Finn
"Hey man," I say into the phone, running my hand through my hair as I lay in Avery's bed.
"Hi, buddy," Casey answers softly. "What's going on?"
"I'm at Aves'. I'm going to stay here tonight with her." Her mom was surprisingly not against it when Aves asked her at the station. I was sure she was just going to scoff at her and tell her no way. But I think Emily knows that Avery just wants to feel safe tonight, and I'm really fucking glad that I can help her feel that. "She's in the shower."
"How's she doing?"
"She says she's okay, but I can tell she's not." I run my hand over my face. "It's all really fucked up."
"What the hell happened, Finn?" He asks. I had texted him when we were told that she was safely with the officer, but I told him that I would call him later and explain. He responded pretty much immediately and I know it's because they had his phone on the bench at the game and someone had an eye on it until I updated them. It felt good knowing that my team cared that much for Avery's well being. I really appreciated it.
I sigh deeply before I start to explain. "Well, I was at the station for maybe fifteen minutes before she was able text me. I thought I was going to pass out when I saw her name pop up on my phone."
"She stole her phone back from him and sent me her location. After that the police went to the shed he took her too and picked her up without any other complications."
"A shed?" He gasps in disbelief.
I close my eyes, trying to stop the sharp pain that radiating throughout my chest. "She said it was furnished like a little house. Turns out it was on his uncles property. Why his parents didn't think of that, I don't fucking know."
Before he can ask, more words spill from my mouth and I just let it out. "He told her he loved her. He fucking touched her and kissed her and I can just tell she's different. She's letting me hold her but she's so rigid and tense. And you should of seen what she looked like, dude. Her hair was knotted like she hadn't brushed it in days and she had so many tear stains on her face. She couldn't stop crying and shaking."
"Fucking hell." He sighs and I can tell he's trying to figure out what to say. "I'm so fucking sorry, Finn. You guys don't deserve this. That piece of shit is locked up, right?"
"For now." I listen to make sure I still hear the shower running. When I do, I keep talking. "I'm not sure how long he's going to be held though. He didn't physically hurt her or show her any form of a weapon, so unless they find something he'll most likely be let go. His parents are also super rich apparently and they already got him a really good attorney."
"But he took her," Casey says exactly what I did when I found out about this. "He threatened her, didn't he? Isn't that enough?"
"Apparently not." I lick my teeth, feeling the same anger that just seems to be permanently residing in my chest. "She's getting a restraining order on him, but that'll be too little too late if he tries this again. And I know that freak will wait until I'm out of town again."
"He claims he loves her?"
"Oh, yeah. And swears that she loves him too. He wrote her a whole fucking letter about how I'm the big bad guy who took her away from him. Dude, I can't even describe how disgusting it was. He wrote about how he listens to the tape all the time and how he gets off to it. He said that he saw the way she looked at him the night I beat the shit out of him and how he knew she blamed me. It's so fucked. It took everything in me not to go into the holding room and bash his head into the wall after reading it. The only thing we really have against him is the fact that he said he needs me out of the picture and the photos he took of her. And the recording, obviously."
"Photos?"
"He's been stalking her, Case." Saying all these things out loud makes it seem obvious that he can be convicted to a stalking charge. But after hearing how great his attorney is, I'm not sure it'll be enough unless he physically hurts her, which is not going to fucking happen. "He has dozens of pictures of her, of us together, he even had one of her changing through her window."
"I genuinely cannot imagine how you're feeling right now, buddy," Casey starts. "Because I want to fucking knock this creep out cold and then some."
"There are no words to describe what I am feeling right now." The shower is still running so I know that I'm able to speak my mind right now without worrying about Avery listening. "I feel like I could kill him, Casey. I'm not kidding. I could kill him and not blink an eye."
"I get it, Finn." He goes quiet for a second. "Jack was asking about you. He was so out of it after you left."
I notice her curtains are open so I get out of bed and walk over to them, pulling them shut. I rub my forehead with my freehand. "What did he say?"
"He just kept asking if I heard anything or if I knew if Avery was alright. I kept telling him that all I knew was that text you sent, but I don't think he believed me."
I pinch the bridge of my nose. Fuck. I should probably just let him know that she's okay, physically at least. "Alright. I guess I'll text him."
I look over in the direction of her open door, my constant worry for her being present in the forefront of my mind. She's taking a really long shower. "I'm going to go check on Aves. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
After we say our goodbyes, I type a quick I message to Jack so that I don't have to worry about doing it later.
Finn: Avery's safe. She's shaken up and pretty out of it, but she's safe. Thanks for asking about her. I appreciate it.
I send the message and put the phone down before he can respond. I shake out my hair and take a deep breath before I leave her room and make my way down the hall. Her parents are downstairs, being weirdly quiet right now. I'm not sure what's going on there, but I don't think I want to know nor should Avery have to worry about it tonight.
When I get to the door, the sound of the water hitting the tile floor is obviously louder than when I was sitting in her room. I knock lightly. "Aves? You okay?"
I press my ear against the door, freezing when I hear a light cry. I knock again. "Avery?"
I hear it again and I open the door before I can second guess myself. I close it lightly behind me, seeing her clothes discarded messily in the corner of the room and hearing her crying in the shower. God damnit.
"Avery?" I say again, not wanting to freak her out. I mean, I am literally walking into the bathroom when she's showering. She doesn't respond. "Avery, I'm opening the shower door."
I do what I say and my heart basically crumples when I see her. She's shaking, tears mixing with the water running down her face and a loofa in her hand, her skin bright red as she scrubs.
She stops and looks at me with sad eyes, her words barely coming out as her lip trembles. "I-I feel dirty."
As the sentence leaves her mouth, her whole body is taken over in sobs again as she starts to scrub her skin harder.
I lean into the shower and stop her movements by gripping onto her wrists. "Aves, baby. Stop. Stop."
"No. No I have to-I have to-" She sobs, trying to break from my grip. I step into the shower with her without any regard for anything other than calming her down. I don't care that I'm still in my shirt and shorts. I don't care at all. I pull her body into me and close the shower door before wrapping my arms tightly around her body.
She literally wails against me, everything that was trapped inside of her coming out. I squeeze my eyes shut as I hold her head to my chest, running my hand over her wet hair. This hurts. This hurts so fucking much.
