't just wait for me. I shake my head, pulling on the swimming trunk while I'm waiting anyway.

He soon returns, a bit occupied with his mind as he seems in deep thought. But then he smiles at me with a content smile. "All set. Why did you want me to wait?"

"I don't know the way around here."

"Oh... right." Finnley chuckles a bit. "I forgot you haven't been here before that you remember..."

"Something tells me coming here a handful of times isn't going to help me find the way around here either." I smirk, and he laughs a bit, while I'm noticing my swimming trunks are a tad bit big. It shouldn't surprise me; I've lost a lot of weight in two years, since my clothes are all smaller, and still a size too large for me right now. I should eat more.

I pull on my t-shirt, before I follow Finnley through the house and into the back garden. He pulls a chair towards the jacuzzi, leaving the towels on it, along with his phone and... "Is that a baby monitor?"

"Eh..." Finnley turns to look at me while he was just moving to remove the top of the jacuzzi. "It is, yes."

"Why? Aunt Cady and Jason are home, right?"

"They are..." He bites his lip and stops his movement to walk up to me. "Cris, Jason agreed to keep an eye on us. He's able to see us and respond to us if needed."

"Why?"

"Because it's a traumatic memory and I have no idea how you will respond when it does come back to you."

"So, safety?"

"Exactly. Safety first." He pecks a kiss on my lip and returns to getting the jacuzzi ready, and I help him as much as I can.

He fires up the bubbles, and heads inside to grab two beers, causing me to frown again.

"Are you even allowed to drink in your current state?"

Finnley cocks a brow before he snorts. "Hypocrite, because you always drink even when you're not supposed to. But they're alcohol-free." He holds up the bottles, showing me the label. "Felt right."

"How is it hypocrite to worry over your health? Since when do you even drink?"

"That part isn't hypocrite. It's just that you never cared about the risks of drinking alcohol before."

"Right, well, since when do you drink?"

"Since about three years. It's one of the things I didn't tell you before the first time I was missing." He cocks a brow. "You do remember that, right?"

"Ooh... you went out with Stan and James, right?"

"Exactly." He smiles, hands me a bottle, and climbs onto the edge of the jacuzzi. "Ready?"

And suddenly, the nerves take over again. But he reaches his hand towards me, and I take it, closing my eyes and taking in a deep breath as I feel him squeeze gently.

"Whenever you're ready."

I don't think I'll ever get over the nerves. I'm simply scared shitless about the memories that might come back. I open my eyes, stare at a patiently waiting Finnley, and step forwards, towards the jacuzzi, climbing onto the edge with him.