Switched

by Аманда Хокинг

  “Did…” She nervously played with the cross around her neck. “Did you go with him willingly? I mean… he didn’t force you or anything? Did he?”

  “No, no, of course not!” I insisted.

  “Did he hurt you at all?” Maggie asked carefully, and Matt tensed up.

  “No! No, he didn’t do anything wrong!” The last thing I wanted was to get Finn in trouble. Things hadn’t turned out the way I wanted them to, but he had been nice to me. And I still liked him. My heart ached at the thought of him.

  “Good,” Maggie sounded relieved. Matt had closed his eyes, preparing for the worst. I didn’t want to know what he would do if he found out that somebody had actually hurt me. “So then why did you go?”

  “I don’t know,” I sighed. “Finn… Just to get away. I thought it’d be fun.”

  “Where did you go?” Maggie asked.

  “Um, just… a cabin. His friends’ cabin.” I looked down, afraid she could read the lie on my face.

  “Where did the motorcycle come from?” Maggie pointed out the window to the bike, and I realized that I hadn’t really thought this plan through at all.

  “It’s his friends.” Almost truth. Rhys was kind of his friend. I think.

  “Wendy, you can’t go stealing other people’s stuff!” Maggie rubbed her temple and exhaled tiredly. “I’m gonna have to call the police and have them impound the bike. Oh, and I need to call them and let them know that you came home. I’ll feel like such an idiot too. They kept insisting that you’d just run away, but I kept saying, ‘No, Wendy isn’t like that.’”

  “I’m sorry,” I mumbled.

  “I have to make phone calls.” She shook her head and walked into the kitchen, preparing for the arduous task of explaining to everyone that I was home safe and that she was a fool.

  Maggie left us alone in the living room, and Matt continued staring out of the window for a minute. I twisted my thumb ring around my finger and waited for him to say something. From the kitchen, I could overhear Maggie making apologies to someone that kept cutting her off.

  “You can’t do that, Wendy,” Matt said finally. His voice was low and quiet, but it made far more of an impact than all of Maggie’s shouting. I suddenly felt like crying and I stared down at my lap. “If you’re unhappy here, or if you want to see a boy, we can work with that. But you can’t just leave like that.” He exhaled shakily. “I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you. I can’t even…” He shook his head. “You can’t ever leave like that again.”

  “I won’t. I’m sorry.” I blinked back tears and looked up at him. He was chewing the inside of his cheek, the way he did sometimes when he was trying not to let on how upset he was. “I am so sorry, Matt. I know I screwed up. I promise it won’t ever happen again.” He looked over at me, appearing more haggard than he ever had before.

  “Have you slept?” Matt asked, and I shook my head. “Why don’t you get some rest? We can talk more later.”

  I had to go past him on my way to the steps, and I paused next to him.

  He looked at me curiously, and without thinking, I threw my arms around him and hugged him. At first, he didn’t do anything, but he was probably in shock. I could count the times I had initiated a hug in my entire life on one hand. Then he hugged me back and kissed the top of my head.

  “Don’t scare me like that again,” Matt murmured into my hair.

  When I went to my room, I realized that no place had ever looked better. We hadn’t lived here long enough for this pace to really feel familiar, but my stuff was my stuff. Besides, every house we’d lived in had the same “house” feel, which was a sharp distinction from the “don’t touch” quality of Elora’s mansion. I flopped back in my bed, burying myself in the blankets, and promising myself that I’ll never, ever leave again. I didn’t care what more was out in the world. Nothing beat the comfort and safety of home, and nobody in the world loved me as much as Matt and Maggie. Hell, nobody else in the world loved me at all.

  Matt roused me a few hours later to ask if I wanted lunch, but I declined. He looked better, but he probably hadn’t slept yet. Only he could go without sleep for over a day and wouldn’t even consider a nap. I laid in bed awake for awhile after that. I was probably grounded from everything anyway, so this made sense for me to stay up here. Maggie came in a little while later to check on me, and then informed me she was heading down to the police station to take care of the motorcycle. I realized they’d probably be checking on me every hour or so from now on to make sure I hadn’t skipped out.