Her legs basically give out but I'm holding her so tightly that she doesn't fall. I lower her down anyway, obviously going with her. I sit with my back against the tiled wall and pull her into me again. Her shoulder is pressed against my chest as she grips onto my bicep like her life depended on it, another round of cries assaulting her body.
"I know, baby. I know." I feel my own eyes sting as I look at the girl I love, completely and utterly broken. My hand runs up and down the bare skin on her back. "I'm so sorry."
When the cries don't slow down, I try to soothe her as best I can. "You're safe, Avery. Look, it's just us. Nothing outside that door matters, eh? You're safe with me, you're safe in my arms. You're safe in here. It's just you and me, baby. It's just you and me."
She told me when we were in the shower last week that she felt disconnected from the world and that she didn't want to get out. I felt the same way and I just want her to feel that again. I want her to feel safe.
"I feel so dirty," she repeats in a cry, her face now digging into my chest. I drop my head to the wall momentarily, anger for that scumbag surfacing again. I could fucking kill him. I could kill him for doing this to her.
I rest my cheek against her head as I hold her to me tightly, my knees bending as I keep her inbetween my legs. "You're not dirty, baby. You're not dirty."
She continues to lay in my arms as she lets out excruciating cries and I know that she just needs to let it out. I know that it's good for her to let it out. But that doesn't make it easy. It doesn't make watching the person you love crumble to pieces in your arms easy.
"I love you, Aves." I have to bite back my own tears. I've never been one to cry often but I also don't think it's bad too. I mean, I did earlier. I couldn't help it. Seeing her sent such relief over my entire body, yet I was fucking heartbroken. I was heartbroken over how she looked, how she seemed so fragile. She didn't seem like Aves and that killed me.
I just really can't cry right now. I need to hold it together. "I love you so fucking much."
I tilt her head to expose her face to me. She opens her eyes as her lips tremble and tears run down her face. I press my lips under her eyes and I feel her eyelashes flutter close against my nose. I move slightly down and press a long kiss to her cheek before moving down and kissing under her ear as I hold her head into my neck.
Her left arm comes up and hooks around my neck as she pulls me down slightly. I hold onto her, my left arm going completely around her back until my hand is gripping her side.
"I love you, Finn," she blubbers into my neck. My heart races as she tells me the sentence we've abused since the first time I said it. I don't think it'll never not race when she says that. "I don't want to lose you."
"Hey, I'm not going anywhere," I assure her, kissing the side of her head. I push her wet hair behind her ear, running my thumb over the slicked strands. "I'm right here. I can't lose you either, I won't. I'm not going anywhere."
"I don't get why." She holds onto me tighter. "I-I hurt you."
"No, you didn't." I sternly say, "Aves. Look at me."
She sniffs as she does, the water from the shower raining down on us and falling to the floor in small splashes.
"I told you, it hurt that you were kissed by someone else, but it's not your fault. You did nothing wrong, eh? Nothing. Please. You have to understand. This happened to you and I wish I could put it all on me. I wish I could put all this pain on me."
She doesn't respond as she closes her eyes and runs her thumb over the base of my neck. "Aves, it would hurt so much more if you didn't go along with it. It would hurt so much more if something more happened to you. I literally can't even imagine that type of pain. Seeing you like this is bad enough. You did the right thing."
That seems to calm her down, but only a little bit. But honestly, at this point I'll take anything. I could tell her until I'm blue in the face that none of this is her fault. But she's Avery and she's going to find a way to blame herself.
We're quiet for a while as I just continue to hold her, running my fingertips up and down her bare back. Her arm that was holding onto my neck has fallen and now her palm is pressed to my soaked t-shirt that is basically glued to my chest with water. Her cheek is also pressed to my chest as she does eventually stop crying and her breathing becomes a bit more even.
"I'm sorry," she apologizes yet again. "Why are you sorry?"
"Because you're literally sitting in my shower fully clothed." She looks up at me. I love the way she looks at me. The way her eyes scan my face like it's the first time she's seeing it. The way her bottle lip always comes between her teeth, even if it's only for a second. "Holding your naked girlfriend as she cries like a baby."
I give her a small smile as I push the baby hairs that are stuck to her forehead back. "At least I got to see you naked?"
She can't stop the laugh that escapes from her lips and it makes me smile. I like her laughing much, much more than her crying.
My hand goes to the side of face and I run over her cheek with my now pruny thumb. "But seriously, Aves. You have to stop apologizing to me. I'm your boyfriend. I'm here to make you feel safe and comfortable and to sit in the shower with you while you cry. I wasn't lying when I said I would do anything for you, Aves. This is nothing compared to what I would do for you."
"I don't deserve you, Finn." She places a soft kiss to the base of my neck, officially not crying anymore. Score. "I don't understand how you're real."
"Shut up." I roll my eyes, which makes her giggle again. I lean down and cautiously mold my lips against hers, not wanting to freak her out. It doesn't though, which really relieves me. Her hand comes behind my head and she breathes in deeply through her nose, which I fucking love.
When she pulls away, her head rests on my chest right under my chin. I wrap both my arms fully around her and kiss the top of her head before leaning my own head against the wall behind us.
Damn it. This fucking sucks
*
It's been around an hour or so since Avery and I got out of the shower. I'm glad I decided to stop home before I came here to get my car and some clothes because mine obviously became drenched. She threw them in the dryer and I changed into a pair of sweats and just discarded a shirt all together.
She's bundled up, though. She has plaid pajama pants on, a crewneck sweatshirt, and her fuzzy socks. I'm sweating just looking at her but she seems comfortable, so I'm not going to question it.
It's around midnight by now and she's fast asleep as she's tucked into my side. Her mouth is slightly open as soft snores leave her perfectly defined lips. She was basically falling asleep in my arms while we were in the shower and I was tempted to just let her. But her skin was becoming so pruned that I couldn't let her stay in there any more, even though I know she felt safe.
When I coaxed her out I let her do what she needed to do after a shower. I went into her room and made sure all of her windows and curtains were closed and that she would be comfortable in here. Well, as comfortable as she could be after finding out she has a stalker.
She looked a lot better when she came in. I think it was good that she got it all out, I could tell she wasn't as tense as she was before. She also just looked fucking exhausted so as soon as we laid down, she passed out.
Since then I've just been watching her sleep, the state not being able to pull me under. I can't even close my eyes. Not when I know that piece of shit exists. Not when I know that he's probably relishing over the fact that he kissed my Aves right now.
