by Lindsey Gray
“You’re right. I’ll let Lane know. I’ll be back to check on you later.”
“Thanks, but I think Aiden is sacking out in my bed. If we need anything, he can come get you.”
“I think I’ll check on you, just to make sure myself.”
She headed for the door. “Mom?”
“Yes, honey?” She stood in the doorway.
“Are you and Dad going to be around tomorrow?”
“We should. The cleaning crew is coming first thing in the morning. Why?”
“I just wanted to talk to you guys about a couple things. Maybe if we’re able to be up and around in the morning, we can talk.”
“Sure thing. I’ll go talk to Lane. Lucy, honey, you feel better.”
Lucy lifted her head up only to lay it back down on the rim of the bowl. “I’ll try.”
Claire blew her son a kiss before closing the door behind her.
Lucy perked back up and scooted back over beside Finn. “I’m impressed.”
“I used to fake my way out of my calc tests. I sort of got a knack for it.”
“How did you ever pass calc?”
“Dave Walters.”
“Aha. The infamous tutoring sessions.”
“You know, it still isn’t too late to enroll in some summer classes.”
Finn tucked a stray piece of her hair behind her ear. “Why the rush for college all of a sudden?”
“I don’t think I can wait to spend every night with you. Believe me, as long as I live under my dad’s roof, there will be no Finn and Lucy sleepovers.”
The thought of having Lucy in his arms every night was very appealing. He was sure they could get an apartment off campus somewhere. He knew Jack and Rylan planned to live together, though they would never admit it to their families. There was so much they would have to do first. His parents—he couldn’t even imagine telling her father about all of it. What would Lane think? Would he even let him be with Lucy after he found out? Finn knew he needed to make sure no one could take her away from him.
“Lucy, I have to tell my parents. After that, they might understand that we need to go ahead with college now.”
“I just can’t bear to be away from you.”
“I can tell. I didn’t believe you when you said you talked in your sleep.”
She smiled as he traced his fingertips across the bridge of her nose. “You think you can get used to it?”
“Definitely.”
He held her in close as he took in her scent wafting from her hair. How can I make her mine, forever?
“August fourth.” Finn’s thought just slipped out as it came to mind.
“The day after my birthday?”
He kissed her softly and then rested his forehead against hers. “We’ll both be eighteen. Then I can do what I’ve been wanting to do all my life.”
She pulled back from him. “We can do that now, Finn. We don’t have to wait until we’re eighteen.”
He smiled and shook his head. “That’s not what I meant.” He took her left hand in his. “Marry me, Lucy.”
He always dreamed about spending his life with her. Since he’d come home, it was no longer a dream. Now he knew he could make it a reality. They’d have to make it through the summer, but after that, they’d do it, and no one would be able to stop them from being together.
“I don’t want to get married just because of all this. I want to get married because we love each other, and we can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together.”
“I know that’s how I feel. Lucy…say you’ll be my wife.”
She chewed on her bottom lip. “I want to. I don’t know how we can.”
“I know it might be hard at first, depending on whether my family decides to cut me off or not. I’ll get a job. I’ll even play on a street corner if I have to. Just say you’ll be my wife.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. “I always thought it might be kind of romantic to elope. Run off to Vegas. I heard the Venetian is beautiful.”
“So, you like the Italian theme?”
“Yep, it seems so romantic.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do. Then for our anniversary I’ll take you to Italy.”
“It sounds perfect.”
“Well?”
“Yes, I’ll marry you. Maybe not that soon, but as soon as we can get all of this straightened out.”
He kissed her and pulled her back down on the floor. She nestled back into his chest as he tried to savor each fleeting moment he had in her embrace.
Aiden checked on them once before going to sleep. Claire had been in several times. Once, Lucy was the one rubbing Finn’s back as he had his head in the toilet. The other times, she just saw them sleeping in each other’s arms.
