Finn (The Murphy Boys Book 2) Page 14

  “No she isn’t dumb ass,” Landen said giving Dylan a warning look, not to push it any further.

  “I should just go,” Emmy said as she stared into Finn’s eyes.

  “I think that would be best,” Finn replied, in a cold tone of voice, Emmy had never heard from him before.

  “Finn!” Nell exclaimed, as she too was surprised by her son’s behaviour.

  “It’s okay, Nell,” Emmy said as she turned towards Nell, and gave her an apologetic smile. “Thank you for having me here today. I am really sorry for causing trouble and ruining your holiday. I swear that was never my intention.”

  She then turned back to look at Finn once more, but he just stared at her, but she had no clue what he was thinking.

  Without saying another word, Emmy hurried out of the dining room, heading straight for the large front door in the hallway.

  She was barely down the front steps of the house, when Landen’s voice called out from behind her, stopping her instantly.

  She turned to face him, waiting for him to demand to know what the hell had just happened, but he didn’t. Instead, he just smiled and unlocked his car.

  “I will drop you home,” he said as he walked to the passenger side of the car, opening the door.

  “There really is no need…” Emmy began to protest, but Landen cut her off mid-sentence.

  “There is every need,” He insisted. “You are a guest in my parent’s home, and you’re upset. I was raised to be a gentleman, as were the rest of my brothers. So please, just get in the car.”

  Emmy stared at him for a moment, but instead of arguing, she just sighed as she walked back towards the passenger’s side of the car, and climbed in Landen closed the door of the car, and hurried to the driver’s side, then climbed in himself.

  Emmy gave Landen her address, and soon they were on their way towards her apartment.

  She was glad that Landen didn’t try to fill the silence with endless words and idle chatter. Instead, he left her in peace with her thoughts.

  She closed her eyes and thought of Finn’s face and the hurt in his eyes as he looked at her. She knew what he thought had happened between her and Liam, and while there was definitely a history there. It wasn’t the history he thought it was.

  Emmy met Officer Liam Murphy on the second worse day of her life. He had been one of the officers who had been in the Dean’s office the day she was summoned there, and he was the one that had informed her that her father was dead. Still, Officer Liam Murphy was to play a bigger role in her life, Emmy just didn’t know it that day in the Dean’s office.

  It had been four weeks since the day of her father’s death. Emmy had just walked away from her life in the college. She had never felt more alone and broken in this world than she did on that day.

  She had been sitting in a restaurant eating, what she planned to be the last meal she would ever eat. She sat staring into the coffee mug she was holding when the waitress came and asked her if she wanted a refill.

  “Why not?” Emmy shrugged as she looked up at the girl, giving her a smile.

  Suddenly the bell above the door chimed, and two police officers walked into the diner. Emmy instantly recognised one of them. He had been the one who had come to tell her that her father was dead. He had also been the one that had not left her side the whole time she had to go to the hospital, to identify her father’s body.

  Emmy remembered how sweet he had been, she couldn’t understand how someone so young could seem so wise or be filled with so much compassion. He had been the one thing that had gotten her through that day.

  Suddenly he looked up and when his eyes met Emmy’s, the spark of recognition was there, and he instantly smiled.

  “Emmy, isn’t it?” He said as he walked down along the row of tables to where Emmy was sitting.

  “Officer Murphy,” Emmy replied, forcing a smile on her face.

  “May I?” He asked as he pointed to the chair across from Emmy. She nodded, giving him permission to sit down. “So, how have you been?”

  “Oh, you know,” Emmy shrugged, unsure of how she should even answer that question.

  “How is college?” He asked watching her closely. “You’re studying English, right? My brother is an English Professor at Stanford.”

  “I actually dropped out,” Emmy said. She could see the look a disappointment on his face.

  “What happened?” He asked, and she was surprised he seemed genuinely interested.

  “My dad happened,” Emmy replied with a sad smile. “But it’s okay. I think that maybe college just wasn’t for me.”

  “That’s a pity,” he said, and Emmy hated that he looked at her with pity too.