All I can think about is how he sat outside of this house and watched her for weeks. How she was alone in this room while he watched her through her window. The thought twists my insides so much that I feel like I could throw up again.
I lean over and pick up my phone from the nightstand, checking it for the first time since I sent Jack that message. He responded quickly after I sent it.
Jack: I'm really relieved to hear, buddy. I'm really fucking sorry this is happening to you guys. You know where to find me if you need anything, personal wise or hockey wise.
I bite my lip as I read the message. The brightness on my phone is dimmed to the lowest setting, yet it still seems too bright in the dark room.
Finn: Thanks, buddy. How was the game?
I don't know why I'm talking to him. I really fucking don't. I'm not sure if it's because I miss our conversations or if I'm just desperately trying to take my mind off my broken girlfriend and her stalker. But regardless, he responds within minutes, probably as shocked as I am that I'm starting a conversation.
Jack: It was good. We won in a shootout. Was weird not having you on the line, though.
Jack: Logan had a good night. A goal and two assists.
Finn: Nice. Wish I could of been there to see it.
The conversation goes stagnant and fades out. I check Twitter then with every intention of just scrolling through my feed without even really reading the tweets.
However, as soon as I open the app I see a tweet from a Thunderbirds fan page that makes me sigh deeply.
Apparently, the reason why Wilder didn't play was because something happened with his girlfriend and her stalker?
I click on the tweet to read the replies.
Reply: How do you know?
Reply: I'm friends with someone who goes to their school, and their dad works at the police department. He said that his dad asked him if he knew anything on the stalker.
Fuck. I had a feeling this would get out, but not this quickly. Fucking hell. This is the last thing she needs. I go to the search bar and type in my own name along with the word girlfriend, just to see if anyone else has talked about it.
Of course there are people talking about it, why wouldn't there be?
Bro, I feel so bad for Wilder and his girlfriend
I hope Finn Wilder's girlfriend is okay. Shits really scary.
I met Finn and his girlfriend at a game a few months back. He was nice enough to give my son a puck and take a picture with him. She was so kind and you could just tell how much they cared for each other. Great people. They're in my thoughts right now.
Yo, people from Woodland High. Did y'all hear about Finn Wilder, Avery Harrison, and Mason Hughes? What the fuck is happening?
Reply: Dude apparently Mason basically abducted her. So crazy
Reply: What a fucking psycho. Hope she's okay
I do have to say, reading the tweets about it isn't as infuriating as I thought it would be. I don't see any negative ones about Avery, which is probably why I feel that way. People feel for her and are wishing her well.
My gaze snaps to Avery as she starts groaning and starts digging her face further into my side, like she's trying to hide. I lock my phone and put it down as I watch her. I don't want to move and wake her up.
I feel her leg twitching as it's entangled with mine and then she gasps suddenly and puts both her hands on my side and shoves me away from her.
I'm stunned for a second but realize she's still sleeping when she groans even louder and juts her arms out again, this time pushing nothing but the air. Fuck. She's having a nightmare.
"Aves," I say, rolling on my side and holding myself up with my forearm before putting my hand on her shoulder. She doesn't push me away but she doesn't stop groaning, either. "Aves, baby. Wake up."
She continues to lightly thrash around and I adjust myself so I'm closer to her, now shaking her gently. "Avery, wake up. Wake up."
With one more shake, her eyes shoot open and she lets out a loud gasp. She looks around the room frantically and I move to my knees and face her. "Hey. Hey, you're okay."
She lets out a sigh of relief when she looks at me and drops her head to her pillow. "Fuck. Sorry."
"Are you alright?" I lean over her, my brows etched in concern. I move her face to look at me with my hand and run my thumb over her cheek like usual. Her eyes that were wide when she woke up aren't anymore, and her breathing is leveling out easily. I think she's okay, but I'm still worried.
"Yeah. I'm good. Did I wake you?" She matches her hand with mine on her cheek, holding onto it.
"No, baby. You didn't." I lay back down on my back, looking over at her. "Do you want to talk about it?"
She huffs as she looks at the ceiling and then says softly, "No."
I nod as I continue to look at her. It's very dark in here, yet I can still somehow see the outline of her face. I can still see how beautiful she is.
"I hate seeing you like this, baby." I admit quietly. I don't know why I'm telling her, since I don't want her to feel bad. But the words come out before I can even think about them.
"I can't help it." I'm relieved she doesn't apologize, because I know she can't help it.
"I know," I speaks my thoughts. "Come here."
She comes over and presses her back to me. I take the hint and lay on my side so my chest is to her back, putting my arm between hers and her body. She snuggles closer to me, letting out a deep breath and holding onto my hand that's by her face.
"I love you," she says before she kisses my hand. "Thank you for being here with me."
"Thank you for letting me," I respond. I kiss the back of her neck gently. "Go to sleep, baby. I'm not going anywhere."
She doesn't respond and just gets even closer to me. My face goes to the back of her neck and I close my eyes, trying to find sleep myself.
But I can't. I can't when the beautiful girl in my arms is so upset that she can't even sleep without being scared. I want to be ready if she has another nightmare. I want to be able to wake her up if she does.
So I stay awake. I keep her safely in my arms and watch the minutes tick by on the clock next to her bed as she sleeps.
*
It's the next morning and our positions have changed multiple times throughout the night. Right now, both my arms are wrapped completely around her. My left is under her neck, her head resting on my bicep and my right is wrapped around her chest. My left hand is holding onto my own right arm as I hold her close to me. I keep my chin on her shoulder as my eyes remain closed, even though I'm not asleep.
I barely slept last night. Every time she moved I was paranoid she was having a nightmare, but she wasn't. She only had that one early on in the night.
I don't mean to sound like a cliche when I say this, but I don't care that I didn't really sleep. I'm just glad she did. She needed it way more than I did.
And I won't lie, it wasn't exactly a long night. At least it didn't feel like it. I wasn't tossing and turning and trying to find sleep. I had Avery in my arms the whole time. I love holding her and I've always said I would do it for hours if I could. So that's what I did.
She shifts in my arms so I open my eyes, looking at the clock. 8:37.
She sniffs cutely and I feel her rub her cheek against my arm. I know she's awake, so I take my hand and brush her hair behind her ear.