When Finn woke up knowing it was morning, Lucy didn’t want to budge. He carried her to his room and placed her in his big comfortable chair. After he slipped on a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt, he went to wake up Aiden.
The old wet finger in the ear trick worked like always. He shot straight up, almost waking Lucy. By the time he finished dressing though, Lucy was up. She gave Finn a peck and went off to Rylan’s room to borrow some clothes. She came back about twenty minutes later in a pair of Rylan’s black yoga pants and a fitted burgundy t-shirt.
Together the three of them came up with a game plan before going down to the kitchen for breakfast.
“You two look like hell.” Rylan hit Jack as he sat down next to her. “What? They do.”
“Jack, they’ve had a rough night.” Claire came over and rubbed Finn’s back while Lucy leaned against him. “Do you guys want to try to eat something?”
“Nothing for me.” Finn pulled Lucy’s chin off his shoulder. “You think you might try something?” She came around to the front of him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She rested her forehead against his shoulder. “That’s a no for Lucy. Aiden?”
“No, I think we need to…you know.”
Finn nodded to Aiden as he looked to his mother. “Where’s Dad hiding himself?”
“In the den, like always. You two wanted to talk to us?”
Aiden cleared his throat. At that, Finn corrected her. “Actually, all three of us.”
A look of sheer panic spread across Claire’s face. Rylan and Jack exchanged confused looks. They’d find out, but first Finn felt they needed to talk with their parents.
“Oh…alright. I was just going to take him some coffee. Let’s talk there.”
They filed into the den. Claire went over and gave Murphy a cup of coffee as he looked up from his laptop on his desk. She stood behind him with her hand on his shoulder as Aiden, Lucy and Finn sat down on the couch.
“The kids would like to talk to us about something.”
“Alright.” Murphy flipped the screen down on his laptop and leaned back in his chair. Claire went directly behind him and started massaging his shoulders. She was very nervous.
“So, you want the good news or the bad news?” Finn’s attempt to break the ice didn’t seem so funny when his father glared at him.
“Oh, God.” Claire gasped. Panic had turned into horror before Finn realized what she was thinking.
“Let’s get one thing straight. We’re not here to tell you that you’re going to be grandparents. Lucy is not pregnant.”
Claire sighed in relief as Aiden laughed. “Only if it were by immaculate conception.”
“Aiden!” Lucy smacked his arm.
“What? After everything we have to tell them, you’re embarrassed that you’re not having sex?”
Lucy shook her head as her eyes went to her lap.
“This isn’t about Lucy and I having sex, or how Aiden put it, ‘not having sex.’”
“Thank God. I know the two of you are very responsible, but you’re just too young to be parents right now.” Claire had left Murphy’s side and was running her fingers through Finn’s hair. Her touch was comforting.
“What’s this about then?”
Murphy got up and moved to the front of his desk. He sat on the edge as Finn searched for the words to begin. Finn knew what he needed to tell them. He knew they needed to know. He just didn’t know how to start.
“Why don’t you tell them what Veronica did,” Aiden mumbled, thinking they wouldn’t hear him.
Claire knew of Finn’s obvious dislike for Veronica, so the panic look returned. “I think I better sit down.” She took a seat in the chair next to Finn.
“You know Veronica was Aiden’s girlfriend. She was always in our room. One day she found an e-mail on my laptop. One I hadn’t even looked at yet. I think she must have just opened it, because only the first picture was on the screen when I found her. When she left, she proceeded to tell the entire student body what she had seen on my computer.”
Finn swallowed hard as the image from that picture entered his mind. Lucy gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. He turned and tried to smile, but he had a feeling voicing it to his parents wasn’t going to make him feel any better.
“It was a picture of me.” Finn’s head fell back against the couch as he took several deep breaths.
“Do you want me to?” Lucy asked.
He pulled his head back up. “No. I need to say this.” He looked his father straight in the eyes. “The picture was of me being raped.”
