Finn Read online

  He opened the back door of his car, folded his umbrella, setting it down on the floor in the back. Then he hurried to the driver’s door, quickly climbing into the car, out of the rain.

  Neither of them said a word until Finn started the engine.

  “Are you cold?” He asked as he reached for the temperature control on the center console, adjusting the heat. “You must be; you’re soaked to the skin.”

  “I’m okay,” Emmy replied without looking at Finn. “And honestly, I can make my own way home. If you could just let me out at the bus stop.”

  “Ms. Warner,” Finn sighed impatiently. “I’m not about to leave you here in the dark, in a thunderstorm. So there’s no point in arguing with me. Now put your seatbelt on.”

  Without saying a word, Emmy reached for the seatbelt over her shoulder, putting it on with a huff, just like she was told to. Finn stared at her for a moment, before he put his car into reverse.

  “Are you warm enough, Ms. Warner?” Finn asked as he eased his car out of the parking space, heading for the exit of the parking lot.

  “Yes, thank you,” Emmy replied without looking at him. Finn couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking at that exact moment. Her face was blank and completely unreadable. He was also wondering how the hell he had gotten himself into this predicament.

  Finn had been sitting in his car when he spotted Emmy hurrying across the parking lot. He didn’t know what, but something made him sit there and watch her. He wasn’t sure why, but he wanted to be sure she got into her car safely.

  When she reached the car, Finn could see almost immediately something was wrong. If he was honest, he briefly considered just driving away and not getting involved, but he knew that was never really an option. He was raised to be a gentleman, his mother would have been furious if he had just left any girl in need, in a dark parking lot, in the rain.

  “So,” Finn said as he glanced over at Emmy once more. “I’m going to need you to tell me where you live.”

  “Not too far from here,” Emmy replied but still she made no effort to look at Finn. “You turn left about six blocks down, but you can drop me at the corner, I will be fine from there…”

  “I’m taking you home, Ms. Warner,” Finn cut her off abruptly. “I don’t know why you are being so difficult.”

  “Emmy!” She exclaimed as she finally turned to look at Finn.

  “Excuse me?” Finn asked as he looked at her in confusion.

  “My name,” Emmy replied, holding his gaze for a few moments before she dropped her eyes back down to her hands that were clasped on her lap. “You keep calling me, Ms. Warner, but my name is Emmy.”

  “I know what your name is,” Finn sighed as he returned his focus to the road ahead of them. “I’m not stupid.”

  “Then why don’t you use it?” Emmy asked as she glanced over at Finn once more. “I mean if you want to.”

  Finn sighed as he considered her request. He wondered if giving her a ride home was a bad idea after all. The last thing he wanted to do was give her the wrong impression of his actions.

  “Ms. Warner,” Finn said keeping his voice even and soft as he glanced back over at her. “I’m not your friend; I’m your teacher, nothing more. I’m simply ensuring you get home safely because it’s the right thing to do.”

  Emmy stared at him for a moment. Finn knew she was completely thrown by his response. Then without saying a word, she returned her focus to her hands.

  An uncomfortable silence settled between them in the car. Finn instantly regretted his harsh words. He didn’t know why he had been so hard on her; if he was honest, he was probably more annoyed at himself for allowing himself to be put in this position.

  All she had asked was that he use her first name, but Finn felt keeping things more formal was best for everyone.

  “This is my turn,” Emmy finally said, as she glanced up at the road ahead. Finn could hear the tiniest crack of emotion in her voice, and he felt like a complete asshole. He had upset her and made her feel uncomfortable once again.

  He took a left without saying a word. He knew anything he said now would just make things so much worse between them right at that moment. Staying quiet was the only option he had left at this point.

  She pointed at a building down on the left side of the street and said that was where she lived. Finn didn’t respond. Instead he just pulled his car over next to the curb, turning off the engine.

  “Thank you for the ride home, Professor Murphy,” Emmy blurted out in a rush of words without looking at him. Finn knew she wished she was anywhere else other than sitting next to him in his car. She reached for the door handle, quickly pushing open the car door, like she couldn’t get out of the car fast enough.

  “Ms. Warner!” Finn exclaimed, knowing he needed to say something to make things right between them both. He didn’t know why he was so bothered that he had upset this girl; after all, it wasn’t the first time he had made a student cry, but something about seeing Emmy upset bothered him more than he knew it should.

  “Please don’t say anything, Professor,” Emmy begged, still not looking at Finn. “I’m sorry if I crossed a line. It won’t happen again.”

  Without waiting for him to respond, she climbed out of the car, slamming the door behind her, before hurrying up the steps into her apartment building, then vanished inside.

  Finn sat there for a moment, considering what his options now were. He could get out and go after the girl, checking that she was okay, before he apologised for his rude behaviour; or he could simply drive away, and try to put this whole disastrous experience behind them both.

  Finn knew the right thing to do was to go and apologise, but he also knew, going after her, in some way, could be seen as crossing a line too. He was her professor, he needed to keep things professional.

  He blew out a long, frustrated breath before he started his car once more, putting it into first gear, then pulling away from the curb, before heading for home.