She clears her throat softly, turning over in my arms. I keep them around her as she does, wanting her to stay close to me. Once her body is fully facing mine, she looks up at me with her bright brown doe eyes.
"Morning, baby," I run my hand through her hair. "Did you sleep?"
She nods before her arms come up between us and her thumbs run under my eyes. "You didn't."
Guess the bags under my eyes gave it away. I just give her a small smile as her hands stay on the sides of my face, her eyes scanning my face in worry.
"Finn, baby. Why didn't you sleep?" As pathetic as it sounds, my heart flutters at her words. I'm so used to calling her baby but anytime she uses the term for me, I feel like I could pass out.
"I wanted to make sure you were okay," I say quietly, knowing she's going to scold me for it. I only have to move my head forward a little bit to peck her lips.
"Finn.." she says softly. "You shouldn't of done that."
"I don't care." I press my lips to her forehead, holding her even closer to me. "I'm just happy you slept."
She bites her lip as she looks up at me and I can see that she's thinking about something. "I'm okay, Aves. Really."
"You're going to be exhausted for practice tonight. Why don't you try and get some sleep?" She offers, moving herself slightly. "Let me hold you when you sleep now."
I let out a huff, not wanting to leave her alone to her thoughts for long. She doesn't really give me a choice though because she's suddenly moving us. She basically pushes me down with her palms pressed to my shoulders, which makes me chuckle.
I let her do what she wants with me and eventually we end up with my head against her chest while her hands are in my hair and her leg is wrapped around my waist.
I guess I should try to sleep for a little bit. She's right about practice tonight. The guys left Vancouver really early this morning and they're probably already home.
Her nails start to scratch against my scalp and my eyes close in bliss. I love being held by her almost as much as I love holding her. Almost.
My body disobeys my mind as my arms wrap around her torso and my head cuddles closer to her chest. I feel her chin on my head as her hands still work at my hair. Her soft voice is like a lullaby all on its own. "Go to sleep, Finn. I'm okay. I feel better today. I want you to get some sleep."
I look up at her and see her already looking down at me. She leans down and kisses my forehead. "Please."
I sigh deeply, taking her bait. I close my eyes and hold onto her tightly. Shit. I am tired.
One of her hands is scratching against my scalp gently as the other runs over the hair behind my ear. I feel her kiss the top of my head again and it's hard not to fall instantly fall asleep.
I feel guilty sleeping when she's awake but my eyelids are getting heavier by the second. Her leg hooks around me tighter and I can feel her soft socks on my lower back, which makes me smile lazily. "Your socks feel cuddly."
She giggles as she continues to run her hand through my hair. "Cuddly?"
"Mhmm," I hum, cuddling deeper into her. "I love you."
She giggles again and I know it's because I sound delusional. "I love you, Finn. Now go to fucking sleep."
My lazy smile returns and I do as she says and before I know it, I'm knocked cold.
*
I'm rushing as I grab my stuff from my car and practically run into the rink. I'm late, which is very not like me. But I was really hesitant to leave Avery, no matter how much she told me she was fine. It wasn't until Cam, Lindsey, and surprisingly Sophie showed up at her house in pajamas and with snacks that I felt better. They're apparently going to have a movie night, which is exactly where I'm going after practice.
I had to stop by my house before I even went to the rink too. I had to grab some things for practice and then I packed a quick bag of clothes and shit for when I stay at Aves tonight and for tomorrow. So now I'm late.
If it were any other day Ken would read me a new one, but I don't think I'll be getting scolded today. Honestly, I don't think anyone was even really expecting me to come. I wasn't either, but Avery insisted saying that she was fine and I couldn't miss work because of her. I also feel guilty that I left so close to the game. It barely gave them time to figure out the new lines and plays.
I feel like I have knots in my stomach as I make my way to the dressing room for some reason. All those guys saw me at my weakest yesterday when I've been really trying to give off the strong athlete vibe these past few months. Only took about ten minutes for that to be shattered.
I take a deep breath as I walk through the open door and everyone's gazes snap to me, their padding and jerseys and skates already covering their bodies.
I grip the handle of my bag tightly and shake my head as everyone starts cheering and clapping for me, like I did anything at all.
I try to wave them off as they bang their sticks and cheer some more but the only thing that actually quiets them down is Ken calling from the front of the room. "Wilder! Any updates on your girl, eh?"
"Yeah, what happened?"
"Is she alright?"
"Did they catch the guy?"
"She's alright," I start, interrupting them. Guess I might as well tell them. It's not like people haven't found out already. "We've has some problems with her ex boyfriend, but I thought they were handled. They obviously weren't and he's been stalking her for weeks now. He threatened her and got her in his car so no one knew where she was. But she's tough and smart and went along with his sick fantasy and was able to steal her phone back from him and send me her location."
"Damn, Wild," Liam shakes his head. "That's insane. Thank God she's okay."
"You're telling me," I sigh deeply, rubbing my eye. I did sleep a few hours with Avery this morning, which was great. I love sleeping with her. But I won't lie, I'm drained. I can't even imagine what she's feeling. "I did want to thank you guys for letting me go yesterday. And for your messages. I showed them to Avery this morning and I could tell they meant a lot to her, considering she got choked up." I laugh lightly to myself, shaking my head. "Not that it takes a lot to do that. She cries like a baby pretty much every time she watches Toy Story 3."
This gets laughs from the room and I find myself smiling lightly. "So thanks, guys. I really appreciate all your support."
Casey gets up first and comes and attacks me in a hug. Soon, the rest of the guys are attacking me and I let out a loud laugh, "Watch my toes, eh?!" I can imagine one of them stepping on my toes with their skates and that would really, really suck.
"Alright, everyone on the ice!" Ken calls, trying to break up the huddle. "Wilder, you got 5 minutes."
Everyone disperses and I find myself shaking my head with a smile on my face. When I set my bag down I feel a grip on my shoulder. Casey smiles before bumping into me and then hobbles quickly out the dressing room door.
I quickly get dressed and lace my skates, suddenly eager to get on the ice. I look around the empty room and pull my phone from my bag to send Avery a quick text.
Finn: Going on the ice. Thinking about you. I love you.
I throw the bag in the cubby and put on my practice sweater. I grab my stick and helmet and head out to the ice.