  “Actually, Officer Murphy,” Emmy said as she stood up abruptly. “I have to be somewhere. It was nice to see you again.”

  “You too, Emmy,” Liam said, giving her a genuine smile. “Take care of yourself.”

  “I will,” Emmy said as she went to walk away from the table, but something stopped her. “I never did say thank you.”

  “What for?” He asked as he looked up from where he was sitting.

  “For you being there for me that day,” Emmy replied, giving him a grateful smile. “I just wanted you to know, that…well, out of everything that happened that day, you made it somehow a little easier, and I want you to know that no matter what happens, I am grateful to you.”

  “It was my honour to be there for you, Emmy,” Liam replied as he gave her a strange look.

  Without saying another word, Emmy headed for the door of the diner, then headed for home.

  When Emmy reached her father’s house, she made her way to the living room, pulling the bottle of vodka she had bought on her way home, from the paper bag, and unscrewed the lid. She took a long swig from the bottle before she stood up and walked up the stairs to her father’s bathroom. Opening the medicine cabinet, she picked up the several different bottles of tablets he had in there, including a new bottle of sleeping pills, and took them all down to the living room.

  Setting the medicine down on the table, she took a deep breath, before she reached for the vodka once more.

  Thirty minutes, half a bottle of vodka and most of the contents of her father’s medicine cabinet later, Emmy lay back down on the sofa and waited.

  She didn’t know what to expect, but she was sure that whatever was ahead of her, was nothing compared to that which was behind her. Finally, her eyes grew heavy, and she was ready for this to be over.

  Suddenly, the doorbell sounded, but Emmy was too far gone to answer the door. She lay there on the sofa, listening as a voice called from the front porch. The voice was strangely familiar, but giving her current state, she couldn’t make out who it was. Finally, the dark claimed her, and the voice and all the other crap no longer mattered.

  “Emmy,” a voice whispered to her. She groaned as she tried to move. Her throat was beyond sore, she had the overwhelming urge to cough, but instead, she began to choke.

  “It’s okay, Emmy,” the voice crashed into her darkness once more. “You need to try to stay calm. There is a tube in your throat, to help with your breathing, but the doctors are on their way.

  She slowly opened her eyes, finding two blue piercing eyes staring back at her.

  “Hey, there,” the voice continued. “Welcome back.”

  Emmy was stunned to find Officer Murphy smiling down at her.

  “You gave us quite a fright,” he told her, and she could see the relief in his eyes. “But you’re going to be just fine.”

  Emmy jolted awake and was surprised to find herself parked outside her apartment building. She pushed herself up in her seat, glancing over at Landen.

  “I’m sorry!” She said, embarrassed that she had fallen asleep.

  “It’s okay,” Landen replied as he watched Emmy closely.

  “I should let you get back,” she said as she reached for the handle of the door. “Thank you for the ride home.”

  “Finn is different!” L
anden exclaimed just as she was about to step out of the car, Emmy instantly stopped. “He isn’t like most people. He is sweet and caring, and he is honest.”

  “I know he is,” Emmy said as she turned back to Landen.

  “He doesn’t trust people easily,” Landen continued, smiling at Emmy. “Nor does he let them close, but he did with you.”

  “Nothing happened with Liam,” Emmy whispered as hot tears suddenly burnt her eyes. “At least, not in the way that Finn thinks.”

  “He’s in love with you?” Landen replied, surprising her with his directness. “Finn, I mean. Maybe he doesn’t know it yet, maybe he does, but he is in love with you, and he could lose everything if people found out.

  “But we are just friends,” Emmy tried to assure Landen, then corrected herself. “Were just friend, I mean.”

  “Finn doesn’t see you as just his friend,” Landen replied, giving her a smile. “And something tells me, neither do you.”

  “If you’re trying to tell me to stay away from him, Landen,” Emmy sighed, as tears suddenly spilled down her face. “Then you don’t have to worry. I would never do anything to hurt Finn; I mean Professor Murphy. I know we can’t be together, and I would never do anything to get him into trouble.”

