The room had fallen into silence. It was so quiet that Finley could hear her own heartbeat like a drum in her chest. The steady rhythmic pattern was eerily hypnotic when she focused on it. The sharp intake of breath from Kade reminded her that she wasn't alone. Kade was standing in the middle of the room looking at her in disbelief. His green eyes were wide, his brows furrowed and his stance was rigid. She could tell that he was confused and shocked.
He hadn't said a word since she had told him that she had met Arlin. But the second the words had left her lips he had practically launched himself off the bed and to the centre of his room. He began to pace across the room, his head bent down in concentration. She wondered what was going through his mind. She fiddled with the edge of the sleeve of the jumper that she was wearing. She was anxious about what he was going to say. Was he mad at her?
He stopped abruptly on the spot like he had suddenly thought of something. His gaze fell upon her and she tensed up slightly. He moved across the room and sat back down beside her, running a hand through his dark hair. "Did he hurt you?" He asked softly.
Finley relaxed sighing before shaking his head, "No he didn't."
Kade's eyes searched her face before nodding. "Okay," he said, "How did you find Arlin?"
Finley nodded before launching into the story of how she had found him. Kade listened patiently as she spoke but she could tell that something was bothering him. "He told me what happened to my family," she finished.
Kade's eyes softened and he grabbed her hand gently. "Did you get the answers you were looking for?"
She nodded, "Yeah, he told me everything." She was silent for a moment her thoughts going back to her parents and her brother. "I expected to feel satisfied but I just feel angry. I thought that if I found out what happened to them I could finally get over it. But it only makes me want to kill Arlin more. He took my entire family from me for no reason. He made them suffer for no reason. And now he gets to live his life and I'm left with no one. How is that fair?"
"It's not fair Finn," Kade answered, "It was never going to be fair. Arlin takes what he wants because he has power. Everyone who has power thinks that they can do whatever they want without consequences. It's not right but we can't do anything to chance that."
"I could kill him," she said bitterly, "That would change it."
He squeezed her hand reassuringly, "No it wouldn't change it. If you killed Arlin maybe it would stop some bad things from happening for a while but someone else would just take his spot. The cycle is never ending Finn. There are always going to be good and bad people. No matter what we do we can't change that. I'm not saying that Arlin doesn't deserve it because he does. But at the end of the day his death wouldn't bring your family back."
She knew he was right but it didn't help the burning rage that was inside of her. She knew she couldn't kill Arlin because he would kill everyone she cared about but she still wanted to. "I asked him something else Kade," she started. His eyes met hers so full of love and faith that she hesitated slightly. But she knew she had to tell him the truth. "I asked him about your mother."
Her eyes drifted to the photograph that was sitting on his desk. It was of Kade as a child with his mother, both smiling happily at the camera. She took a deep breath and met his hopeful eyes. "She's still alive Kade. Arlin said that she works for him now as a maid. But I think he did something to her because he said she doesn't know that she has a son. "
She saw his hope shatter into a million pieces and it pained her. She could see that sadness written across his face. She touched his cheek gently, "I'm sorry Kade."
He was silent for a few moments. "But she's alive?" He questioned. Finley nodded in confirmation. Kade's eyes brightened slightly, "Then we can get her back."
Finley dropped her hand and darted her eyes away. She couldn't look at him while he looked so hopeful. "No," she muttered, "No we can't. I made a deal with him. We can't look for him anymore."
"Why?" Kade demanded, a frown appearing on his face.
"Because he'll kill all of us Kade. He said if I looked for him again he would kill everyone who helped us, Kailee, Tate, Harley and you. We can't look for him. I won't risk it. Promise me you won't."
He looked at her seriously before nodding. She could see his reluctance even as he spoke. "Okay, I promise."
She could only hope that he kept his promise. She had trusted him this far and he hadn't betrayed her. So she would trust him to keep his word despite the fact that he probably didn't want to.
She shifted on the bed slightly so that she was sitting with her back against the wall. She felt tired, like all her energy had been used up. She ran a hand through her damp hair and let out a sigh. Her eyes roamed around the room for a moment before settling on the guitar. "Do you play?" She asked gesturing to the instrument.
"Yeah, do you want to hear it?" He asked curiously his eyes alight with excitement. She nodded. He moved off the bed picking up the guitar before sitting back down beside her. She watched his long fingers move across the cords as he began to play. The melody was soft and haunting and she found herself entranced by the music. She listened in silence, her eyes feeling heavy as she began to drift off to sleep. She could feel the warmth of his body and the familiar smell of his deodorant. The soft song that he was playing drifted around the room like a compelling lullaby that was playing in the distance. She fell asleep easily for the first time in a long time.