Once the sharp blades of my skates slice through the frozen surface, I'm able to let out a deep breath. I wasn't expecting it to feel so good being here, but I'm not surprised. Being on ice always made me feel like I could finally breathe after being smothered. It's why I spent so much time at the rinks when my dad left. I used to go to an outdoor rink by my house in Toronto in the middle of the night because it was the only thing that made me feel like I wasn't suffocating.
I lunge a few times to start stretching but as I stand up someone knocks into my calf. I look down and see Casey hugging onto my leg, his straight out in front so his blades don't cut me. I let out a loud laugh and slow down my skate so that I don't catch his padding.
He leans his head against my thigh and when I look back down at him, someone comes to the other side and holds onto my other leg. Jack.
I almost lose my balance on my skates as the two hold tightly onto my legs. "I'm going to fall!"
"You're the most balanced out of all of us!" A teammate yells. Logan joins in. "You're fine, stop whining!"
I scoff, dropping my stick to the ice so I can hold onto their helmets. I really think I'm going to fall. "Get off, eh?!"
Casey and Jack laugh together before they both let go simultaneously. I continue to skate without them and bend my knees a few times to rid the stiffness. When I turn to face them, I put both hands on my hips and stand with my skates hip width apart. They just grin cheekily back at me as they continue to sit on their asses.
The practice actually flies by. We spent a majority of it mixing up our lines and trying new plays, which is always fun. I'm usually a centerman, but Ken put me on the right wing and it's a nice change of pace. I haven't played the wing since the junior league in Canada.
I've always been on a line with at least Jack or Liam, but now I'm apart of one with Casey and Logan. It works and I'm excited to see how it goes in a game. Luckily the next three are home.
I'm eager to get back to Avery as I walk to the dressing room after my shower. I know she's okay but she's constantly on my mind and I just need to make sure. It was nice to be here though, I won't lie. It's a good distraction.
"Going to Avery's, eh?"
I turn to Jack and nod, zippering my bag. "Yeah. Some of our friends are with her but I'm going over there now."
"You're going to stay there again?" I can tell he's trying to make conversation, so I go along with it.
"Probably." I pull my sweatshirt over my head before I face him and run my hand through my hair. "I just don't like leaving her. She had a rough night last night so I want to make sure she's not alone if she does again."
He gives me a small smile before he grips my shoulder. "You're a good guy, buddy. Let her know I'm thinking of her."
I look at him for a second, feeling weird. Are we friends again? Is this back to normal? Am I still upset with him?
It feels stupid to be upset with him after everything. It feels petty. Avery and I have so much more to worry about than my friend drunkenly coming onto her.
"Will do." I nod, grabbing my bag and slinging it over my shoulder. "See you tomorrow."
I get out of the rink without really having to talk to anyone else. I throw my bag along with my things I left in Vancouver that Casey brought back for me in the backseat of my car and get in, sighing deeply.
I start the engine and head out of the parking lot. I should text my mom when I get to Avery's to let her know what I'm doing. I have to go to school tomorrow, unfortunately, so I won't be home until after.
Aves and I both missed today, since it's Monday. There was no way either of us were going to go. But I have too tomorrow, since I miss enough due to my trips. I can't really not go when I'm home. But I was going to miss today anyway since I would of been coming back from Vancouver, so.
She's not going to go tomorrow though, obviously. I'm not sure when she's going to go back, but I think she needs a few days. I'm kind of glad I'm going without her tomorrow, honestly. I can take the brunt of all the questions and whispers. She hates missing school so I can imagine she will want to go back by Wednesday or Thursday.
My phone starts to ring so I reach over and pick it up, knowing it's Avery. "Aves, baby. I'm like, five minutes away. Do you need me to get you anything?"
"Maybe some security cameras?"
I look down at my phone quickly before back at the road. Colin. Fuck.
When I take a second to answer, he adds, "Maybe check caller ID next time."
"What the fuck do you want?"
"Is it true that Hughes abducted Avery?"
I roll my eyes. I hate that word. That's not what happened. I hang up without answering his question and shake my head. Is he fucking kidding me? He did not just call me to ask me that. He did not just call me to ask me-
You know what? I'm not going to think about it. I'm not going to get myself angry over Colin fucking Garzia. That tool bag is such a waste of space and is as important as a speck of dust. All I'm going to do is go to my girlfriend's and chill and not think about the stupid high school drama that I'm going to have to endure tomorrow.
When I get to Avery's house I pull behind Cam's car and grab the bag I packed before practice before heading towards the door.
Finn: I'm here
As I get to her porch I look around, feeling a little bit more on edge since knowing that he was always here. I definitely have the need to be more observant, that's for damn sure.
I don't have to wait long at the door before it swings open, revealing my beautiful girl. She changed her clothes since I left.
Her hair is down and tucked behind her ears, her glasses sitting low on her nose. She has leggings and a very long and soft cardigan on like usual, along with a tank top underneath. I smile down at her. "You look cute."
Her cheeks burn and I grin. She looks over my shoulder and takes my arm, pulling me inside the house. She's on edge too.
I close the door behind me and lock it and before I can even blink, her arms are wrapped around my neck and she's pulling me down.
My smile does fade as her lips go to mine, but only so I can kiss her back. I grip onto her hips tightly, letting out a breath through my nose as she makes my heart swell with her actions.
When she pulls away, she lowers herself from her toes but keeps her hands on the nape of my neck. "How was practice?"
"Actually, it went really well." I bring my hand up and run my fingers through her hair. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm tired but I don't know why." She sighs and drop her hands from my neck to my chest, playing with the tassels of my sweatshirt. "I haven't done a thing all day."
"You don't have to do anything to be drained," I say before kissing her forehead. "We'll both get some sleep tonight, eh?"
"I literally cannot wait." Her smile is timid as she presses her hands flat against my chest. "I know you were only gone for like, four hours, but I missed you."
I smirk down at her. I love how clingy she can get. "It's hard not to miss someone as good looking as me."
She rolls her eyes at me which makes me grin and kiss the top of her head. "I saw Cam's car outside, are they all still here?"
"Yeah, they're downstairs." She smiles warmly at me me. "It's nice having them here."
"Good. I'm glad." I break away from her, even though I don't want too. "Why don't you go back, eh? I'm just going to drop my bag in your room."
