Never Just Friends

Shifting Boundaries

Finn stood there, his gaze darting between my face and the door where Ciara had just disappeared. He opened his mouth to say something, but I held up my hand, stopping him before the words could escape.

“You don’t have to explain,” I said, keeping my voice calm, though my heart was still pounding from what I’d just witnessed. “The mission’s been a success, right? Elordi’s finally noticing me.”

For a second, Finn just blinked, his confusion palpable. “What do you mean?”

I forced a smile, even though it felt fake, like it didn’t belong to me. “It’s what we wanted. Elordi’s paying attention. He notices me now, Finn. So... done deal, I guess.”

I extended my hand toward him for a handshake, trying to keep the casual tone, but everything felt wrong. It was like we’d crossed some invisible line, and there was no going back.

“Come on,” I added, “everyone’s waiting for you to blow out the cake.”

Finn stared at my hand, not moving to take it. His jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing slightly as if he was processing something he didn’t quite understand. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, and there was something different in it—something I couldn’t quite place.

“It’s not over,” he said, the words hanging between us like a challenge.

I blinked, surprised by his tone. “What do you mean? You were literally groping her a while ago.”

Finn frowned, shaking his head. “That was all her. I didn’t—”

“Right,” I cut in, rolling my eyes. “Of course it was.”

I turned to leave, my patience wearing thin. I didn’t need to stand here and listen to excuses. I had seen enough. But before I could take a step, Finn grabbed my wrist, spinning me back toward him. My breath caught as he pulled me close, his eyes locking on mine with an intensity I hadn’t expected.

“Hanna,” he muttered, his voice rough. Before I could react, before I could even process what was happening, his lips crashed into mine.