~
Warmth. That was the first thing Finley noticed as she woke up. She was lying down on Kade's bed, her head resting on his chest. She could hear his heart beat, strong and beating in his chest. His arm was wrapped around her body, laced over her back and resting on her arm. His breaths were soft as he slept and for a few moments she just laid there and listened. She turned her head up to look at him and a small smile played at her lips.
He eyes were closed, his long lashes fanning out across his cheeks. His lips were set in a straight line but there was a certain amount of bliss across his features. His dark hair was slightly ruffled, a few strands were falling across his forehead. He looked peaceful and she couldn't help but admire him.
The guitar, which he had been playing the previous night, was settled beside the bed leaning against the bedside table. She could still hear the soft cords in her mind playing the tune. Her eyes lazily drifted to the clock on the wall, noting that it was almost nine o'clock, before shifting over to the window. The curtains were slightly ajar, sending a sliver of sunlight into the otherwise dark room. For the first time in a long time she felt completely contempt.
She hadn't had a proper night's sleep in a while and lying with Kade made it so much better. There was something so comforting about being in his arms. Something that reminded her of home and made her heart blossom. She could lie with him forever and never get sick of his company. It was so easy being with him, almost as easy as it was to breathe.
A mumbled moan came from Kade as he stirred slightly and her attention shifted back to him. He moved, his eyes fluttering open and settling on her and a smirk crossed his face. "Morning sweetheart," he grinned.
She smiled up at him before moving to plant a kiss on his lips. "Good morning," she replied.
He hummed, wrapping his arms around her more tightly, "I could get used to this."
A slight blush covered her cheeks but she hid it before moving slightly to get up. Her hair fell across her face slightly as she sat up. "No," Kade mumbled in disapproval, "Don't leave."
She turned back to him, flicking her curls out of her face and meeting his eyes with a smile. "We can't stay in bed all day."
"Sure we can," he argued, stretching his arms out. She shook her head at him before getting to her feet. She moved across the room and into the small bathroom despite his protests. She glanced at herself in the mirror, running a hand through her ruffled curls and washing water over her face. She dried her face on one of the towels before turning around to see Kade struggling out of bed. He got to his feet and moved over towards her. "Fine I'm up," he said, "Now what?"
She thought for a minute. Now that she wasn't searching for Arlin she didn't know what she was supposed to do? Her life had been so dedicated to finding him that now it seemed kind of boring. She shrugged, "I don't know. Let's do something a couple is supposed to do."
A sly smirk passed over Kade's face. "You mean like a date?" He questioned, a scrunched up look crossing his face in mock disgust.
She rolled her eyes at him, "Yeah like a date."
He was silent for a few moments, a serious expression on his face before he nodded. "Okay," he said, "I know just the place but you're going to have to go get some swimmers."
She agreed, surprised by his quick response before muttering a quick goodbye and heading back home. She couldn't deny the fact that she was pretty excited. It would be nice to finally calm down a bit after all the drama. She had told him that she would meet him back at his house in an hour so she had a bit of time to get ready. She practically skipped home, excitement radiating off her. This was the most normal thing she had done in a while. And she was going to savor every minute.
~
There had been a time in Finley's life where she had gone to the beach every day. She had always loved the feeling of the sand between her toes and the sun on her face. She had loved the strength of the crashing waves as they had hit her body and forced her forward despite all her attempts to stay in the same spot. She had spent hours having picnics with her brother, building sandcastles with Tate and swimming with Harley. She had grown stronger running on the sand dunes of the beach and practicing her punches and stances against the waves. She had spent so many days at the beach that it had become a part of her, tanning her skin and bleaching streaks in her hair. But that had been before her brother had died.
It had been their place together and she hadn't had the courage to return since then. But as much as fear had held her back she still loved it. And today was no exception. She was standing on the sand, barefoot, letting the sea breeze blow her hair. Her eyes were settled on the blue water and she smiled at the sound of the waves crashing. It was as perfect as ever. Kade was standing a short distance away from her placing a picnic blanket on the ground and placing their stuff on top to stop the wind from carrying it away. His hair was blowing in the wind but she couldn't help but be disappointed that it was still sitting perfectly despite the force. He straightened back up, clearly satisfied by his work before looking over at her with a grin. "Please tell me that you do actually like the beach and that this wasn't all for nothing?" He asked a hint of worry in his expression.
