“I’d like to do a lot more than mess up his pretty face,” Finn muttered, evidently contemplating Gordon’s murder. To calm him, I placed both of my palms against his cheeks and turned his face toward mine. He startled, clearly surprised by my touch, but as soon as his eyes met mine he seemed to relax.
“Thank you for last night,” I said, holding his gaze. “I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been there.”
He pulled in a deep breath and closed his eyes. “You don’t need to thank me.”
A knock at sounded loudly at the door and I dropped my hands fromFinn’s face. Lexi pulled open the door, revealing a middle-aged police officer with a beer-gut, a graying beard, and a receding salt-and-pepper hairline.
“I’m Officer Carlson. I’ll be taking your statements and looking around the place for any signs of a break in. Can one of you tell me what happened?”
Lexi got the officer a glass of water and I sat on the couch with him discussing the flowers and their mysterious arrival. After jotting down my statement in a small black notebook, he followed me into my bedroom and examined the bouquet lying in my wastebasket.
“Well,” he drawled, scratching his protruding belly, “It’d have been better if you hadn’t touched them, of course, but I can take them back to the station and see if we can lift any prints off ‘em. It’s doubtful, though. Flowers aren’t exactly ideal for fingerprinting.” He snorted, evidently amusing himself.
Glad they sent out Charlottesville PD’s finest to help me through this ordeal.
After bagging the flowers and taking a cursory glance at the front door lock, Officer Carlson left. He promised to let me know as soon as they had any answers about the break in, but I certainly wouldn't be holding my breath. I closed the door behind him and walked slowly to my bedroom, ignoring the identical looks of concern plastered on Lexi, Tyler, and Finn’s faces. I needed to be alone.
Propping open my window, I slid out onto my rooftop and curled my knees up to my chest. I pillowed my arms on top of my knees, laid down my head, and closed my eyes, trying to regulate my breathing. Somehow, even my rooftop didn’t feel safe today. The creepy flower delivery had me more rattled than I wanted to admit– not to myself and certainly not to the three people inside on my couch.
In fact, the only time I’d felt safe in weeks was whenFinn had swooped in like a freaking knight in shining armor and carried me away from Gordon and the panic-inducing crowds at Styx last night. I wasn’t sure why he had such a calming effect on me. I’d never needed anyone to save me before, and I definitely didn’t want to need someone now.
I was alarmed to recognize how much I enjoyedFinn’s company – how often he made me laugh, how I’d find myself smiling against my will in his presence, how he’d forcefully reacted to seeing me hurt. Despite all that, I wasn’t sure he felt anything for me, other than desire to add me to the long list of bimbos he’d screwed.
I’m not sure how much time passed as I sat out on the rooftop. Dusk had begun to descend and the sun creptever closer to the horizon. I heard the sound of my window sliding open, and Finn’s muffled curse as he maneuvered his tall frame through small opening. I didn’t turn my head to acknowledge him as he settled in next to me.
He was on my rooftop. Lexi had never even been out here with me. I should’ve felt violated or incensed at his intrusion into my private space, but somehow it felt right to have him here. He’d shared his highway lookout point with me, after all.
I waited for him to speak, but he remained silent. After a few minutes, he slipped his leather jacket, which he must’ve found hanging in my room, around my shoulders and wrapped an arm around me. I hadn’t realized how cold I was until his warmth was pressed against my side.
“Want to hear a bad joke?”Finn asked.
I turned my head to look at him and cocked one eyebrow. Was he being serious? He didn’t exactly seem like the comedian-type.
“I’ll take your silence as tacit approval,” he said, pausing to collect his thoughts. His eyebrows pulled together as if he were deep in thought. “What do you call a pony with a cough?”
I looked at him blankly.
“A little hoarse!” Finn laughed, evaluated my less-than-amused expression, and became contemplative once more. “Hmm, no luck with that one. Okay, why couldn't Dracula's wife get to sleep?”
Again, I failed to give hima reaction.
“Because, Brooklyn, she was up all night with hiscoffin.” He sighed dramatically. “That one was obvious! If I didn’t know better, I’d think you weren’t eventryingto answer these.”
When I still didn’t laugh,Finn rolled his eyes. “Jeeze, tough crowd. Okay this is my last one. Mostly ‘cause I don’t know any more jokes. Baby, do you play Quiddich?”
I think my mouth fell open in shock. He couldn't possibly be making a Harry Potter joke…could he?
“‘Cause you sure look like a Keeper to me,” he finished, smiling broadly.
I couldn't help it -- I burst into laughter. “You like Harry Potter?” I asked incredulously.
“What kind of question is that?” Finn asked, his cheeks flushing slightly pink with embarrassment. “Everyone likes Harry Potter,” he grumbled. “Don’t you?”
“Well, yeah. I’ve just never heard a guy admit to it before.” I dissolved into giggles at his obvious discomfort. “Seriously, where did you get those jokes? They’re pretty terrible, just so you know for any future attempts at cheering up sulking girls.”
“Oh, believe me, I know how bad they are. My little sister taught them to me a while back, though, and I can’t seem to forget them. Plus, they made you laugh…eventually.” His eyes crinkled up as he grinned playfully at me.
He was gorgeous all the time but seeing him like this, so boyish and lighthearted, made him even more attractive. My heart seemed to turn over in my chest as I took in his profile: the chiseled jawline, his perpetually messy dark hair,that freaking adorable dimple, and those stunning cobalt eyes. I leaned into his side and pressed a feather-light kiss to his jawline, settling my forehead into the hollow of his throat before he had time to react.