Page 87 of Heir of Fire
Finn wasn’t running anymore. He was done with that part of his life.
He was let in by one of the many staff who worked there and led through the grand foyer to the sunroom where there was lunch being set up. Small hints of spring decorated the home, mostly through the addition of intricately assorted flowers in vases. After learning about how much Gianna loved the season, he had a different outlook on it than he had before.
Valerio and Luna sat in the sunroom, smiling and talking to each other in hushed voices. They didn’t even notice when Finn walked in or sat down. It took him clearing his throat loudly for Valerio to roll his eyes and finally turn towards him.
“What?”
“It’s great to see you both as well.”
“Sorry, I didn’t know you got here,” Luna said, giving him a warm smile.
Finn looked around the table noticing that there were two other plates set up as well. “Are more people joining us?”
“Allister and Dante are. They’re involved in all my business matters, so I need them involved with this as well,” Valerio said. “They’ll be here in a couple of minutes.”
He could only nod, twirling his thumbs together at the awkward silence. When he looked up, he saw that Luna stared back at him with a hungry smile. One that almost scared him.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because you have a girlfriend now who just so happens to be my best friend and I want to know how that’s going,” she said, the excitement clear in her voice.
“It’s going fine.”
“Fine? That’s all I get? Give me more. Like when did you realize you were in love? Have you always been into her? Did you guys have something going on when you were younger? I need some details,” she said.
“Yeah, Finn. Give her the details,” Valerio said, smirking.
He rolled his eyes. “What details? We never had anything going on before, and it just kind of happened.”
Her face fell. “You suck at this.”
“How can I suck at not wanting to talk about my love life with you?”
“Because you’re in love and it’s special. I want to know how you feel, how you’re experiencing it, how you’re treating her.”
“You might have to use extreme measures to get anything out of him, baby.” Valerio grabbed her hand, pressing a kiss to it.
Finn let out a long exhale. “It feels amazing. She’s the most amazing person I’ve ever met, and this feeling is like I’m flying on fucking clouds. It terrifies me how much I love her because if she ever leaves me, I’ll be a disaster, so that’s what I’m going through.”
“Oh my God, you are in love,” Luna said, holding a hand to her heart. “We all feel those things, especially at first. It’s scary and vulnerable, but it’s so magical and it’s the best thing you’ll ever feel. Lean into it and enjoy it. You both are perfect together.”
Finn could only nod his head. He hadn’t expected to get serious, but when he started spilling, it all kind of tumbled out of him. But there was a comfort in knowing that the feelings were mutual—the fear and the terrifying part were on the same coin as the blissful, heavenly part of it.
Luckily, his response wasn’t needed because Allister and Dante were walking in, loud and obnoxious. They sat down at the table, immediately pulling the attention onto themselves.
“Sorry we’re late, someone couldn’t find an outfit,” Allister said, rolling his eyes.
“I didn’t know where my corduroy pants were and that was the vision for today,” Dante said, shrugging nonchalantly.
“Let’s just start,” Valerio said.
They acted like it was a real meeting, snapping into it right away. A couple workers came out to bring drinks and food before leaving the room and closing the door behind them. Finn grabbed some sandwiches and salad, filling his plate while he waited for Valerio to get on with it.
“Finn, I know the last time we talked it wasemotionalfor you. I’m hoping we can get through this conversation without any outbursts,” Valerio said.
“Maybe you shouldn’t have sprung it on me that my father didn’t leave me shit nearly six months after his death. Next time, tell me right away,” he said, shrugging. “Are there any more surprises like that today?”
This time it was Luna shaking her head. “No. There aren’t. You’re also right about that. We should have told you right away, but you were gone and on the run. We spent that whole time looking for you and when you came back, you were in such a weird state. Figuring out whether you even wanted this was the first step.”