She smiled shaking his head, "I love the beach actually. This couldn't be more perfect."
He seemed relieved before glancing out at the water. "Let's go swimming sweetheart."
He pulled his shirt off and started jogging towards the water not bothering to wait for a response. She watched him go for a few moments, taking the time to convince herself that Aiden would want her to have fun despite the fact that he wasn't there. She shook her head, pulling her dress free and running along the sand towards the water.
She was aware of Kade watching her as she neared the water and so she didn't hesitate to jump straight in. The cool water hit her immediately and she sucked in a sharp breath before swimming forward. She came up for air a few moments later, breaking through the surface and searching for Kade. She frowned in confusion as she looked around for him. But just as she was about to go back to shore someone grabbed her from behind. She squealed in surprise before feeling the familiar strong grip of Kade's arm. "Sorry sweetheart," he whispered in her ear, "Didn't mean to scare you."
She opened her mouth to reply but her answer died on her lips as Kade's lips connected with the side of her neck. She felt the immediate calmness passing over her body and she couldn't help but sigh. She spun around in his arms, looping her own around his neck and placing a kiss on his lips. The kiss was warm despite the fact that they were both wet and tasted slightly salty but it wasn't bad. Kade's arms wrapped around her back almost protectively and she felt even more at home. There was something so relaxing about being there with him. Something that made her truly believe that maybe they could both have a normal life.
She pulled back only slightly, just enough so she could look at him. "I love you," she said softly. His eyes lit up brightly and a smile crossed his face. She spoke again before he got the chance to reply. "I never thought that I would love anyone. I used to think that I would never find anyone to love me but when I met you everything changed. You make me feel like my entire world has changed. Like everything I once believed has changed. I can never thank you enough for everything you have done."
He regarded her silently for a few moments before speaking, "I love you too Finn. More than I thought was humanly possible. You are the most extraordinary thing that has ever happened to me and the thought of losing you makes me feel dead inside. So thank you for letting me have the honor of being with you."
A wave of happiness washed over her and she felt her face blush at his words. She pressed her lips against him, a tear of joy seeping out from her eye. She hadn't felt this happy in a long time.
A wave of water crashed into them almost taking them off their feet. They came apart a surprised expression plastered on Kade's face. A giggle left her lips as he stumbled slightly. His green eyes challenged her and a determined look crossed his face. "Are you laughing at me sweetheart?"
She shrugged innocently, teasing him with her words, "I wouldn't dare."
He launched at her and she flung backwards, flicking water at him as he chased her. She dove under in one quick movement and plunged towards the bottom swimming away as fast as she could. She felt his hands graze her leg as she went and she quickened her pace. When she came up for air she made the mistake of looking backwards only to find him a few meters behind her. He swam towards her, his arms outstretched and grabbed onto her waist pulling her towards him playfully. She squirmed in his grasp but she didn't really want to get away. He held onto her tightly, smothering her with kisses as she laughed.
It was a perfect moment, one that couldn't be ruined. They swam around for a little while longer before retreating back to the shore for food. Kade had made quite an effort making little sandwiches and chocolate covered strawberries. They ate in silence admiring the view. Finley's attention was completely on the ocean until Kade cleared his throat and pulled a small box out of the picnic bag. Her eyebrows furrowed together in surprise. "What's this?" She asked as he handed her the small box.
He smiled excitedly at her. "It's a present. I was going to wait until your birthday but it's only a few weeks away anyway. Besides I figured we should celebrate you finding your answers even if they weren't the ones you really wanted to hear."
"Kade you didn't have to..." she trailed off.
"I wanted to. Now open it," he urged.
She sighed glancing down at the small box. She was curious as she lifted the lid and looked inside. Her eyes widened in surprise at the simple silver anklet that was sitting in the box, a single charm hanging from the middle.
"I know you don't wear a lot of jewelry but I thought that you might like this," Kade said a hint of anxiousness in his voice. Finley touched the small arrow charm that hung from the chain. It was so simple and yet completely perfect. It glimmered in the light of the sun, sparkling up at her. A smile crossed her face as she met Kade's hopeful eyes.
"I love it," she said grinning, "Thank you."
She reached out and pressed her lips against his. It was a simple brushing of lips and only lasted a few moments but Kade seemed pleased when she pulled back.
She took the anklet from the box and put it on. The cool metal settled against her ankle in just the right spot, almost like it was made for her. It was perfect in every way and she couldn't help but admire it. Kade had given it to her and that only made it more special. At least now she would always have a piece of him with her even if they were apart.
~