His aggressive words strike my chest.
“You don’t need me?” I rasp. “Like I haven’t had to pick you up after every time you passed out from drinking too much, all the times I’ve tried to encourage you to get help, all the times I’ve sat with you when you’ve cried.”
Finn’s eyes water, but he turns his nose up at me. “Leave me alone,” he grits through his teeth. “I don’t fucking need you, JJ.”
“So you can drink yourself stupid? No.”
“Come on, Finn.” Joel steps in. “Stop this. Let’s get you home.”
Finn’s expression twists. “I ain’t going home.”
“Yeah, you are,” I say, folding my arms over my chest.
“No.”
I reach for him and he swerves my grip, his fist raising in response. I pause and stare at him without moving.
“Go on then,” I heave. “Hit me. If that’s going to make you feel better. Hit. Me.”
Finn’s teeth clench together as he watches me. He eventually lowers his fist and steps towards me. “Leave. Me. Alone,” he says, each word a punch without the action. “Go, JJ. I don’t want you here.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “You really want me to go?”
“Fucking leave me alone!”
My gaze flicks to Joel and Cal, who share uneasy glances with me.
“We’ve got him,” Cal says quietly.
“The fuck you do.” Finn waves a hand and begins to walk off in the opposite direction with a sway in his step.
I watch as he moves away, and Joel and Cal follow after him.
A curse word falls from my lips as I turn back to the fair and draw my phone out from my pocket. I call Ivy and raise it to my ear.
“Hi.” Her voice breaks.
“Ivy, I’m so fucking sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.” She sniffles.
“Are you okay?”
It’s a stupid question. Of course she’s not okay.
“No.”
“Where are you?”
Ivy’s silent for a few moments. “Aren’t you with Finn?”
“No, he made it evident he doesn’t want me to be around him. Joel and Cal are with him. I’m not going to be his babysitter. I want to be with you. Where are you?”
“By the candy floss stand.”
“Don’t move. I’m on my way.”
I cut off the call and head back into the fair, keeping my eyes out for a candy floss stand. It doesn’t take long for me to spot Ivy with her hands wrapped around herself, with Daisy beside her.