  I had no intention of ever leaving again. When Finn had told me that I was Trylle, and things had started fitting together, I had been excited by the prospect of having somewhere to belong. But I didn’t belong there. Maybe I didn’t belong anywhere, but at least I was wanted here. No matter how much money Matt and Maggie might have, or I guess technically, I might have, there was no way I would ever give Elora any of it. She seemed to be living well enough without needing me to steal from my family. Maybe her legacy would die then, but so what? If it meant that much to her, then maybe she wouldn’t have dumped me off.

  My room felt too quiet, so I went over to my iPod and started scrawling through songs to listen to. A light tapping sound startled out me from my search, and my heart skipped a beat. I set down my iPod and walked over to my window. Sure enough, when I pulled back the curtain, there was Finn, crouched on the roof outside of it. For a second, I considered closing the curtain and ignoring him, but his dark brown eyes were too much. Besides, this would give me a chance to say a proper goodbye.

  “What are you doing here?” Finn asked as I soon as I opened the window. He stayed out on the roof, but I hadn’t moved back so he could come in.

  “What are you doing here?” I countered, crossing my arms on my chest.

  “I came here to get you, obviously.” He glanced behind him at a man walking his dog on the sidewalk, then looked at me. “Mind if I come in so we can finish this conversation?”

  “Whatever.”

  I took a step back and tried to seem as indifferent as possible, but when he slid in the window past me, my heartbeat sped up. He stood right in front of me, looking down in my eyes, and he made the rest of the world disappear. I shook my head and stepped away from him, so I wouldn’t let myself get mesmerized by him anymore.

  “Why did you come in the window?” I asked.

  “I couldn’t very well come to the door. That guy would never let me in here to see you,” Finn reasoned, and he was definitely right. Matt would probably deck him if he saw him again.

  “‘That guy’ is my brother, and his name is Matt.” I felt incredibly defensive and protective of him, especially after the way he reacted when I came home. I had never seen him like that before.

  “He’s not your brother. You need to stop thinking of him like that.”

  Finn cast a disparaging look around my room. “Is that what this is all about?

  You came back to say goodbye to all of this?”

  “I’m not saying goodbye,” I said icily and stuck my chin out defiantly. I went over and sat on my bed, trying to make a physical point of laying claim to this space. Finn only rolled his eyes at my display.

  “You can’t possibly stay here, Wendy.” Finn waved away the idea like it was completely preposterous. “Get whatever you need, and then we need to get out of here before Matt notices I’m here.”

  “I am not going!” I insisted emphatically.

  Finn was eyeing me up, trying to decide if I was really serious. I couldn’t tell if he disapproved or not. His expression stayed even and thoughtful. Crossing his arms over his chest, I hated how attractive he was and whatever power it was he held over me. Just the way he looked at me made my heart race and my stomach flip. It was going to be terrible never seeing him again, and I tried to push the thought from my mind.

  “Do you realize what you’re giving up?” Finn asked softly. “You are a Trylle Princess. It isn’t just about money,
Wendy. There is so much that life has to offer you. More than anything they can give you here. If Matt understood what was in store for you, he would send you there himself.”

  “You’re right. He probably would. If he thought it was what’s best for me,” I admitted. “Because he really cares about me and always wants what’s best. Nobody there wants what’s best for me.”

  “You think I don’t want what’s best for you?” Finn questioned incredulously, and there was an underlying trace of affection that shivered through me. “Do you really believe I would encourage you to do this if it would adversely effect you?”

  “I don’t think you know what’s best for me,” I replied as evenly as I could. He had thrown me off my guard by hinting at caring about me, and I had to remind myself that that was part of his job. All of this was. He needed to make sure I was safe and convince me to get home. That wasn’t the same as actually caring about me.