"Okay," she says quietly, her smile still small and fucking adorable. I kiss her on the cheek and go to walk past her and up the steps. When I get up there, I notice that her mom's bedroom door is shut, which is weird.
I inch closer cautiously but stop when I hear muffled shouting. "If I was here, none of this would of happened, Emily! Hell, if you were here it probably wouldn't of!"
"Are you kidding me?! You're going to blame this on me?"
"Our daughter was being stalked!" All I want to do is help her mom, but I obviously know better. "And you let it happen! You and that fucking boyfriend! How did you guys not see it?! How did you let her get taken by that creep?!"
Fuck. They blame me too.
"Oh, don't act like you wouldn't of been too busy fucking those girls!" She screams. I should probably go. "The girls that aren't much fucking older than your own daughter!"
Yep. Should definitely go. As I start to walk away, I hear my name. "And not for nothing, Finn has been one of the best things that's happened to her. She goes out and she's happy, which is all I want considering how much of a fucking low life her father is."
I smile to myself as I open the door to her room and drop my bag. I mean, I'm not smiling at the fact that they're fighting. I'm smiling at the fact that her mom actually likes me. I head downstairs before I'm caught easedropping or hear something that I definitely shouldn't.
When I get to the dark basement, I'm greeted by Lindsey, Cam, and Sophie cuddled together on the floor at the foor of the couch, and Aves who is sitting on it with a blanket covering her body and an empty space just to her right. I know where I'm going.
"Finn!" Lindsey exclaims, "Welcome! We're watching a movie!"
"Really? I had no idea." I go to do what Avery calls a 'bro handshake' with Cam and look at the screen. I immediately recognize the film. Momento.
"You picked a light film to watch, eh?" I chuckle sarcastically, climbing on the couch next to Aves. I peck her lips before getting situated. She immediately falls into my side, her arms going around my torso and one of mine going around her shoulder as I pull her closer.
Lindsey talks without looking back at us, "You've seen it?"
"Of course," I scoff. How haven't they? "It's one of the greatest films of all time."
"It's one of the most confusing films of all time," Aves huffs. "I have no idea what's going on."
I know they're a little bit under halfway done, considering I've seen this movie dozens of times. It's so good. It takes a bit of brain power to follow, though. But it's worth it in the end.
I explain, "Well, the events are going in reverse. So the first scene of the movie is the end of the plot, and then they work backwards to show you how it all lead to that guy being killed."
"And the scenes that are in black and white are a different timeline. The two will meet up towards the end." I rub Aves' arm and kiss her temple.
"I always forget you're a film buff," Lindsey shakes her head, bringing their blanket up to her chin. "I forget you have a personality besides hockey." I lightly kick the back of her shoulder.
"Yeah, this is confusing," Sophie agrees, smiling as Lindsey turns and smacks my leg. I flick her in the back of the head now and Aves swats at my hand to get me to stop.
I speak absentmindedly as I settle deeper into the couch and watch the screen. "It's a Christopher Nolan film, of course it's confusing. It's actually based off of the short story by his brother, Jonathan. But his story was like, 10 pages long and the main character is different-"
I stop when I notice everyone staring at me and press my lips together as Aves giggles from next to me. "Usually I'm the dweeb. This is a nice change of pace."
I roll my eyes as she kisses right under my chin sweetly. The gesture is cute and innocent, but makes me want to just climb on top of her and kiss her until our lips are swollen. But I know I can't. Not now. There's no way she's going to be ready for that and I don't want her to know that I'm even thinking about it.
I keep her close as we fall silent and watch the film. I hope her parents pull their shit together before everyone leaves and we go upstairs. I don't want her to hear what I just did.
I know I shouldn't care about what her father thinks of me, but I do. I care that he blames me for what happened to Avery because I do too. I'm the one who is always with her. I'm the one who beat the shit out of that guy. I should of seen him when he was creeping around her house. I should of seen him when we were at my games or when we would go out to eat. I should of seen all of this.
But I didn't. I didn't see any of it and she has to deal with the outcome. I say that I'm protecting her, but I'm not. If I was none of this would of happened. She wouldn't be laying in my arms with the damage of his own mind inflicting it's pain on her. She would be happy.
I look down at her and see her cheek pressed to my chest as she hugs onto me tightly. I bring up my hand and gently run it through her hair.
"Jack asked about you," I whisper quietly. I look towards our friends and see them engrossed in the film. She looks up at me with her eyebrows furrowed. "Are you guys okay now?"
I sigh and shrug, giving her the same answer I gave myself. "I guess? I don't know, it all seems trivial now and that irks me. My best friend trying to kiss you shouldn't seem trivial."
"Everything seems trivial now, Finn." Her voice is even quieter than mine was. "But I'm not going to be upset with you if you forgive him, you know."
I bite my lip as I look down at her and nod. She leans up and kisses my dimple before going back to how she was sitting.
I want to say that we sit and watch the rest of the movie in a peaceful silence, but it really is just consisting of all of them asking me a thousand and one questions. I don't understand how they have so many questions when they're watching the damn movie, but I answer them regardless.
"Oh shit," Aves whispers when the plot twist of the movie comes. "What the fuck?"
I chuckle as the three of them start to freak out and question everything. "I told you it's a great movie."
"Oh, that's so fucked up," Sophie shakes her head. I look down at her and see Cam's arm draped over her shoulder, her head resting on his. Smirking, I nudge Aves. When she looks up at me with her eyebrows furrowed, I just nod in their direction to point out the pair. She follows my gaze before her eyes light up and she starts to hits my chest repeatedly. I grab her wrists and shush her, trying to stop her before they hear us. She clamps her hand over her mouth as she looks back at them with that excited glint in her eye, then back at me.
I pull her back into me and she hides her face in my torso to try and hide her excitement while I roll my eyes. I probably shouldn't of shown her that.
The rest of the movie finishes and Lin gets up to turn on the lights. It gets so bright that I feel like I just came out of the womb. Okay, that was weird and a little dramatic, but you know what I mean.
The three of them turn to face us and I catch the time. 10:30.
Avery lets out a huge yawn as she sits up from her place in my side. I keep my hand on her thigh under the blanket as Lindsey asks me, "Are you going to school tomorrow?"
"Unfortunately." I look over at Aves, who's already looking at me. "I wish I could stay here with you, though."
She gives me a small closed mouth smile. "I'll be fine. I feel better today already."
