Page 82 of Innocent Until Proven Witch

He shakes his head, a smile appearing, small and almost embarrassed, which is unusual for him. Very unusual. "I had a speech."

My eyebrows rise. "A speech?"

"It was better in my head."

I chuckle softly and Finn points triumphantly. "There."

I roll my eyes. "There what?"

"That." His smile widens. "I've been trying to get that reaction back all week."

The warmth in my chest catches me by surprise. Finn takes a slow breath, and the humor fades, something deeper replacing it.

His gaze never leaves mine. "Reina." The way he says my name makes my pulse stumble. "I love you."

The room goes completely still. No teasing. No jokes. No deflection. Only truth.

Finn steps closer. "I love you." The words come again, steady and certain. "I can't imagine waking up and not seeing you." My throat tightens. "I can't imagine this town without you in it." His voice grows quieter, more vulnerable, a rarity. "I can't imagine my life without you in it."

The confession hangs heavily between us. Raw, honest and beautiful.

Finn laughs softly, almost at himself. "I've become so attached to you that it feels ridiculous." A smile trembles at the corner of my mouth, and he notices immediately. Good. Because he's not finished. "I want a future with you."

The words settle deep inside my chest, past fear, past doubt, past every wall I've spent years building.

Finn squeezes my hand. "You leaving isn't an option I'm willing to accept."

A real laugh escapes me, watery and broken. The tears arrive anyway, and this time I don't fight them. Finn immediately pulls me into his arms, and I bury my face against his chest, the familiar scent of salt and sunlight surrounding me. Safe. Suddenly, I feel safe.

The silence stretches, comfortable, and eventually I pull back, just enough to look at him. The doubt hasn't disappeared completely. Maybe it never will. But something stronger stands beside it now.

Hope.

I glance toward the packed bag, then toward the journals, then toward Finn. The choice suddenly feels obvious. Slowly, I walk toward the bag, and Finn watches carefully, suspiciously, as though expecting another surprise.

I unzip it, then begin removing everything. His relief is immediate, and extremely satisfying. A smile finally reaches my face. A real one.

Finn points toward the bag. "Best decision you've made all day."

I roll my eyes. "Don't ruin the moment."

His grin returns. Too late.

The bag remains empty. The journals remain on the table. The fight remains unfinished. Now, I know exactly where I belong.

Right here and ready to fight back.

30

FINN

The Moon Tide Festival lanterns are already strung along the harbor when I find Reina on the cliff path above the lighthouse, standing where the wind off the water is sharpest, watching the last of the sunset bleed orange into the sea.

"You should be resting," I say, coming up beside her. "Tomorrow's going to take everything we've got."

"I know." She doesn't look at me, just keeps watching the horizon like she's trying to memorize it. "I keep thinking about all the ways this could go wrong. Aldric has decades of preparation. We have a week's worth of stolen evidence and a town that only half believes us."

"It's enough."