by Elara Skye
It was late at night, so Finn refrained from yelling out her name. Evidently, Amelia didn’t share that concern, and he heard the echoes of her voice several blocks away. He picked up the pace, padding against the sidewalk as he followed the sound, passing under snow-covered trees in the pitch-black neighborhood. The moon hid behind a blanket of clouds, and only the streetlights lent a fraction of its light to the sidewalks.
“Amelia,” he called out when he finally saw her, covered by a thin windbreaker and nothing else.
She whipped in his direction. Finn’s chest tightened at the sight of her—the wetness in her eyes—and she barely registered his voice before turning back around and calling out for Nyxie again.
“Amelia?” He came up behind her, grabbing her rigid shoulders and turning her toward him. She raised her hands, fingers cold and pale, and was barely able to grip the folds of his jacket.
“I-I can’t find her,” Amelia’s voice trembled. She was trying hard to suppress the tears pooling in her eyes, which flitted from one dark shadow to another, looking for movement. “I-I don’t understand why she won’t come to me.”
“Come on now, she’ll be alright. We’ll look together. We’ll find her, alright?” Finn brushed away a stray tear as she nodded briskly and removed his scarf to wrap around her bare neck. Her lashes fluttered momentarily at the gesture. “Everything’s going to be fine, just tell me where you’ve looked already.”
Bare...
Finn suddenly realized that she wasn’t wearing the necklace.
“Um,” she managed to mumble in between sharp breaths, before falling silent again.
He waited and waited, met with tears that began to pool again. “Darling, I need you to tell me where you’ve already looked.”
Her eyes snapped up to his. “I looked up and down this street, a-and then went down Pine.”
“Okay,” he said, pulling her closer, almost into an embrace. “Let’s go up this street, toward—” A faint meowing sound interrupted him, in one of the trees just a few yards away. “Wait—did you hear that?”
“Hear what?” Amelia asked, and it came again.
“You don’t hear that?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“This way.” He led her up the street a bit, scanning the treetops overhead until he heard it again. “Hear that now?”
Amelia’s breath hitched in her throat. “Oh my God, is that her?”
She tore away from him abruptly, searching the branches, bits of snow and debris floating down around her. Amelia called out her name, and the cat meowed responsively.
“She’s up there!” Amelia cried, darting toward the tree trunk.
“Woah—hold on, there,” Finn flew to her side, grabbing her shoulder and pulling her back. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“She can’t climb down trees, that’s why she wasn’t coming back to me. She can go up; she can’t go down.”
Finn refrained from arching a brow—what kind of cat couldn’t properly climb trees?—then trailed his eyes up through the branches, searching the darkness for where she was. The little floating ball of blackness barely stood out against the branches cutting through the sky.
“Okay,” he said, noting how high up it was. He removed Amelia’s cold hand from the bark and replaced it with his own. “You stay here, and I’ll get her.”
“What?” Amelia grabbed his shoulder, jerking him back. “No, she might be high up.”
“All the more reason for me to go,” he said as he hauled himself up without question, prying away from her grip.
The climb would’ve been magnitudes easier if he could see exactly where he was going, but the moon was shy tonight. Thankfully, the cat’s meows grew louder and more frequent the higher he got. Three-quarters of the way up, he spotted her clutching a tree branch.
It took some additional prying to get her claws out of the bark, and Finn winced when they dug into his jacket and neck instead. On any other occasion, it might’ve been cute to have the relentless meowing in his ear as he descended, but Nyxie was frightened, and he was regretting the scratches that were gracing his leather coat.
When he reached the bottom, it took some effort to separate her from his shoulder once again, and Amelia unbuttoned her jacket to hold Nyxie as close as possible—she, too, winced when the claws dug in.
The cat looked comfortable, but Amelia was clearly relieved. Finn brushed his fingers over the bits of torn leather on his shoulder.
“Oh, no,” Amelia breathed out, lifting a hand to the fabric. “I’m so sorry. I promise I’ll replace that...”