  “Elora can be… a difficult woman,” Finn said carefully. “But you are her daughter, and she loves you. You deserve to know your mother, and you deserve the life she has in store for you. You will live a life of royalty, and you will lead people! This is something that nobody else can give you!”

  “Do you know much money my family has?” I asked pointedly. I wasn’t sure if Finn had any idea how valuable or invaluable I might be. “I mean, this one here, that I live with.”

  “Yes, I do.” He looked taken back my abrupt change in questions, but he straightened up and answered me directly. “I know the exact amount in fact.

  Elora had me checking finances yesterday.”

  “Right. Cause that’s what matters.” I sighed and shook my head, then I looked up at him. “How much do they have?”

  “Do you want to know your trust and what you stand to inherit, or your guardian and brother’s total wealth?” Finn had gone expressionless. “Do you want net worth? Liquid assets? Are you including real estate, like the house they still own in the Hamptons? Dollar amount?

  “I don’t really care,” I shook my head. “I was just… Elora was convinced that we really did have a lot of money, and I was just curious.”

  “Yes. You really do have a lot of money,” Finn explained. “More than even Elora had originally thought.” I nodded and looked at my feet. “You live well below your means here.”

  “I think Maggie thought it would be better for me, and Matt and I never really cared that much about money.” I kept staring at my feet, then finally I looked up at Finn. “They would give me anything. They would give me all of it if I asked. But I’m never taking any money from them, not for myself and certainly not for Elora. Make sure you tell her that when you go back to her. I will never give her any of their money. Never.”

  I had expected him to protest in some way, but Finn surprised me. His lips curled into the edge of a smile, and if anything, he looked almost proud of me. I was condemning their way of life, so I had thought he would defend it, but he approved of it.

  “You are sure this is what you want?” Finn asked gently.

  “Absolutely.” But I sounded more confident than I really was.

  I was turning down any chance at getting to know my real mother, my family history, a throne, and spending more time with Finn. Not mention that my abilities, like persuasion, which Finn had promised their would be more of as I got older. On my own, I’m sure I’d never be able to master or understand them. So I was losing them too.

  “I do think you’d find happiness with us,” Finn said, almost sadly. “But I won’t force you to come with me. If this is your decision, then I’ll have to respect it.”

  “Thank you,” I smiled wanly at him.

  We looked at each other, and I wished he wasn’t so far away from me.

  I was wondering if it would be appropriate if we hugged when the door to my bedroom opened. Matt and Maggie planned on checking on me constantly to make sure I hadn’t escaped again. Unfortunately, Maggie was gone dealing with the police, meaning that it was Matt who opened the door. As soon as he saw Finn, his eyes burned with rage and his cheeks reddened. Quickly, I jumped up, moving in front of Finn to block any attempts that Matt would have at killing him.

  “Matt! It’s okay!” I held up my hands.

  “It is not okay!” Matt growled coming into my room. “What the hell do you think you’re doing in here? You are not allowed anywhere near her ever again!”

  “Matt, please!” I put my hands on his chest, trying to push him back away from Finn, but it was like trying to push a brick wall. He reached over my shoulder, pointing at Finn as he yelled. I glanced back at Finn, and he just stared blankly at my brother.

  “You have some nerve, you little bastard!” Matt shouted, and he kept pushing back on me, trying to get closer to Finn. “She is seventeen-years-old!

  She’s a minor! That’s kidnapping! That’s statutory rape! I don’t know what the hell you did with her, but you’re never doing it again!”

  “Matt, please, stop!” I begged. “He was just saying goodbye! Please!”

  “Perhaps you should listen to her,” Finn offered calmly.

  It was his composure that really pissed Matt off. He was screaming at Finn, and he wanted him to react in someway. Matt had been suffering and terrified, and he just wanted to make Finn feel an ounce of that. Unfortunately, Finn’s only reaction to things like this was to stand there, cool and collected. So, Matt’s only recourse was physically harming him.

