Finn

by Holly C. Webb

  “WHAT? NO!” Gabby exclaimed, looking at her friend like she’d lost her mind. “Are you insane? You’ll be kicked out of school.”

  “And if I don’t, what will happen to Finn?” Emmy asked, determined that she was going to do this. “She did this because of me; because of my mom. This isn’t his argument, I won’t let the mess that was my family, ruin his life too.”

  “But you’ll lose everything!” Gabby replied, giving her a worried look.

  “No, I won’t,” Emmy said with a smile. “Don’t you get it, this is my third time trying to do the college thing, and every time I end up miserable. But Finn, he makes me happy. Besides, I don’t need to go to college to follow my dream.”

  “I don’t know,” Gabby sighed, but Emmy knew her friend already had decided to help her.

  “Nell brought me up some clothes,” Emmy said as she gave her friend a smile. “Close the door, while I get dressed, then we are out of here.”

  Almost twenty-five minutes later, Emmy and Gabby were making their way through the front door of the main faculty building, and down along the corridor.

  Her phone had started ringing about ten minutes after she had left the hospital. She wasn’t surprised to see Finn’s name flashing on the screen. She hated ignoring him, and she knew that at that moment Finn would be freaking out completely. She also knew if she answered him, he would tell her not to do what she was about to do.

  When she arrived at the university, she half expected Finn to be standing there on the front steps waiting to stop her, but he wasn’t, and Emmy felt relieved.

  “Are you sure you really want to do this?” Gabby said as they both walked along the corridor slowly. As much as Emmy hated to admit it, she was far from well enough to be doing what she was about to do, but she didn’t care.

  “Yes,” Emmy said, as she stopped for a moment to catch her breath.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?” Gabby asked with a sound of panic in her voice, as she looked at Emmy.

  “Just need a moment,” Emmy replied, giving her a smile.

  She had the strangest feeling. Going to face the Dean should have been the most terrifying thing she ever had ever done in her life, but she wasn’t scared; not even the smallest bit. She knew this was the right thing to do.

  “Okay,” she said with a nod of her head, and another smile. “I’m ready.”

  Gabby nodded too before they both continued down the corridor.

  “Emmy!” A familiar voice said suddenly from behind the two girls, stopping them both. They turned around and Emmy was surprised to see Adam standing there. “You’re back!”

  “No not really,” she replied, giving him a smile, remembering what Shelby said. It was him that went to the Dean about what Shelby had done. While part of her knew by doing that, he had made everything so much worse, she was still grateful to him for sticking up for her. “I need to talk to the Dean.”

  “But you’re okay?” He asked, watching her closely.

  “I will be,” she replied with a smile. “I’m sorry, I really need to go…”

  “Yeah, sure,” Adam nodded, giving her a smile as she turned, heading on down the corridor once more. Emmy stopped again, turning back to look at Adam, who was now walking in the other direction.

  “Adam!” Emmy called out, stopping him before he turned back to face her. “Thank you. For going to the Dean, I mean. Thanks for having my back.”

  “Anytime,” Adam replied, giving her a broad smile.

  Emmy smiled once more before she turned back around, heading straight to the Dean’s office.

  “Emmy!” the Dean’s assistant exclaimed the moment Emmy walking into the outer office. “What are you doing here? I thought you were still in the hospital.”

  “I am,” Emmy replied, giving the woman a nervous smile. “I mean, I was. I need to talk to the Dean.”

  “I’m afraid he’s in a meeting…” the woman began to say, but Emmy didn’t have time to waste; she knew Finn was most likely on his way there, and if he got to her before she spoke to the Dean, he would never let her do this.

  Without waiting for the women to finish what she was saying, Emmy walked to the door and hurried into the Dean’s office.

  “Ms. Warner!” Dean Webber exclaimed with surprise when he looked up and saw her barging into his office.

  “Sir, I need to talk to you,” Emmy said, completely ignoring the fact that there were two men sitting across from him, in his office.

  “Ms. Warner, now is not a good time…” the Dean said as he stood up, but Emmy quickly cut him off.