“Don’t be silly. I’ve got plenty more where this came from.”
Untrue, but he didn’t mind.
Amelia stared for a moment, then set Nyxie down at her feet. One moment she was on the sidewalk, and the next, her hands flew over his shoulders, wrapping him in a tight embrace. She neither spoke, nor cried, nor made any other noise as she pressed her face into the crook of his neck.
Of course—through all the madness, he’d nearly forgotten that this was the first time they’d seen each other in a little over two weeks. Hours ago, he was on a plane, wondering why he hadn’t heard from Amelia when he got off of it. Now, here she was. Fresh out of a horrible, traumatic event that might’ve ended in her death or injury, had she come home a few hours earlier.
Finn tightened an arm around her waist, the other hand spearing through her fragrant hair. He couldn’t describe the feeling as they stood there, but it was nice. Amelia thought so too—he could feel her heart racing wildly in its chest. And with how tightly he held her, Finn was surprised that she hadn’t protested yet.
Amelia suddenly pulled back a bit, rolling onto her toes as she pulled him downward, replacing the coldness of the air with her lips. It startled him at first, but she was quick to pull away, separating their lips with a subtle smack. The air fogged between them, adding to the darkness that already skewed Finn’s vision. It didn’t stop him from surveying her startled features—matching his own—and the slight daze in her human eyes as she pulled away from his grappling arms.
When he thought to rile her up, these were neither the means nor the results he expected…
Nyxie had been meowing these past few minutes, and Amelia bent over to pick her up. “Damn it,” she muttered under her breath. “Finn, I’m so sorry, that was—”
“Don’t be,” he said, watching as she stuffed the cat back into her jacket—glancing at him momentarily. “At all.”
“Um,” she quickly stood, “w-we should get back to the house.”
He nodded. “Of course.”
Nyxie didn’t look like she wanted to go back into her jacket, but Amelia forced it anyway. There were still policemen at the house when they got back, walking side-by-side awkwardly, and Cat managed a weak smile when she saw the two of them approaching.
“Oh my gosh, where was she?” Cat asked.
“Hidey-hole up a tree,” Amelia answered.
“I thought she hated climbing trees?”
“She likes going up. She just can’t get back down.” Amelia looked toward Finn, glancing at the jagged edges of his scratched-up coat. “Finn went up the tree to bring her back.”
“That’s nice of you,” Cat said, arching a brow at the two of them.
“When’re they going to clear out?” Amelia asked.
“About thirty minutes.”
She sighed. “Guess we’ll scrape together some blankets. I don’t know how I’m going to sleep tonight.”
“Me neither.”
“Excuse me,” an officer interjected. The girls turned toward him. “Just wanted to give you guys an update on the investigation. It looks like there’s a lot of property damage, but it’s more than we’d expect from a burglary. Is there anyone you can think of that might’ve done something like this?”
Cat and Amelia exchanged glances and shook their heads. “No,” Amelia murmured. “Not that I can think of—right?”
“Yeah,
” Cat agreed. “So, what’re we supposed to do?”
“Soon as you get the chance, get a security system installed,” the officer said. “Change the locks, things like that.”
“And in the meantime?”
“We can have a patrol car circle out here. Apart from that, just hope he doesn’t come back in the meantime.”
“But why would this happen to us?” Amelia asked, growing more and more distraught. “I don’t understand.”
“These things happen sometimes. Could be a random stalker,” the officer answered—which caught Finn’s attention. “Just take some time to think about things, see if anything comes to mind that might help the investigation.”
“Will there be a patrol out here tonight?” Amelia asked, and the officer nodded.
“We’ve got a guest bedroom,” Finn offered, and both women looked at him. “You both can come to stay with us for a few days if you’d like, while this blows over.
They both stared at him a moment, exchanging reluctant glances. Amelia, especially, looked doubtful. “What about Nyxie?
“She’s welcome too.”
“Will Alaric be okay with it?”