  Matt actually knocked me out of the way, and I fell backwards onto the floor. Finn’s eyes flashed darkly at that, and when Matt pushed him, he didn’t move an inch. He just glared down at my brother, and I knew that if they fought, Matt would be the one with a serious injury.

  “Matt!” I wailed and jumped to my feet.

  Already, I had started chanting Leave my room. Leave my room. You need to calm down and get out my room. Please. I wasn’t sure how effective it would be if I wasn’t looking at him, so I grabbed his arm and forced him to turn to me. His blue eyes were burning, and he tried to look away instantly, but I caught him. I kept my eyes focused and just kept repeating it over and over in my head.

  Finally, his expression softened and his eyes glazed.

  “I’m going to leave your room now,” Matt said robotically. Much to my relief, he actually turned and walked out into the hall, closing the door behind him. I’m not sure if he walked any farther than that, or how much time I had, so I turned to Finn.

  “You have to leave,” I insisted breathlessly, but his expression had changed to one of concern.

  “Does he do that often?” Finn asked.

  “What?” I had no idea what he was talking about and I just wanted him to go before somebody got hurt. “What are you talking about?”

  “He pushed you. He clearly has an anger problem.” Finn glared at the door Matt had left through. “He’s unstable. You shouldn’t stay here with him.”

  “Yeah, well, you guys should be more careful who you leave babies with,” I muttered and went to the window. “I don’t know how much time we have so you need to go.”

  “He probably won’t ever be able to come into your room again,” Finn explained calmly, brushing me off. “I’m serious, Wendy. I don’t want to leave you with him.”

  “You don’t have much of a choice!” I felt exasperated and ran a hand through my hair. “Matt’s not usually like that, and he would never hurt me. He just hasn’t slept, and he blames you for taking me away, and he’s not wrong.”

  The panic was wearing away, and I realized that I had just used persuasion on Matt again, and I felt nauseous. “I hate doing that to him. It’s not fair and it’s not right.”

  “I am sorry,” Finn looked at me sincerely. “I know you did that to protect him, and that’s my fault. I should’ve just backed down, but when he pushed you…” He shook his head. “My instincts just kicked in.”

  “He’s not going to hurt me,” I insisted.

  Finn glanced back at the door, and I could tell he really did
n’t want to leave. If Matt had just waited five more minutes to check on me, none of this would’ve happened. When Finn looked back at me, he sighed heavily.

  “I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you. When you change your mind…” He hesitated for a moment. “I’ll find you.”

  “Thanks,” I said.

  He looked at me uncertainly, and he was probably fighting the urge to throw me over his shoulder and take me with him. Instead, he climbed out the window and swung back down to the ground. When he started walking to his car, I suddenly remembered something and leaned out the window.

  “Hey, Finn!” I shouted, and he turned back to me. “Tell Rhys I’m sorry I took his bike! It’s in town in the impound lot!”

  “I’ll collect it for him, and I’ll be sure to pass along the sentiment.”

  With that, he turned around the neighbors’ hedges and I couldn’t see him anymore. I kept looking after him, wishing that this didn’t mean I had to say goodbye to him. There were still doubts about what I’d be giving up, but I couldn’t do that to Matt again. The awful truth was that I was more than a little sad to see Finn go. I was on the verge of tears, but I managed to hold them back. Eventually, I shut the window and closed my curtains.

  13

  There was a very good chance that I’d never be allowed out of the house again.

  After Finn left, I found Matt sitting on the steps, looking bewildered and pissed off. He wanted to yell at me about Finn, but he couldn’t seem to understand exactly what had happened. The best I could get out of it is that he vowed to kill Finn if he ever came near me, and I pretended like I thought that was a reasonable thing to do.

  The next morning, Matt didn’t even want to send me to school. He was afraid that I would bolt as soon I got there, and I had to keep reminding him that I had come home of my own volition. If I really wanted to be away, I’d still be away. I neglected to point out that Finn had just recently tried to whisk me away, and I had declined. After far more arguing than the situation called for, Maggie finally convinced Matt to take me to school.