Claire gasped and reached for Finn’s knee. Finn saw his father’s fingertips digging into the edge of the mahogany desk.
Finn knew he had to go on before he lost my nerve. “I was being raped by another man.”
Claire’s control broke as she started to cry.
Finn didn’t feel relief or satisfaction about admitting it out loud. He knew that was just the beginning for his parents. His overwhelming guilt flooded his system.
Aiden took it from there. “Veronica thought the picture was verification that Finn was gay. It was her logical conclusion since he wouldn’t sleep with her. That’s when she told everybody. She only saw one picture though. That bastard sent Finn dozens of pictures to torture him. That’s when I found out what really happened.”
“Dozens?” was all my Murphy could get out. The vein in Murphy’s forehead pulsed as all the blood rushed to his face, turning it a deep shade of scarlet. Finn was sure that vein was about to burst.
“The picture Veronica saw hadn’t been the first time. It actually turned out to be the last.”
Lucy walked over with a box of tissues and sat on the floor between Finn and Claire’s feet.
Murphy’s lips barely opened enough for him to speak, but they all understood his words. “Who did that to you?”
“Viktor.” Finn felt disgusted letting that name roll of his tongue. Finn remembered how Viktor kissed Lucy’s hand, how he smiled that same smile just before he tortured Finn, how Viktor handed Finn that first drugged drink to control Finn easier.
When the sound of breaking glass ricocheted around the room, Finn flinched and stared at his father. Murphy’s anger drove him to rip the books from the shelves, and tear the curtains off the rods. If he could have, he would have turned his desk on its side.
“Murphy!” Claire screamed. “That’s not going to help.”
“I just can’t…I’ve known him since he was a boy.” He clenched his hands into tight fists at his sides as he panted through each breath. His eyes held an anger and sorrow none of them had ever seen before.
“I know. I know.” Finn knew Viktor was like a brother to his dad. Viktor had been an only child. Murphy had taken him under his wing, not having a brother of his own. It was just he and his sister, Shannon. They had always been so close. That was one of the reasons Finn trusted him so much at first.
“I have proof.” Shocked, Finn turned to Aiden. “I fixed your computer and got all of the pictures.”
Finn never wanted to see those pictures again. He couldn’t believe that Aiden had the mind to put it together.
“Show me.”
“Dad, no. It’s too much.”
“Finn. I’m going to have to see them eventually. You know we’ll have to take them to Lane.”
Aiden pulled out a CD he’d been hiding and handed it to Murphy. He took it and inserted it into his laptop. Aiden and Finn got up and went to his side as Lucy wrapped her arms around Claire to comfort her as she sobbed.
The picture Veronica saw was the first one to come on screen. Finn winced as each picture scrolled across the screen until it came to the last one—the first time. All those years, Finn never even knew Viktor had taken pictures of him.
Murphy bit down on his knuckle to prevent his sobs from filling the room. “You were only twelve. How could he?”
Claire stood up and started to come over to them. Finn stopped her and just held her in his arms. He knew then he had to be strong for her, for his father. Somehow, he found the strength.
“He was in our house. Last night! I danced with him! He danced with Rylan! Oh, my God!” Claire looked frantically into Finn’s eyes.
“I don’t think he would do anything to Rylan or the girls. I don’t know, though. I just know it’s time. I’ve let him torture me enough. It’s time for it to stop.”
Murphy picked up the phone and started dialing. “Lane, it’s Murphy. I need you to come out to the house…No, the kids are feeling better, but we need to talk to you…Alright, we’ll see you soon.” Murphy set his phone down. “I need to talk to Lane, but I think I know how we can find Viktor.”
“What do you mean, find him?” Lucy asked.
“They were going up to visit Camille’s mother after the party last night. I’m sure if I called and asked him to come back, he would.”
“Without Camille or the girls?” Finn hoped his father was thinking the same thing he was. Finn never wanted to put those girls through an ounce of pain.