“I sincerely doubt he’d have any objections.” Finn smiled. “We have a guest bedroom for a reason.”
Relief crept into the tiny smile that Amelia gave him, before looking toward her friend. “Cat, do you want to?”
“Yeah, I’d really appreciate it.” She nodded. “Thanks, Finn.”
“Of course.” He looked at them both, holding Amelia’s gaze for a bit. “Let’s gather your things.”
Chapter twelve
Amelia wasn’t nervous.
Or so she told herself as she rode up the elevator with Finn and Cat, holding Nyxie in her little carrier. The relentless meowing was the only sound between them as the elevator rose to the topmost floor. A whiff of pizza accompanied the sight of Alaric on the couch, in sweatpants and a plain shirt. Some sports game blared on the television before him, and a single glance about the space was enough to implicate the inhabitants’ personalities—namely, the warm, taupe color scheme of the rustic decor. It was undoubtedly arranged by a professional, built with comfort and style in mind. It complemented the spacious feeling of the tall ceilings and arched windows.
Nyxie continued with her vocal retaliation as Amelia took it all in, though her roommate didn’t demonstrate the same decorum, having never stepped into such a place. It was partly amusing to watch her traipse around the apartment, grief temporarily forgotten, and to hear her mumble something about breaking into their own house sooner.
Alaric didn’t seem surprised at the scene in general, though the cat’s presence did strike him a little. Finn assured Amelia that it was alright to let Nyxie roam free after they set up her amenities. He also did most of the explaining to Alaric as well, saving Cat and Amelia the trouble of hashing out the night’s events.
The guest bedroom was equally lovely, but Amelia couldn’t sleep for more than an hour when they finally got to it, after a long-winded conversation about how long they’d be staying. In the end, the matter was to be revisited, depending on how the next couple of days went.
It was easy to shower and get in bed at first, but nightmares weren’t what kept Amelia awake beneath the covers. Each time she flirted with the edge of sleep, something pulled her back. And by the second time she woke, the apartment was void of light, including the crack under the door—which meant that everyone was fast asleep. Cat included, somehow.
The soothing hum of a heater rumbled throughout the apartment as Amelia slid her legs out from under the blanket. She slipped into a silky robe, which covered her equally-thin pajamas, and was careful not to wake Cat as she tip-toed out into the living room—looking for a peaceful, quiet space to sort out her thoughts.
With the moonlight streaming in through the clouds and windows, Amelia almost didn’t mind the sleeplessness. She had lived in an open-spaced penthouse like this before, and always loved the pale, relaxing hues of evening time. She roamed around the room, appreciating the individual components that comprised the whole—especially the velvet blankets draped over the sofa. Two were kept preemptively on the couch, it seemed, while books lined the end tables as well, contrasting in principle to the television mounted on the wall.
Her college boyfriends all had little more than lawn chairs and a television stand for furniture. Half of them kept their mattresses on the floor, as well, which made Amelia wonder how Finn and Alaric would have fared without the help of what must have been an expensive interior designer.
Granted, she hadn’t seen either of their rooms just yet...
As she explored further, a wall of picture frames held her attention for a time. Several award acceptances and group photos were lining the wall—naturally, she didn’t recognize any of the faces—but there was a distinct lack of sentimentality throughout the lot of them. There were no personable photos, only professional ones. Judging by their elegant arrangement, Amelia surmised that the frames must have been part of the design package, and Finn and Alaric simply chose whatever photos they had on hand.
She wandered back over to the couches, one of their leather cushions sinking beneath her as she sat near the window. There, she could see the skyline, which glittered at this time of night. It inspired a relaxing sigh, but the visual stimulation only kept her thoughts at bay for a time. As with all things gold and glittering, Amelia had grown accustomed to such sceneries long ago, and it didn’t take long for the encumbering thoughts to creep back in from the shadowy recesses of her mind.