  Finn spent most of the night, tossing and turning. He replayed his journey with Emmy Warner over and over in his mind, each time he did, he wished he had handled things so differently.

  By the time the alarm sounded on his bedside table, he had managed no more than two hours of broken sleep, and he now had the mother of all headaches.

  He pushed up from his bed, heading toward the bathroom. For the first time since the day he started teaching at the university, he was dreading the day ahead.

  He tried to reason that it was because of the lack of sleep he’d had, but deep down inside, he knew it was because he didn’t want to have to face Emmy again.

  Emmy Warner!

  Why the hell had this girl gotten under his skin so much?

  Finn tried to convince himself it was because he felt a little sorry for her. When he looked at her, he could imagine a young girl, holding her dying mother in her arms. He was after all, human, and anyone would feel some kind of sympathy for a person that had lived through that experience.

  At least that was what he was trying to convince himself. But deep down inside he knew there was more to it than that. From the day she had walked into his classroom, and literally dropped at his feet, he was interested in this train wreck of a girl, but he had no idea why.

  Climbing beneath the shower, Finn tried to push all thoughts of Ms. Warner from his mind. He had a long day ahead, with little sleep, it was going to be a hard one, too.

  Two hours later, when Finn walked into his classroom, he wasn’t surprised to see Emmy sitting there already. Nor was he that surprised when she made no effort to look up from the book she was reading. He stood for a moment, considering once more apologising for his behaviour, but he knew it wasn’t going to help the situation; so instead he turned to his desk, taking his seat.

  He wasn’t really that surprised either that she completely avoided eye contact for the entire lesson, but he would have been lying if he said it didn’t bother him. It bothered him a lot.

  Fi
nn tried to focus on the lecture he had planned for the day, but he found on more than one occasion, he lost his train of thought. So much so, a low hum spread through his class. He knew his students could all sense he wasn’t completely himself that day. By the time the lesson ended, he was just relieved that the class was finally over.

  Still, he knew he had to clear the air between him and Emmy. Having her in his class would be too distracting as long as things were still unsettled between them. He just didn’t know what to say to her.

  “Professor,” a voice broke into Finn’s thoughts. When he looked up, he was instantly irritated to find Poison Ivy standing in front of him, smiling at him once more like the cat that got the cream. “My parents are having a small get together on Friday night, they have invited some of the faculty. They would love it if you would join us…”

  “I’m sorry, Ms. Cooper-Smith, but I’m busy this Friday,” Finn replied, cutting her off mid-sentence, as he stood up to see beyond the annoying girl standing in front of him. His eyes instantly went to where Emmy normally sat and he sighed with frustration when he saw that she had already left her seat. He quickly scanned the group of students heading out the door and he spotted Emmy, just as she was about to exit the room. “Ms. Warner, can I have a word please?”

  Emmy stopped dead in her tracks just outside the door, and Finn could see her shoulders slump a little before she slowly turned, walking back into the classroom.

  Finn returned his attention back to Poison Ivy, who was still standing there, looking at him in disbelief that he had blown her off without missing a beat.

  “If that’s all, Ms. Cooper-Smith,” Finn said, looking at the girl expectantly, waiting for her to leave.

  Shelby stared at Finn for a few moments longer, before she forced a smile back on her face, but this time he could tell she was angry.

  “Yes, Professor Murphy. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said before she turned and headed for the exit, leaving Finn alone with Emmy once more.

  Before Finn spoke, he walked to the door of the classroom, closing it quietly, giving him and Emmy a little more privacy. Then he took a deep breath, before he turned to face Emmy once more.

  “Ms. Warner,” Finn said as he walked back towards his desk, sitting down on the edge. “Would you like to take a seat?”

  He had half expected her to say no, but instead she quietly walked to the front row of the classroom and sat down.

  “We seemed to have gotten off to a bit of a bumpy start to our relationship,” Finn began as he watched her closely. Though she was looking at him, she kept her eyes firmly focused on his chest, refusing to let her gaze meet his. He sighed inwardly before he continued. “As your professor, it is my job to ensure that you are happy and comfortable in the classroom environment, as to aid you in your learning, and I fear I have failed at this part of my duties.”

  He stopped and watched her for a moment, as he tried to choose his next words carefully.

  “I upset you last night,” Finn continued, as Emmy quickly glanced up at him, before she returned her focus to his chest. “And for that I am sorry.”

  “You have nothing to apologise for, Professor,” Emmy quickly replied but Finn knew she was saying what she thought he wanted to hear. Still she wouldn’t look up at him, instead she stared blankly at his chest, as she nervously pulled at the bracelet that was on her wrist. Her breathing was shallow and fast, and Finn knew that she was completely intimidated by him, and while he did like to keep his students on their toes, it was never his desire to frighten them.

  “Do I scare you, Ms. Warner?” Finn asked but he already knew the answer she would give him.

  “No, Sir,” she replied as she shook her head.

  “Because if I do,” Finn continued. “I can always ask one of the other professors to make room for you in their classroom…”

  “You’re kicking me out of your class!” Emmy exclaimed as she once more allowed her gaze to meet Finn’s. “That’s not fair! I’ve done nothing wrong…”

  She instantly stood up, gathering up her books from the seat next to her.