"Still," Cam starts, looking at his best friend with sad eyes. "I wish there was something we could do."
"You're doing it," Avery says, looking down at her lap. I run my thumb over her inner thigh to try and comfort her. "You guys being here with me means more than you know. It's a nice distraction from everything."
"We love you, Avery," Lindsey starts, her voice steady but soft. Sophie adds on, "Yeah. And we are sorry that all of this is happening." She looks down too and plays with the hem of the blanket in her lap, something that Aves also does when she's nervous. "I hope you guys know that I want no part with Colin or any of those assholes. I was always so caught up in the superficiality of it all, but none of that matters. They all royally, royally suck."
We all chuckle and I smile lightly to myself. I'm glad she knows she's better than those dicks.
"Well, you're obviously more than welcome into our little family," Lindsey smiles as she looks over to her. Cam adds, "Yeah. I mean, Finn holds all of our collective popularity in his hands. So if the two of them break up than we're shit outta luck."
I roll my eyes while the rest of them snicker to themselves. I pull Aves into my side again and she wraps her arms around me. I press my lips to her temple before turning to them. "We're not breaking up. Never. Absolutely no shot."
"I'll have to agree with him on that one," Avery says, her lips pressing together right after. I look down at her with a small smile. I can see the slightly darkened circles under her eyes and hiding behind her glasses now that the lights are on. She still looks adorable though, obviously.
I must of been gazing at her for a little too long because Cam pretends to throw up, which causes Sophie to hit him over the head.
We all sit and talk for a little while longer before the three of them head out. I love hanging out with them don't get me wrong, but I'm slightly glad they're leaving. Not only am I drained but I can tell Avery is too. I just want to go to sleep with her in my arms while I can. I know this arrangement isn't going to last much longer so I want to take full advantage of it.
We stand by the door and watch them get to their car and drive away safely, Aves standing in front of me and my arms wrapped around her from behind. I glance to her driveway and see that her dads car isn't here anymore. I wonder what the second half of her parents conversation was, but I also don't really want to know.
The two of us make sure the door is locked and all the windows are shut before we head up to her room.
When we get there, we both get changed. Well, I take off my shirt and put on some sweats. She takes the shirt I was wearing, relax it's fresh I put it on after practice, and puts the same flannel pants on from last night. After brushing our teeth together and just getting ourselves situated, we lay down and go on our phones.
We're both scrolling in silence before she speaks up, "Hey, you're trending on my For You page."
She shows me her Twitter explore page and the tab that's labeled For You. My eyebrows furrow when I see my name. She clicks on it and the first tweet that pops up is one the T-Birds tweeted.
It's a picture of all the guys huddling around me in the locker room accompanied by another picture of Jack and Casey hanging onto my legs on the ice, my head tipped back in laughter. They captioned it Family first.
I smile lightly when Aves coos, "Thats fucking cute." She likes it and we start to look through the replies. I lock my own phone and put my head on her shoulder to look at hers.
Reply: That's what I like to see!
Reply: I LOVE THIS TEAM
Reply: So happy to see Wilder back and in good spirits. Wishing him and his lady well!
Reply: Okay.. Finn's hot as fuck
That one makes Avery laugh loudly and she instantly favorites it. "Oh, I would love to do nothing more than retweet that."
"I think liking it is enough," I chuckle, feeling my face heat up a little bit. God. People on the internet are wild.
She giggles as she goes back to the tag of my name and starts scrolling some more. That's when we both see the video that she clicks on the second it appears. Holy shit. It's an interview of the San Jose Sharks general manager, Patrick Davis. He's the one who, with the head coach, chooses which players are on the team.
My heart beats slower when the video starts and someone from the press asks, "With the announcement of the draft, there has been talk about Finn Wilder from the Thunderbirds being your top pick. Can you make any comment on that?"
Avery puts her hand to her mouth as he answers. "Well, Wilder is a great player who I've kept up with since his second month in the AHL. He's got a lot of potential and I think he's a gem in the league, you know? I wouldn't be surprised if more teams have him on their potentials and they're just not releasing it."
"So is it safe to say that he will be one of your draft picks?"
"He's an option. A good option. But nothing is final yet and we are keeping it open for now."
She exits the video and basically jumps on top of me, her knees going on either sides of my hips and her hands going to my cheeks as she beams down at me, "You're getting drafted!"
"He said I'm an option," I blink in disbelief, not really being able to take in his words. This has all gotten so real so fucking fast. "He said it's not final-"
I can't finish my sentence because she kisses me suddenly, taking my bottom lip between hers. My body reacts before my brain and I put my hands on her hips and sit up, causing her to fall on my lap.
I hold in my groan as she moves on my lap, her arms wrapping around my neck to bring me closer. Her lips on mine alone feels so fucking good. It just makes me want more of her.
My arms go around her and my hands press against her back as I push her towards me even more, our chests flattening against one another. One of my hands leaves her upper back and grips the back of her head as I push our faces together, as if it would deepen the kiss. I resist the urge to bring my lips to her neck and just continue to move them against hers.
I love kissing her. I love being near her. I love how she wants me like I want her. I love her. I love her more and more everyday and everyday I'm confused as to how that's possible.
"I love you, Finn." I smile against her because she's thinking the same thing I am. She pulls away and presses her forehead to mine as she speaks breathlessly, "I know we say it a lot and I don't want to let it lose its meaning, but I really do. I can't imagine going through this without you. I just- I can't imagine what life would of been like if I didn't meet you."
"I know we're young, Aves. But I don't want to imagine my life without you. I want you to be there when I play in my first NHL game, and my last. I want to be there when you graduate college and on the first day of your dream job."
She smiles and kisses my dimple like she always does. "You're such a cliché, you know that?"
"Hey, you started it," I pout. She pecks my lips again before I continue. "Besides, I can't help that I'm just naturally very charming."
"You're so cocky today," she giggles again. She presses one more kiss to my dimple before falling onto the bed next to me. I just smirk and put one of my arms behind my head as I look up at the ceiling. There's a brief silence before she says, "I can't wait until we can sleep like this every night."
I look over at her with a small smile. "If I do get drafted, I'll have my own place in San Jose. Which is significantly closer to LA than Seattle is."
"Oof," she huffs and then bites her lip. "That just gave me butterflies."
"And did I tell you that the Kings are looking into Casey?"