  “I believe you,” Landen replied. “But you’re missing my point.”

  “Then what is it?” Emmy asked having no clue what Landen was trying to say. “What do you want me to do?”

  “I knew your mother,” Landen said, surprising Emmy with his sudden change of direction. “She was my professor and my mentor. I know what happened the night she died. I know you were there, you saw the whole thing.”

  Emmy stared at him, really having no idea what point he was making, or if he simply wanted to hurt her.

  “I don’t know what your life has been like since that night,” Landen said, giving her a knowing smile. “But the one thing I do know is broken people. I know when the going gets tough, they run. But Finn is not broken. He fights for what he believes in, what he loves, and if you let him in, he will fight for you too.”

  “But I don’t think he wants me anymore,” Emmy said as she looked up into Landen’s eyes.

  “I think he may surprise you,” Landen said with another smile. “Just promise me, that when the time comes, you give him a chance. I know he might have hurt you today, but believe me when I tell you, if anyone is worthy of a second chance, it’s Finn. Just don’t run.”

  “Okay,” she nodded, smiling, before she reached for the handle of the door, once more.

  “Happy Thanksgiving, Emmy,” Landen said as she climbed out of the car.

  “Same to you,” Emmy replied, before she slammed the car door shut, and walked up the steps to her apartment building.

  Once inside, she climbed the stairs to the second floor, her feet feeling almost as heavy as her heart.

  When she was in the safety of her apartment, she walked to the living room and sat down on the sofa, as a sudden sob escaped from deep inside her. She couldn’t hold back any longer. Emmy buried her face in her hands, crying as her heart broke into a million pieces.

  Emmy had no clue how long she was sitting there on her sofa. It wasn’t until there was a soft tap on her door did she even realised that her apartment was cloaked in darkness.

  She switched on the lamp on her side table before she pulled herself up from the sofa, walking towards the door, with no clue who it could be.

  She opened the door, half expecting to find her neighbour from across the hall, looking to borrow something, but instead, she found Finn.

  “How did you get in?” Emmy asked because it was the only question she could think of.

  “One of your neighbours were leaving,” Finn explained, as he just stared into her eyes.

  Emmy knew this was the moment that Landen was talking about. This was the moment she needed to give him a chance. She just didn’t know if she could be someone he would ever love, once he realised just how broken she truly was.

  Chapter 16

  Finn stood there for a moment, as his heart hammered rapidly inside him. There was so much that he wanted to say to her, but at that moment he just seemed so lost for words. He could see she had been crying, and he knew it was because of him, and that just made him feel worse than he already did, even though he hadn’t believed that was even possible.

  “I never slept with Liam,” Emmy blurted out in a rush of words as she stood there, staring at Finn with fear in her eyes. He knew she was probably just as scared as he was, and he wanted so much to lay her fears to rest.

  “I know,” he replied with a croaky voice. “I talked to Liam.”

  “I’m sorry if you think that I have lied to you,” Emmy continued as fresh tears danced in her eyes. “And I am sorry that I ruined your family’s Thanksgiving. I should have never agreed to go. I knew it was a mistake, and I was right.”

  “You haven’t done anything that you need to be sorry for,” Finn replied as he longed to take her in his arms, but he knew they needed to talk first. There was so much he wanted to say, also so much he wanted to hear. “I’m just sorry that you thought you couldn’t talk to me. But don’t you see? There is nothing you can’t tell me, Emmy; nothing that could ever change the way I feel about you.”

  “You can’t say that, because you don’t know,” Emmy whispered as tears trickled down her face. “There is still so much you don’t know about me. My life has been a nightmare, I don’t know if I can ever tell you everything that you want to hear; because I am afraid you would look at me so differently than you’re looking at me right now. But I swear, I never meant to hurt you.”

  “Emmy,” Finn breathed out, as suddenly he could hold back no longer. He stepped forward, taking her face into his hands. “None of that matters to me. Don’t you know that? All I care about is this very moment.”

