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I shrug, not really wanting to talk about it. “It’s in the past.”
Unable to finish the food on my plate, I feel tense. Then Finlay’s hand settles on my knee beneath the table. My eyes dart to hers, and she gives me a smile as if she knows exactly how I feel.
The tension leaves my shoulders, and I take another sip of water.
She shovels another bite into her mouth, then stands up and pulls me out of the chair. “Thanks for lunch, Dad. See you later.”
“The dishes will be waiting for you,” David calls after us.
Finlay doesn’t slow down until we’re halfway to my house, then she gives me an apologetic look. “Sorry about that.”
I shrug. “It’s nothing.”
Heading up the stairs to the porch, she says, “I can see it’s something, but you don’t have to talk about it.”
When I shut the front door behind us, my eyes lock with Finlay’s, and then the idea hits. Maybe if I share my experience with her, she’ll feel more comfortable being open with me about her own pain.
I pull her to the couch, and after we sit down, I turn my body toward hers. I take a deep breath, then say, “Chelsea… Mrs. Chapel wouldn’t keep her hands to herself. I felt uncomfortable and asked her to stop touching me, and she lost her shit.”
That about sums it up.
Finlay’s eyebrows pull together in a sad look. “I’m sorry.”
I shake my head. “It is what it is.”
She holds my hand tighter. “It isn’t, Ethan. I’m glad you told her to stop.”
“Just sucks that the town’s talking about it.” I let out a heavy breath, forcing a smile to my face.
“Hopefully, they’ll find something new to talk about soon.” Finlay scoots closer, and letting go of my hand, she wraps her arms around my neck, giving me a hug. “Are you okay?”
I nod, holding her tightly to me. “Yeah, I’m okay.”
Not pulling back, I hear her take a deep breath. She presses closer to me, and I can feel her body tensing.
“You can talk to me,” I whisper.
Finlay shudders in my arms, and I can feel her struggle to decide whether to open up to me or not. She’s quiet for a long moment, her body tensing more until she starts to tremble.
“A man broke into the house.”
Hearing the raw pain in her voice, I close my eyes, knowing it’s going to hurt like a son-of-a-bitch listening to her.
More minutes pass, my heartbeat speeding up until it’s hammering in my chest.
“H-he hurt me.”
My jaw clenches, and I hold her tighter, wanting to protect her from her memories.
Finlay jerks against me, her tears warming my neck. She doesn’t make a sound as she cries.
I knew something bad happened, but Christ, not that.
Please not that.
She whimpers, the sound shredding right through my heart.
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper, my arms refusing to ease their hold on her. “God, I’m so sorry.”
She doesn’t have to say the words.
Still, she finds the strength to say, “He…” Anything but that. “… raped me.”
The raw burning in my gut makes me feel nauseated while my heart shatters for Finlay, rage burning through my muscles.
Christ.
Breathe.
How the fuck can anyone hurt Finlay, especially like that?
I can’t process this.
A physical ache clamps around my heart, my soul raging at the horror she was forced to experience.
She must’ve been so scared.
It’s a million times worse than what I went through, and I felt sick. God… Finlay… I can’t begin to imagine how she must feel.
Violated. Helpless. Repulsed. That’s how I felt, and Chelsea just touched me.
But, Finlay, God, it must've destroyed her.
Knowing she just needs me to hold her the way Mom held me, I brush my hand up and down her back.
It takes Finlay close to half an hour to calm down, and then she just leans against me.
“You’re so damn strong,” I say.
A lost breath shudders from her. “I don’t feel strong.”
I press a kiss to the top of her head. “Then I’ll keep telling you until you feel it.”
Now that I know what Finlay’s been through, I start to worry I’m moving way too fast. I do the calculation, and a frown darkens my face. She’s been in Southport three weeks, which means… a month?
Fuck.
“I’m sorry if I’ve pushed you too fast,” the words spill from me. “We’ll slow down. I can wait until you’ve had time to deal with… what happened. I don’t care if it takes years, we can just be friends until you’re ready for a relationship.”
I’ll be the best fucking friend she’s ever had.
Chapter 17
FINLAY
I wait for the shame to come, but it doesn’t.
Not opening my eyes, I whisper, “You didn’t push me. If anything, you’ve given me some of the control back that I lost.” Ethan presses a kiss to my forehead, and it has me asking, “You don’t think less of me?”
