Page 90 of Heir of Fire
She couldn’t stop herself from jumping into his arms again, forcing him to catch her at the last second, but he did. Gianna covered him in kisses. “Thank you for this.”
“Anything for you, princess.”
When she finally managed to try it on, it was the perfect fit. Much more comfortable than the other one she wore. He handed her one of his leather jackets too, promising to get her a customized one as well if she wanted. For some reason, she preferred to wear his instead. Of course, it had to do with being surrounded in his scent every time she put it on, but he didn’t need to know that. Finn got on the bike, and she got on behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, holding onto him with everything she had when he finally took off.
No amount of time on the bike could make her get used to the feeling of pure adrenaline rushing through her body. Just the feeling of rushing through the streets, putting all her trust in Finn, it made her feel free. She was able to let go of control, let go of everything if even for a moment.
When they got to the lake, her legs were wobbly. It always took her a moment to steady herself when she got off, but luckily Finn was there to provide a helping hand. She took off the helmet and handed it over to him, letting him place them on the bike before they walked down to the little dock.
The sun was close to setting, but in the golden light she could see just how much everything was starting to come to life. More bugs lingered beside the water, flowers began to blossom around the tree trunks, and she swore that she saw a fish or two though there were probably so many more swimming around.
Finn took a seat beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer to him. “Tell me about your day.”
“Well, let’s see. I woke up, had breakfast, went to class, and then danced for most of the day with some lunch in between and now I’m here with you.” She turned to him, leaning her head against his shoulder. “It was a busy day.”
“And why was it so busy, princess?”
“The dancing. It’s a lot right now to keep up with and my body hurts and everything hurts and I’m tired.”
He was silent for a moment. “It’s just the dancing?”
“Yep. Just the dancing.”
She knew what he was doing, but she wasn’t ready to go there yet. Not when they were in their perfect little place and she had just stepped into his arms. She didn’t want the good to always be tarnished by the thoughts of her mother. So much of her life already was and she didn’t deserve any more of it.
“Okay.”
“Tell me about your day. How was it with Valerio?” she asked, quickly changing the topic.
Finn shook his head. “Well, Valerio is a fucking psycho, but I’m sure you already knew that. He’s so specific about the way he wants everything done. I truly don’t understand how Luna manages to be around him.”
“She loves him, that’s how.”
“Good for her then because I don’t see it. Today though we worked on getting some investors, so I was able to sit in on those meetings. They’re so fucking boring.”
Gianna couldn’t help the laugh that left her lips. “Really? Who would have guessed?”
“No kidding. All they do is talk numbers and profits and blah blah blah. I managed to sell them on it, though. Can you believe I’m good at getting people to do what I want?” Finn asked, his voice holding pride.
She looked up at him, her eyes shining. Just seeing how much he was changing and taking on the new challenges, but finding so much excitement in them made her so happy for him. There were so many things he thought he couldn’t do just because he had a parent that didn’t believe in him, but now he was doing them all.
“You are good at getting people to do what you want,” Gianna said, clearing her throat. “You’re great at everything.”
He leaned down until their faces were inches apart. “And you’re great at trying to deflect. Talk to me, Gianna.”
His inquisitive side was just as annoying. She frowned, trying to pull away but he just held onto her tighter. “There’s not much to talk about.”
“I know you’re going to see your mother tomorrow.”
“Great, you’re all caught up then.”
She could tell he was fighting the urge to roll his eyes, but still he kept his tone gentle. “You can talk to me about it. I know it’s not easy for you. I know you don’t want to do it.”
Gianna bit the inside of her cheek. Wasn’t that the truth?
“Any time I have to go see her, it makes me feel powerless. I know how it ends, so the visit is always pointless.”
It ended with her leaving every single time. No surprise. No change. Nothing. It was expected, but it still hurt every single time. It left Gianna feeling raw, angry, even numb for days on end afterwards. Then she recovered, moved on from her life and forgot about it until the reminder came from Allister a year later that it was time to do it all over again.