  “This is the only time, Sir,” Emmy insisted. “I need to talk to you about Professor Murphy.”

  The Dean stared at her for a moment, then released a long, frustrated breath before he looked at the other two men and asked them to give them a moment.

  “So what is this all about?” The Dean asked, giving Emmy an impatient look before he retook his seat.

  “What Shelby accused Finn of doing, didn’t happen,” Emmy said, suddenly feeling like she wanted to throw up.

  “And how do you know this Ms. Warner?” The Dean asked, giving her a questioning look.

  “Because the night of the Halloween party,” Emmy said, knowing that it was too late to change her mind now. “Finn didn’t take Shelby back to his house. And the reason I know this is I was with him that night.”

  “You were with Professor Murphy in his home the night of the party?” The Dean asked, but Emmy could see in his face that Dean Webber wasn’t that surprised by her admission.

  “Yes, Sir,” Emmy said with a nod, suddenly feeling relieved that finally, all this was over.

  “I think you’d better take a seat, Ms. Warner,” the Dean instructed Emmy. She took a deep breath before she walked to the chairs in front of the Dean’s desk and sat down. “Now, I think you’d better start from the beginning.”

  Emmy nodded and began from the start.

  Chapter 26

  “So that’s why she hates Emmy?” Finn asked Landen as he looked at his brother in disbelief. “But that makes no sense. How is Emmy responsible for what her mother did, or Shelby’s father for that matter? How can she be so cruel?”

  “This girl has trouble written all over her,” Landen sighed as he looked at his brother. “She was kicked out of three different high schools, and even had a sealed juvenile record. I could request to have it unsealed, but I really don’t see what the point is.”

  “How did she even get into the program, to begin with?” Finn asked as he scanned through the paperwork Landen had given him. “Don’t they run a background check on these kids before they accept them into the program?”

  “You’d be surprised what you can achieve with a big cheque,” Landen sighed. “And that’s exactly why the Dean is even entertaining this bullshit. Her daddy bought her, her place in the university, though I doubt he knew anything about how she was treating Emmy. But I think I have the proof we need to prove she wasn’t in your home when she claims she was.”

  “You do?” Finn asked, and for the first time since this whole mess began, he felt a spark of hope.

  “I had Liam pull Shelby’s bank records,” Landen explained as he pulled out some paperwork. “It was a long shot, but one that seems to have paid off. Bank records show that someone made a withdrawal from her account about thirty minutes after she left the party, the same time she was supposed to be at your house, and then again forty minutes later. Liam has requested the CCTV footage, and if she is on there, then this nightmare will be over, and Dean Webber will have to choke on his words.”

  Before Finn could reply, his phone started to ring. When Finn picked it up, he could see Dylan’s name flashing on the screen, so he immediately hit accept and brought the phone to his ear.

  “Dylan!” Finn said instantly feeling a knot of concern in his stomach. Something was wrong with Emmy, he knew it in his heart. “What’s happened? Is Emmy okay?”

  “That girl Shelby was here,” Dylan expla
ined, and Finn could feel a wave of panic rise inside him. “I don’t know how she even got in here, but she was in Emmy’s room, and she had Emmy upset. I don’t know what she said to her, I only came in at the end, but whatever it was, it got Emmy worked up. I told her to get out; but now, Emmy wants to leave. Gabby is here with her, trying to calm her down.”

  “SHIT!” Finn yelled, surprising both Landen and Dylan.

  “What’s happened?” Landen asked, giving his brother a questioning look.

  “Shelby happened,” Finn sighed angrily before he returned his attention back to Dylan. “I’m on my way down there. Dylan, whatever you do, do not let Emmy leave.”

  Without even waiting for any instruction, Landen grabbed his car keys, before he and Finn hurried out of the house and down the steps to where Landen’s car was parked.

  “We’ll get to her,” Landen promised his brother as he reversed his car out of the garden, but his words seemed to fall on deaf ears. “So stop worrying.”

  All Finn could think about was Emmy, as his mind was racing with thoughts of everything that Shelby might have said to her. Dylan said she was upset. He hated that he hadn’t been there to protect her from that horrible excuse for a human being.

