Gianna doesn't look surprised. Her mouth presses into a flat line, but her eyes dim with a resignation that tells me she expected this much. Maybe not the how, but the when.
"If this safe house belongs to your family, then he can find us here," she states the obvious.
I nod. "I know. I just wanted to get you out of that place first."
We both go quiet, lost in our thoughts, the silence stretching between us like a thin rope pulled tight. My gaze stays fixed on the floor, but the words gnawing at my chest finally breakthrough. "Gianna," I say, and she turns to look at me, her expression soft but wary.
"Remember when you used to tell me you wanted to run away?" I ask, the memory vivid now, those stolen moments when she would talk about leaving everything behind, escaping the darkness of our world and starting over somewhere unknown.
"Yeah?" she replies, her brows rising in gentle surprise. I take a deep breath. "We can do that now. We can leave all of this behind and live our lives. Just me and you."
I can't believe I'm even suggesting it, but after everything, after her confession, after Declan's threat, I don't see another way. It's the only thing that makes sense to me right now. It's the only way I can guarantee Gianna's safety.
Gianna's lips pull into a soft smile as her eyes remain on me for a few seconds before the smile drops. She lets out a slow, weary sigh and inches closer.
"Trust me, Finn," she begins, tucking a few strands of her hair behind her ear. "As much as I want to run away from everything... we can't."
It's my turn to sigh, because now is not the time to be stubborn. "Gianna..." I begin, but she cuts me off, her voice calm but firm. "We both know there's nowhere we can go that Vito and Declan won't find us."
I run a hand over my face, dragging it through my hair. The frustration churns in my chest, hot and helpless. She's right. As much as I hate to admit it, she's right. "We can at least try," I say anyway, my voice laced with desperation as I run through every half-formed plan in my head. Every scenario that could maybe, somehow, work.
Gianna just shakes her head slowly. "We have to face this head-on. If we don't, we'll spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders. Living in fear."
CHAPTER 22
Gianna
My eyes slowly blink open,and I roll to my side, pulling the blanket over my body. My still sleepy eyes clear when I don't see Finn by my side. I jolt up in panic. I look around the room, and he's not here. My heart begins to race, and when I hear the clanging of metal pans against each other, I relax.
He's probably in the kitchen, Gianna, relax. Last night's sleep was the best I've had in a long time, and it's obvious why—because Finn was by my side last night. I run my hand through my hair. I can't believe I told Finn the truth. It was just starting to become a heavy burden for me to carry, and not only that, I hated that I had to lie to him. But what I couldn't believe the most was how easily Finn forgave.
I expected him to lash out. I expected him to want nothing to do with me, but instead, he embraced me. I've been wrong about Finn all this while. He's so different, too different that it makes it scary.
"I guess deep down... I knew. I just wanted to keep you by my side."He wanted me to stay by his side. His words echo in my mind. I swallow and try not to read too much into it. I slip off the bed, my nightwear flowing around me. I changed intosomething comfortable last night, not because I was trying to seduce Finn. Who am I kidding? I was.
I check the burner. What am I thinking? That Vito would call or text after I told him I could take care of myself? I sigh and drop the phone, making my way towards the soft noise coming from the kitchen. The smell of pancakes and bacon forces its way through my nostrils, and my stomach churns.
My legs carry me to the kitchen, and I see Finn in a brown sweatshirt and pants. He's dishing the meal onto plates. He raises his head when he notices me, and those green eyes make my legs grow weak, and it doesn't help when his lips break into a full smile. My heart races, not from fear or panic, but from something about Finn. He's a handsome man; even in college, girls were always after him.
"Morning," he says, his eyes returning to the plate as he finishes plating the food. "Good morning," I reply, my legs moving before my head. I reach the kitchen counter and sit in the chair.
"Hungry?" Finn asks, setting the plate before me. My mouth waters as the scent fills my nostrils. I pick up the scent of freshly brewed coffee. My head turns to the coffee machine, and the sight makes me so happy.
I don't even wait for Finn to join me. I stab the fork into the pancakes, slicing them with the fork. I put the slice in my mouth, and a moan escapes my lips. They're perfect. "I didn't think you'd remember how to make these," I say between bites.
I watch as Finn pushes his plate of food aside and strolls to my side with two cups of coffee in hand, taking a seat. "How could I forget? I made these for you too many times in college," he answers, taking a sip of his coffee.
I smile, the memory slipping into my mind like a warm breeze, those quiet mornings when I taught him to mix the batter to achieve a fluffy pancake. He'd always mess it up thefirst time, and I'd laugh until my stomach hurt, wiping flour off his nose. Those times were the happiest and most normal my life has ever been. A strange slice of joy in the chaos we were born into.
I look away from him, forcing my attention back to my plate. We eat in silence. He's deep in thought, too. I can tell from the way his fingers tap gently against his mug, the way he barely chews before swallowing.
I almost gave in yesterday when Finn suggested we run away. It's something I've always fantasized about my whole life.
But I could never bring myself to do it because I was scared. This time, Sofia's words ring in my head."You need to face your battle; running isn't an option, sweetie."She was right. I'm not going to run, not because I'm not scared. God knows I'm terrified, but I have to face my battles.
I started the wheel of this when I decided to talk to Finn on that dating app, and I'm going to see this through. I finish my food, and it feels like I just received the strength of ten men. "Thank you," I turn to Finn, and he wipes my lower lip with his thumb. I feel that familiar shiver run down my spine. I don't think I can get used to his touch.
"You've got something on your lips," he says and looks away like he didn't just set my soul on fire. He stands, collecting the plates and walking them to the sink. I watch his back, broad, strong, steady as he rinses them off.