She sank against the couch, relenting to them—thoughts about Raymer, her father, and the rumors she’d heard earlier that day. Finally, she thought of the break-in and the bone-chilling terror of searching for Nyxie in the middle of the night. It was probably one of the worst days of her life, and Amelia couldn’t fight the tears. Instead, she remained expressionless as she rested against the couch, letting them pass—allowing them to carry her frustration with them.
An hour must have passed before she began to doze off, and one of the bedroom doors opened. The sound itself woke her with a start, but she didn’t bother trying to wrap herself up to leave. Finn was already padding through the hallway by the time she sat back up, pausing at the end when he noticed her. There was a notable shift in his direction, and he walked toward her with a quizzical look.
“Hey,” he murmured softly. “What’re you doing out here?”
Amelia blinked, wondering if it was still visible that she’d been crying. Her eyes burned a little from the tears.
“I can’t sleep,” she murmured, shifting a little when he sat next to her. Amelia tucked her legs beneath her as she faced him. “What about you?”
He hesitated, studying her features intently. “I just got up to get some water.”
“I see. I’m glad I didn’t wake you up.”
“Well, I’m more awake now than I would have been otherwise, but yes.” He chuckled, taking her hand. “I don’t blame you, though. It’s been a rough day.”
The corners of her lips turned upward, and she looked away. “Yeah, don’t worry about it,” she muttered sweetly. “You can just get your water, if you want. We’ve both had our share of heaviness for one day.”
Finn was silent, but Amelia could feel his eyes on her. “You’re still carrying it, though.”
“It’s nothing I can’t manage.” She shrugged, looking at him. “People’s houses get broke into sometimes. It happens. I’m lucky to have somewhere to go.”
Finn squeezed her hand, pulling her toward him. “Come on. I wouldn’t call it luck—I’d call it being loved.” Amelia blinked at him, but Finn didn’t seem to realize what he said. “By everyone that knows you.”
The silky robe splayed out across her legs as she nestled against him, resting her head on his shoulders. She felt so small beside him. “Thanks for caring so much.”
Finn looked down at her with a smile. “At this point, I genuinely don’t know i
f it’s possible not to.” He smirked. “Don’t worry. I’m not happy about it either.”
Amelia’s heart sank. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“That you got worried. And that you had to go through all this trouble after your trip.”
He stared at her blankly for a moment. Amelia grew warmer by the minute, chest tightening to the point of pain. Finn surveyed her face, lifting a hand to her cheek. Slowly, he tilted her face upward, and lightly brushed her lips with his own. Several tears shook loose as he deepened it slightly, falling on his fingers. Finn pulled back, studying her face, and wiped them away with his thumb.
“You’re tired,” he whispered. “You should try to get some sleep.”
Amelia looked at the blanket draped over the back of the couch and pointed to it. “Give me that.”
Finn followed the movement and grabbed the thick fabric, handing it to her. “Come on,” she said as she stood, taking his hand and pulling him with her. “Lie down with me for a bit.”
Amelia wondered about the blankness in his expression—like a distant fascination—but he followed without protest. The couch was long and wide, but they didn’t take up much room.
She felt reluctant, until Finn enclosed her protectively in his arms, barely leaving any part of her unoccupied. All her senses calmed against his breath, her heart squeezing out every last bit of love and gratitude as she melded against him. The steady rhythm of his breath was mollifying, as was the rise and fall of his chest.
For a split second, Amelia didn’t stand a chance against feeling conflicted. She’d been through so much, while Finn, of all people, had been there through it all. It was strange to think that he was categorically someone she would never involve herself with—an affiliate of her father’s, powerful, and with eyes and ears everywhere—but his Finn’s degree of care was unprecedented.
As the seedling of doubtful thoughts began to sprout, she felt Finn’s arms gently tighten around her waist, a gentle sigh escaping him. He looked relaxed—content—as though the events that had transpired within the last few hours were rolling off his back. Amelia undid the knot in her stomach and held him back. After tonight, regardless of how Finn felt now or in the future, there wasn’t any room for doubt. One of them, at least, was immutably in love with the other.