  For a moment he just stared down at her, before he slowly leaned forward, softly claiming her mouth with his, unable to hold back how he was feeling anymore. Emmy didn’t respond at first, and Finn knew she was completely stunned by his actions, but finally, she tenderly returned his kiss, as she slowly melted into his arms.

  Finn kicked the door closed, before he turned them both around, pinning Emmy to the door, as his kiss grew deeper and more passionate, Finn felt like his heart was going to explode it was racing so fast.

  Kissing her was everything Finn had imagined it would be, and so much more. He had never wanted anything more than he wanted her. He had tried to deny it, tried to fight it, but he loved her, completely and deeply.

  Taking hold of her hands, he pinned them above her head as he ground his hips into her. The moment Emmy felt his arousal pressed into her, she gasped, suddenly pulled her mouth away from his.

  “We can’t do this!” She exclaimed breathlessly, as she looked up into his eyes. “You’re my professor; there are rules.”

  “Fuck the rules,” Finn growled against Emmy’s mouth, as he dropped his hands to her face, gently holding it barely inches from his. “I love you, Emmy, there’s nothing else that matters to me anymore. Believe me, I have tried not to have these feelings for you, I wish I didn’t. But the truth is, I have been in love with you since the day you fell into my class, I just can’t pretend anymore.”

  Emmy didn’t reply. Instead she just stared up into his eyes. Finn would have loved to know what was running through her head right at that moment, he really had no idea what she was thinking. He was terrified she would tell him to leave and never come back.

  “I love you, too,” She finally whispered, as she closed her eyes. “But I’m so scared.”

  “I’m scared too,” Finn admitted honestly. “I know what we could lose. I know I’m asking you to risk everything, but don’t you see? I would give it all up in a heartbeat if you tell me that you want to spend the rest of your life with me.”

  Emmy didn’t reply once more. Instead, she stared up into his eyes, and just when Finn thought she was going to tell him to leave, she le
aned up, pressing her lips to his once more.

  “I love you,” she breathed against his lips before she kissed him once again, this time it told Finn exactly what she wanted.

  Finn didn’t hesitate. He picked Emmy up, as she instinctively wrapped her legs around him as he made his way down the hallway, to her bedroom at the far end.

  Finn climbed onto the bed with Emmy, covering her body with his, as their kiss became more urgent. Finn rose up above her. Giving her a look that asked if she was sure this was what she wanted. He needed to be sure.

  Emmy just smiled at him, and Finn knew that she wanted this too.

  He leaned down, softly kissed her before he kneeled up between her legs, pulled his shirt over his head, then quickly threw it to the floor. Slowly he leaned down, kissing her once more. As he did, his hand ran down her side until he reached the hem of her dressed.

  Slipping his hand beneath the soft material of her dress, Finn slowly slid his hand up her leg, till he reached the lace of her panties. Softly he dragged his fingertips across the delicate lace, and down between her legs, allowing his finger tips to glide across her sensitive folds.

  Emmy instantly cried out, and she closed her eyes as her back arched up from the bed. Finn loved that she was so responsive to him, but he wanted more. He wanted to know every inch of her body, and he wanted to hear her cry out as she came undone.

  Slipping his other hand beneath her dress, he hooked her lace panties with the tips of his fingers, easing them down her legs slowly, before he threw them to the floor too.

  Emmy stared at him for a moment, and Finn smiled, before he pushed her legs further apart, then leaned down and softly pressed his mouth to the inside of her thigh. He glanced up at her once again, as she was watching his every move. Finn loved that she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

  Emmy wriggled with anticipation as Finn slowly moved further up her thighs, trailing delicate kisses and gentle bites as he moved closer and closer to her soft, sensitive core. Finally, he reached his target, as he longed to taste her, feeling almost like a greedy little boy in a sweet shop. He glanced up at her once more, before he pressed his lips to her warm center, then pushed his tongue between the soft folds until he found her swollen clit. Emmy just cried out his name in sheer pleasure, as Finn’s heart hammered harder.