  They were almost halfway to the hospital when Finn’s phone began to ring once more, and once more it was Dylan.

  “Dylan,” Finn said as he answered the phone, a sickening knot forming in the pit of his stomach.

  “She’s gone,” Dylan said, and Finn’s heart felt like it had dropped down into his stomach, and for a moment he felt like he was going to be sick.

  “What do you mean, she’s gone?” Finn said as he blew out a long, frustrated breath. “Gone where?”

  “When I went back to her room,” Dylan replied, as Finn could hear the panic in his voice. “She was just gone, so was Gabby. I tried to find her; I even checked the carpark, but there was no sign of either of them.”

  “Why would she just leave like that?” Finn asked, completely confused by Emmy’s behaviour. “I don’t get it.”

  “I think I know why,” Dylan said, and Finn could hear the uncertainty in his brother’s voice. “I think she’s gone to speak to the Dean of the university. I think she has gone to tell him about you and her.”

  “She said that?” Finn asked as he glanced over at Landen and gave him a worried look. “Why? Why would she go there?”

  “Because when Shelby was leaving, she told her that she could always talk to the Dean, almost like she was daring her,” Dylan explained. “She told Emmy that the question is how much she really loves you.”

  “FUCK!” Finn yelled angrily. “And of course Emmy had to go and prove it to her.”

  “Finn, I’m sorry,” Dylan said, miserably. Finn felt guilty that his brother believed he had let him down.

  “Don’t be,” Finn sighed. “I will call you when I find her.”

  Finn hung up the phone, then instructed Landen to turn the car around and head for the university.

  Landen pulled over to the curb, then did a u-turn when the traffic was clear.

  “Do you really think she is going to go tell the Dean the truth?” Landen asked after they had been driving for a few minutes.

  “I don’t know what to think anymore,” Finn sighed angrily. “I love her, Landen, I really do, but this girl ties me up in knots sometimes. I have no clue what the hell goes through her mind”

  “But she knows if she tells the Dean about you and her, she would be kicked out of college,” Landen asked, as he briefly glanced over at Finn.

  “She knows Landen,” Finn confirmed with another sigh. “But something tells me, her college career is the last thing she is thinking of.”

  “She loves you, Finn,” Landen said, smiling to himself. Finn looked over at him and waited for his brother to impart some words of wisdom to him.

  “I know she does,” Finn nodded, still waiting for his brother to continue. “I love her, too.”

  “Now tell me that you wouldn’t do the same for her!” Landen asked as he glanced over at him once more. “That you wouldn’t give it all up. Tell me that’s not exactly what you’re doing for her?”

  Finn knew that his brother was right. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for Emmy, but he wasn’t about to let her throw her life away for him.

  “Then tell me, what can I do?” Finn asked as he watched his brother. “What can I do to fix this train wreck now? Because I can’t let her ruin her life like this.”

  “Well there is one thing you can do,” Landen replied without looking over at his brother. “But I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

  “I told you I don’t want to do this,” Finn hissed under his voice as they hurried along the corridor towards the Dean’s office. “I don’t think that I can.”

  “Then Emmy is finished in this university,” Landen said matter-of-factly just as they reached the outer office of the Dean’s office. “Is that what you really want?”

  Finn hated that Landen was right, but it didn’t make what Landen wanted him to do any easier. He could already imagine Emmy’s face if he did as Landen had instructed him to do.

  “Professor Murphy,” the Dean’s assistant said as she stood up behind her desk. “I didn’t know that the Dean was expecting you.”

  “He’s not,” Finn replied, almost dismissively as he turned and looked at Gabby who was sitting on a chair across from the assistant’s desk. “What were you thinking, bringing her down here?”

  “She was coming down here anyway,” Gabby replied defensively. “Would you’ve preferred I let her come alone?”

  “Just stupid,” Finn muttered under his breath as he reached of the handle of the door, storming into the room.

