Chapter 48

Chapter 48
Nyra's POV

I reached the restaurant half past the exact time, and though I wasn't quite dressed for the dinner theme, I doubted Finn would care. I went into the restaurant and used my eyes to search for him and when I sighted him from a far away, he looked more than dressed for this.

Letting out a small sigh, I walked over to where he sat and drew myself a chair before apologizing appropriately.

“I am so sorry that I came late," I started to say.

“Oh no, it's no big deal... women are allowed to keep men waiting,” he said with a light sense of humor. “Plus, I actually haven't been waiting here for long,” he added, which made me feel less guilty, if that was his plan.

“Oh, that's nice,” I rubbed my palm together as I realized that sitting here with him made me more nervous about what the witch and Fiona's dream man had to say. “So, what are we having for dinner?” Trying to lighten up the mood, but instead he looked back at me with a suspicious smirk

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Well, I'm sorry,” he raised his hands a bit in surrender. “It's just that, that's like the first casual question you've ever asked me ever since we met.”

Is it?

I chuckled dryly, uncomfortable with the fact that he was studying me.

“I'm so sorry for being so uptight… there's actually a very valid reason for that,” I said, pursing my lips.

“Yeah, I'm pretty sure about that.” 

“I get this feeling that you just look at me, and you just know what I'm thinking," passing him a tight smile.

And he smiled back as if happy to tell the tale.

“Well, before I realize that fashion is my core, I think I studied psychology, so yeah, I may come off as someone who knows too much or who wants too.”

“Makes a whole lot of sense now," I nodded inwardly, knowing that the last thing I wanted was someone who studied human behavior, and I was no human.

“You look tense," he said.

“A bit flustered if we are using the correct word for it… but I could use the distraction." Surely, I did need a distraction from whatever happened in Ethan's hospital.

“Good," he smiled, then called for a waiter, who took our order and delivered it within a few minutes.

I stared at my plate and took a spoonful of the meal before noticing how intense Finn was staring with curiosity in his eyes.

“I'm begging you, Finn, not to let curiosity get the best of you, because it doesn't always end well.”

He smiled again.

“What could possibly be the worst skeleton in your closet? Or did you kill your ex-husband or what.”

He took a spoonful as well.

“Wow people do that?” I seemed astonished.

“Yes, Tina and a lot more, I take my time to look into crime documentaries these days.”

“Well, no. I didn't kill my husband, but I… I did run away from a man.”

Recalling my escape like it was just yesterday.

“Abusive boyfriends are common these days…. Although you didn't look like someone who would get yourself entangled in abuse.”

“I mean, what do they say... don't judge a book by its cover.”

I chuckled nervously as I reached for my spoon to have another bite, solely to distract myself from whatever questions he had.

“I get, you want a new life, everybody wants that," his voice lowered.

“And you, what is your story?" shifting the spotlight towards him.

“Oh me?” He shook his head, then stared back at me with an expression that asked if I really wanted to know, but I stared back.

“Tskk, me and my ex-wife got divorced, and the kids aren't mine.”

I furrowed my brows lightly.

“Why do you have that look on your face?”

“I don't know what you are talking about. You look too young to get married now, and you said you had a wife then?” I shook my head at this time. “How old were you? Nineteen?”

“Actually, I was twenty and, you know how childhood sweethearts work, promising eternal love to each other and swearing to die for each other… guess I was the only one willing to die," He paused and used the napkin to wipe his lips.

I watched him, the pain he went through.

“I hate to think that you didn't learn from this," I tried to lighten the atmosphere.

“I thought I did until I met you," he said.

I looked up at him and smiled awkwardly, demanding a rephrase of his words with the look on my face.

“You must be kidding Finn, it can't be me," I replied, but he leaned in closer from his end.

“I told you this before, there is something about you… it's like...”

“It's just your psychology," I shook my head and leaned away from him immediately. I didn't like the way this was going. I didn't like the way he still seemed to care, the uneasiness I felt made my insides boil, and I could feel my claws fighting to emerge. “The urge to know things, that's just it. That's why you're curious about me," I hid my hands under the table.

“No, Miss Fisher," he persisted. “It's more than that…”

“No, no, no,” I shook my head.

“Yes...” trying to reach for my hand, but I stood up abruptly and walked out, but he followed behind me. I got outside and reached out my hand to flag down a taxi, but he held me.

“Where are you going?”

I frowned at his question.

“You don't even know me Finn," I resorted.

“I will, Tina, you just told me about the man who abused…”

“No!” I snapped angrily at him.

The way he called me Tina, like all this was real, the way he talked about the Alpha Throne, like he knew him, “That is none of your business."

“Tina, please”

“Finn, stop!” I growled, feeling the sharpness of my fangs. I looked away from him immediately, hoping he didn't notice the change in my voice.

“Are you okay, Tina?”

Reaching for me, I flagged down a taxi instead and got in before he could say anything else, but as the city lights blurred past my window, one thought clawed at me mercilessly: what if Finn was the one person I could never run far enough from?