“I think so.”
Finn led Claire back to her chair and got her settled. When he saw Lucy sitting with her knees to her chest on the couch, he knelt on the floor in front of her. She let her feet slip off the couch and Finn settled in between her legs. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his found their way around her waist.
Aiden sat down next to Lucy and started rubbing her back. He whispered to them, “Maybe this would be the time to bring up the good news.”
Finn kissed his way from Lucy’s jaw to her lips. She hungrily kissed him back, gripping Finn’s jaw with her hands.
“Come up for air, Jesus Christ.”
Finn pulled back, and Lucy glared at Aiden. Finn cupped her cheek with his hand.
“I’m ready.” She kissed his palm.
“Finn, please. You’re going to give your mother a stroke.” Claire clutched Murphy’s hand.
Finn stood up bringing Lucy with him.
“Lucy and I are engaged.”
Claire’s jaw dropped, and she began to blink wildly. Murphy vigorously scratched at his forehead before running his fingers through his hair.
“I think you broke them.”
Finn turned and kicked Aiden in the shin before kissing Lucy on the forehead.
“You’ve agreed to this, Lucy?” Murphy questioned.
She held steadfast to Finn’s side. “Yes, it’s not going to be tomorrow or anything, but someday. We just wanted to make it official.”
Claire started crying. Finn could only imagine the range of emotions she was going through: shock, fear, horror, disgust, and hopefully, a little joy.
“Mom?”
She sniffled. “It’s just…a lot…to take in…all at once.”
Finn looked to his father. “Dad?”
“Of course I’m happy that Lucy will be joining the family…eventually. I’m just concerned about the timing. I’d hate to see what you two have built be destroyed because you didn’t take your time.”
“Take our time? Mom has been planning our wedding since we were kids. You all said we’d get married someday. Now, were admitting it to ourselves and everyone else.” Finn knew he was really reaching, but was pleasantly surprised when Claire started
laughing.
“I was just remembering,” she said, turning to Murphy, “when Rylan put Finn in one of your ties. Then they wrapped Lucy up in toilet paper, and Jack pretended to be a minister.”
“Oh, God. I think we were about seven. We even wrote our own vows.” Finn dropped back down on the couch as a smile crept to his face.
“I think I promised to bandage up all your scrapes if you fell off your bike.” Lucy plopped down in his lap and brought her arms around his neck.
“And I promised to fix all your Barbies when Jack ripped their heads off.” Finn kissed her cheek. “We’ve come a long way, haven’t we?”
“I will tell you this; the next time we get married, my dress will not be made out of toilet paper.” She planted a soft kiss on his lips, and he started to feel that maybe everything might be okay.
Knock, knock.
“I guess you two are feeling better,” Lane walked in and closed the door behind him. Lane’s eyes darted around the room, the destruction quite evident. He chuckled softly before readdressing them. “I like what you’ve done with the place. Didn’t need all those medical journals, did you, Murphy?”
Lucy left Finn’s lap and gave her dad an enormous hug. “Thanks for coming, Dad.”
“Sure, Luce. Murphy made it sound like it was important. By the look of things, I think I’ve missed something.” Lane raised a curious brow to his daughter.
“You might want to take a seat.” Claire got up from her chair and Murphy motioned for Lane to sit there. “I’m afraid we’ve called you here in more of an official capacity.”
“Something happen at the party? I hope nothing was stolen.”
“No, nothing like that,” Finn answered him. “I need to know what to do.” Finn felt his heart start to race again. He could feel the panic raging like fire through his veins. He clung to the hem of his t-shirt, his palms sopping wet. Suddenly, he felt like he might pass out. “I…ugh…someone.” Oh fuck. I can’t do this, he thought.
“Someone hurt Finn. We want to know what we can do to make him pay for it.” Finn turned to see Lucy, grateful she had voiced his words for him.
Lane moved up in his seat. “How did they hurt you, Finn?”