  “Finn!” The Dean exclaimed the moment he saw him bursting through the door, followed closely by Landen. Emmy turned to look at him too, giving him a look that he couldn’t really read.

  He wanted to hold her, to tell her that everything was going to be okay, but he needed to keep up his pretence if he was to pull of Landen’s plan to protect Emmy too.

  “Whatever Ms. Warner told you is a lie,” Finn blurted out as he stomped across the room to the Dean’s desk without letting his eyes meet Emmy’s. “I know she feels responsible for what happened between Ms. Cooper Smith and me because it happened at the hearing about Ms. Cooper Smith’s treatment of her, but I assure you, whatever she said is untrue.”

  “What are you doing?” Emmy asked as she looked up at Finn.

  “Ms. Warner,” Finn said as he finally looked at Emmy, the look of confusion in her eyes made him feel like complete crap, but he had to protect her at any cost. “I’m grateful for your support, but I can’t sit by and allow you to lie in order to protect me.”

  “So what Emmy has said about you and her…” The Dean asked as he stood up from his seat.

  “Is a lie,” Finn replied, finishing the Dean’s thought. “The night of the party, I was in the library alone, as you already know. I was to go to a party in my brother’s home, but I felt unwell, so I went straight home instead. I was alone all night. I know that is not the alibi you want from me, but it’s all I have. I didn’t explain myself before now because I was angry that you would even consider what Ms. Copper Smith said as being true.”

  “We also have copies of Ms. Cooper Smith’s bank details,” Landen said from behind Finn before he took a step closer to the Dean’s desk, where he sat down the paperwork. “It shows that Ms. Cooper Smith actually withdrew money on the night in question from an ATM at the time she was supposed to be in my brother’s house, and again forty minutes later. We are just waiting for CCTV footage, but once we have that and it confirms it was indeed Ms. Cooper Smith, I’m sure you’ll agree that this matter is over.”

  “But I don’t understand,” Dean Webber said, looking from Finn to Emmy. “Why would Ms. Warner say that she and you…”

  “As I said, I believe she felt somehow responsible for what happened,” Finn sighed, hating that he was
talking about Emmy like she was just some stupid girl. “But I assure Ms. Warner that I in no way hold her responsible for what has happened. And I assure you, there is nothing untoward going on between Ms. Warner and myself. I’m her professor, nothing more.”

  “But Ms. Warner said that you and she are having a relationship,” the Dean replied giving Finn a questioning look.

  “Come on, Donald!” Finn exclaimed as he stared at the Dean, unable to look at Emmy’s face as he said the words. He hated that he was talking about her like wasn’t even there. “You know me, how long? Do you really believe that I would throw my career away; throw my life away for a fling with some random girl. I can’t give you a reason why Ms. Warner said what she said. Maybe she thought she was helping; maybe it’s some stupid infatuation, but one I assure you I don’t reciprocate. I can assure you there has never been, nor ever will be anything between Ms. Warner and me.”

  “Ms. Warner,” the Dean said, turning to look at Emmy once more. “Emmy. I’m sure you know that to tell lies like this is a serious matter.”

  “Dean Webber,” Emmy said, as her voice cracked with unshed tears. “I…”

  “Dean Webber,” Landen said before Emmy could say another word. “I think Ms. Warner has been through enough these last couple of weeks. Surely we don’t want to put this young lady through anymore.”

  “Very well, Mr. Murphy,” the Dean said with a sighed before he retook his seat. “Professor Murphy, as this matter with Ms. Copper Smith, seems to have been resolved and our investigation would appear to have reached its conclusion; I would like to tell you that your suspension has been lifted, and I offer you my sincerest apology.”

  “Actually, regarding that,” Finn said still refusing to look at Emmy. He could feel her staring at him, but he knew if he looked in her eyes, he wouldn’t be able to maintain the illusion that there was nothing between them. He just hoped that she would understand, once he explained what it was he was doing. “I wonder if I could talk to you alone, Sir.”

  “Certainly, Professor Murphy,” the Dean replied before he turned to Emmy once more. “If you have nothing else to add to proceedings, Ms. Warner, then you are free to leave.”