Never Just Friends

Unraveling Truths

The hallway felt stifling as I stood there, frozen just outside the door. The murmur of Ciara’s voice inside made my skin crawl. I took a shaky step backward, careful not to let the floor creak beneath me. The walls seemed to close in, and I could feel my pulse thudding in my ears.

What was I supposed to do? Burst in? Walk away? Every instinct screamed at me to run. But my feet wouldn’t move fast enough. I glanced back at the door, my heart pounding harder now.

Before I could make my escape, I heard a sudden movement. The door creaked open just a fraction more, and I caught a glimpse of Finn’s face. His eyes met mine, wide with a mixture of shock and something else—guilt? Panic? I wasn’t sure, but in that split second, his entire body shifted.

He pushed Ciara back, his hands coming up to her shoulders with more force than I’d expected. “Stop,” he said, his voice low but firm. “This isn’t what I want.”

Ciara’s expression flickered, irritation flashing across her face. “What the hell, Finn?” she snapped, but before she could say more, she noticed me standing in the hallway.

Her demeanor changed instantly. A slow, sly smile spread across her lips, and she straightened her shirt, though she made no effort to cover herself properly. “Oh,” she purred, stepping toward the door, “look who’s here.” She tilted her head, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. “Hanna, darling, can’t you see we’re in the middle of something?”

My throat tightened, but I refused to flinch. I was rooted to the spot, my chest tight, unable to form any words. Her smirk deepened, like she was savoring my discomfort. The sight of her—half-dressed, still trying to get a rise out of Finn, knowing I was standing right there—was unbearable.

I swallowed hard, my voice finally finding its way out. “I… I just came to tell Finn that Jacob’s looking for him. They’re waiting for you to blow the cake.”

Finn shot a look at me, his eyes pleading. “Hanna—”

Ciara interrupted, brushing past him like he wasn’t even there. “I don’t think he’s quite ready for that yet,” she said, her tone light, but with an edge of venom. She took a step closer to me, her eyes gleaming. “Why don’t you head back downstairs? We’ll be down soon.”

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself not to react. Not to give her the satisfaction of seeing how much she’d rattled me. I turned to leave, needing to escape the suffocating tension in the room. But just as I started to walk away, a hand grabbed mine.

I froze, glancing down to see Finn’s hand wrapped around my wrist. His grip was firm, but not forceful—just enough to make me stop in my tracks.

“Hanna, wait,” he said. His voice was tight, almost desperate. He turned to Ciara, his expression hardening. “Ciara, please leave.”

Ciara blinked, momentarily caught off guard. “Excuse me?”

“I said, leave,” Finn repeated, his tone cold now. He let go of my hand, stepping between me and Ciara as if shielding me from her.

For a second, Ciara just stood there, disbelief flickering across her face. Her lips parted, as if she was about to argue, but then she saw the way Finn was looking at me. Her smirk returned, sharper this time, as if she’d uncovered some secret.

“Fine,” she said, her voice dripping with condescension. She puts on her shirt, her eyes never leaving mine. “But don’t think this is over.”

She brushed past me, her shoulder grazing mine just enough to make me step back. “Have fun,” she whispered as she walked down the hallway, her heels clicking loudly on the floorboards as she disappeared around the corner.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding, turning to face Finn. The room felt too small, too heavy with everything that had just happened.

Finn ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. “Hanna, I didn’t—”

I cut him off, the words spilling out before I could stop them. “Guess our deal is over, huh?” My voice came out harsher than I intended, laced with bitterness I couldn’t hide. “You really don’t want to get rid of her after all, do you?”