  “I didn’t say you did anything wrong!” Finn replied, surprised by her outburst.

  “But you’re kicking me out of your class,” Emmy hissed as she pinned him with an angry glare. Finn was surprised to see her eyes glisten with unshed tears. “Well then, fine! If you want me out of your class, then I guess there is nothing more to say. Thank you for your time, Professor.”

  “Ms. Warner…” Finn sighed as he blew out a long, frustrated breath.

  “Goodbye, Professor Murphy,” Emmy replied without even looking at him. Instead she hurried for the door reaching for the handle.

  “EMMY!” Finn shouted, stopping her dead in her tracks once more, but this time she didn’t turn back around.

  Finn stood for a moment, trying to regain his composure before he spoke again.

  “I never said I wanted you to leave my class,” he finally continued in a calm, even voice. “Now, can you please sit back down, so we can talk like grown-ups?”

  Emmy slowly turned, walking back to the seat she had been sitting in and sat back down. Finn watched her for a moment before he too walked towards the seats, sitting at the desk next to her but neither of them said a word.

  “Can we start again?” He finally said as he glanced sideways at her. He had no clue what to make of this girl sitting next to him. Maybe it would be easier for them both if she did move to a different class. After all, they hadn’t even completed their first week of the semester, and they had already managed to have three major disagreements.

  “If that’s what you want, Professor,” Emmy shrugged, and Finn sighed once more.

  “You really are rather impossible,” he said as he rubbed his tired eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” she replied, but this time her voice was softer, finally allowing her eyes to meet Finn’s. “I guess I’m just used to things going wrong, so I can be a little defensive.”

  “I have noticed,” Finn said with a chuckle. “But I haven’t exactly been Mister Sensitive either.”

  “No,” Emmy said, and Finn was relieved to see her finally smile. “You’ve not.”

  “The thing is,” Finn continued as he looked directly at Emmy, and something stirred deep down inside of him. A need to protect this girl sitting in front of him. “I’m your professor, so we can’t be best friends. It’s simply not possible.”

  “I understand,” Emmy nodded.

  “But with that being said,” Finn continued. “If there is anything you need at all. I want you to feel free to come to talk to me. And that includes anything that happened between you and a certain other student whose seat you’re sitting in at this moment.”

  “Who, Shelby?” Emmy asked, and Finn was surprised to see her face burn with embarrassment. “There’s nothing to tell.”

  “Somehow, I doubt it,” Finn said, giving her a sympathetic smile. “I know Ms. Cooper-Smith can be a little intimidating. However, you’re a grown woman, and if you say there is nothing to tell, I will take your word for it.”

  “Thank you, Professor,” Emmy replied as once more she gave him a smile.

  Finn liked to see her smiling, especially as her smile was so pretty. He liked the way her cheeks flushed, and her sparkling blue eyes twinkled when she did. She was in fact a very beautiful young lady.

  “Then I guess that’s everything,” Finn said, knowing he needed to wrap things up quickly. His mind was racing with so many thoughts right at that moment. Thoughts he knew were wrong and completely unprofessional. “Thank you for accepting my apology, Emmy,”

  “My pleasure,” Professor,” Emmy replied as she smiled once more before she stood up. “I guess I will see you in class tomorrow then.”

  “I guess you will,” Finn replied as he too stood up. “Have a good day, Ms. Warner…I mean, Emmy.”

  “You too,” she replied with a nod before she turned, hurrying towards the door of the class room.

  You�
��re in so much trouble, Murphy! Finn sighed to himself as he walked back to his desk and tried to regroup before his next class arrived.

  Chapter 6

  “So how are things with you and Louise?” Amelia asked as she and Finn sat on the patio of Finn’s parents’ home. They were all there for dinner to celebrate his father’s birthday, as it was a lovely evening; and the weather was still quite warm for the start of October, his father suggested they take their drinks out on to the patio after dinner.

  It had been three weeks since the misunderstanding he’d had with Emmy, but Finn was still feeling a little confused by his feelings for her, and he had no clue what to do about it. He reasoned that he cared for her in a purely teacher-student capacity, but deep inside he knew it was more than that. He liked her, and part of him hoped she liked him too.

  In the classroom, he kept things professional, even friendly at times. Emmy was probably one of his brightest students he’d had, Finn loved whenever she contributed to the classroom discussion. However, Finn found that when he was alone, he would often find that she would creep into his thoughts, he wondered what she was doing at that exact moment.

  A few times, when she stayed back after class for one reason or another, Finn found he enjoyed those moments more than he thought he should have. When he talked to her, it felt easy and normal, something Finn have never really felt before. He liked that he could make her laugh, he never felt like he had to question if she was laughing with him, or at him. Being with her just felt right somehow, but that feeling terrified him more than anything else in his life.

  He had been out with Louise for two more dates, and while he had fun on the dates with her, if he was completely honest, as much as he thought she was a lovely, sweet lady; he just didn’t feel any real connection to her. Still, dating her was the safest option, so Finn kept up the pretense that he was interested in her romantically.