Her eyes widen as she looks at me. "Uh, no! You forgot to mention that!"
I laugh lightly. "Oops."
She shifts so that her head is right over my heart, her arm resting on my chest as she brings her hand to the right side of my face. I glance down at her and see her already looking up at me with a small smile as her thumb runs over my dimple. I never thought twice about the two indents on my face but she seems to like them more than anything else.
I ask, "How are you feeling? Be honest."
She continues to run her thumb gently across my cheek. "I feel better than yesterday, but I just feel weird. Like, it just doesn't feel real, you know? Yesterday doesn't feel real, but it does at the same time. I don't know how to explain it. I kinda just feel... Empty."
I frown at her words and move down so I'm at her level. I push the hair behind her ear and grip the side of her face, running my thumb over the nearly black strands. There's hardly any tint of blue left in her hair now. "Why do you feel empty?"
She sits with my question for a few moments, her lip coming between her teeth as she thinks. I don't rush her. I want her to try and understand why she feels like this instead of just shrugging it off. I continue to run my thumb over her hair as she ponders the question.
"I feel like something was lost." She avoids eye contact as she speaks, "I feel like there's a piece of us that was taken. I don't even know if it's security or safety, or if it's just privacy. But I feel different."
I don't answer as I study her body language. It's like she's thinking out loud and I can physically see her trying to sort out the puzzle that is her own mind. She continues, "I just think back to when I saw you for the first time, when I got to the station. You looked hollow. I hated it. I realized then that things were going to be different, that this wasn't just going to blow over like I hoped. We wouldn't be able to go back to how it was. We're going to constantly look over our shoulders now. It changed both of us."
"I felt hollow," I say softly. I swallow harshly as I will my voice not to waver. "I was fucking terrified, Aves. I knew deep down that you would get back safely, but on the surface I didn't. I started to spiral. I felt like I had weights in my stomach every minute we didn't hear from you. I felt like I couldn't breathe."
Her hand is on my face again and I realize I started to avoid eye contact with her now. I didn't mean to spill that, it kind of just happened.
She lets out a soft huff before she leans in and kisses me gentler than ever before. I don't try to deepen it and let her kiss me.
When she goes back to her previous position, I say, "You can talk about it, you know. What he did.. If you want. It might feel good to get it off your chest."
"It's not fair." She retracts her hand from me and pulls the blanket up to her chin. "For me to do that, I mean. It's not fair to you."
My brows furrow. "Why would it not be fair?"
"Because, Finn. You're already infuriated with everything that's happened, which you obviously have every right to be. I can tell you're holding it all in for me. How is it fair for me to just pile onto that? To pile onto the pain that you already have?"
"Because I'm your boyfriend, Avery. I can handle it. I want you to be open and honest with me, about everything. I want you to feel better, and if that takes getting what happened to you off your chest than so be it."
She still looks hesitant so I add, "And if I'm being honest, Avery, I can't get angrier than I already am. I have so much rage built up, but I don't know what I'm going to do with it. I've already envisioned the absolute worst. I can't get madder than I already am."
"Is that supposed to convince me to tell you?" I can tell that she's pressing her lips together to hide her smile. Okay, that's fair. I didn't really sell that like I wanted too.
I chuckle, "I just mean that I've already thought of the worst. And if it means you feeling even a little bit better, than I want you to get it out."
She sighs as she rolls on her back and stares at the ceiling again. I stay on my side and watch her carefully, staying quiet as I prepare myself for whatever she's about to say.
"I don't know, Finn. He was just so.. Weird. I can't believe that I dated that guy. He wasn't the same person, he couldn't of been. Sure, he was always a little awkward and an outcast, but it was cute. I thought he was cute. But this was different. He acted like we never broke up. He acted like I was cheating on him, and that he was forgiving me."
"When-When he kissed me, it felt so fucking wrong. All I could think about was how it felt so foreign even though I've kissed him before. Then I realized it was because I only ever want to kiss you. Kissing anyone else is never going to feel right because you're the only person I ever want to be like that with. It-It kills me that I let him do that, Finn." She looks over at me and she has a few tears on her cheeks, but I'll be honest. So do I. Fuck. What a masculine guy I am. "I know you keep saying that it wasn't my fault, and I do know that deep down. But still. I wish I didn't let him and would of just faced the consequences. I feel like I could of taken whatever other shit he would of done. I could of taken it."
I blink a few times to try and undo my pathetic tears. It breaks my heart that he kissed her. It breaks me that he got to kiss the lips that make me feel like I'm flying. It breaks me that the girl I love had to go through that.
In a way, it hurts more than when I actually was cheated on. It hurts more than when my girlfriend intentionally slept with a friend of mine. I know why, though. It's because I love Avery more than the human mind could ever fathom. As much as it makes me an asshole, I cared more about Avery within the two weeks of meeting her than I did for Sarah within the entire duration of the relationship.
"Come here," I say softly. She rolls over into me and I envelope her in my arms, holding her as close as I can. Her leg wraps around my waist and I put my hand on the back of her head as she rests it against my chest. Her soft hair is straight and knotless, so it's really easy to run my finger through it. "I know we get pretty cheesy sometimes, Aves-"
She scoffs against me. "Sometimes."
I roll my eyes and continue, "But that's because I never thought these type of feelings existed outside those dumb romcoms. I didn't understand how someone could be so certain that out of all the people in the world, their soulmate is the one standing in front of them. I didn't think that was real until I met you."
She shifts slightly in my arms and I know by the way her shoulders have risen slightly that she's blushing.
"Do you realize how naive we sound?" She asks, pulling away to look at me. The small smile on her face tells me that she doesn't mean that in a negative way. "We're 18. We're in high school. Yet I'm so certain that there is no one else for me out there. If I was on the outside, or if I was reading this in a novel, I would be screaming and pulling out my hair."
I laugh lightly and shrug. "Oh, we are absolutely naive, no doubt about it. But I don't care. I don't care at all."
She leans up and kisses my dimple one last time before she nuzzles into me to go to sleep. "Me either."
Neither of us say anything after that and I already feel my eyes closing. I really can't wait to have my own place so we can do this more.
It's so weird how a month or so ago, the two of us were dreading the future. But now I feel like I can't wait. Even if I don't get drafted to San Jose, just being on the same coast seems good enough for me. I'm confident that we'll manage. I'm confident in us.