Page 38 of Love Harvested on Thanksgiving
I spit in his face and release him. He collapses to the ground, emptying his stomach onto the cobblestone.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
ALEX
I sit in the passenger seat of Finley’s truck, scrolling through my social media apps when he opens the door and slides into the driver’s seat.
He doesn’t say anything, doesn’t even glance at me. He turns the key; the engine roars to life, headlights slicing through the darkness as we pull onto the street.
“Finley, I’m—” I start.
“Don’t you dare apologize, princess. Not for him, not for yourself. You did nothing wrong,” he assures me.
I still feel guilty, though. I feel like I just dropped mybaggage at Finley’s feet and told him to carry it. I feel… embarrassed.
“He won’t be bothering you anymore,” he whispers. “I left him with a permanent… reminder.”
“Yeah, I…uh, heard,” I murmur.
His cheeks redden and he swallows hard. Isheembarrassed?
“Nobody has ever done anything like that for me. My own brothers wouldn’t even do something like that.”
He nods.
“Thank you, Fin,” I whisper.
“Don’t call me that,” he snaps, and I jump, startled.
He lets out a deep breath, running a hand down his face. “I’m sorry, Alex,” he says, his tone much softer. “My… mother used to call me Fin.”
“Oh, Finley, I’m sorry.”
Minutes pass in silence before I finally exhale and ask the question I’ve been holding onto for weeks.
“What happened to her, Finley?” I regret the words the moment they leave my lips. “You don’t have to answer that… I’m sorry,” I add quickly.
He’s quiet for a long moment, before finally speaking. “She was brutally attacked by a bull.”
My hand flies to my mouth, I’m speechless.
“It was my eleventh birthday. We were playing with a rocket set I got as a gift.” He says quietly.
“Oh my God, Finley,” I breathe.
“It happened so fast… right in front of me, just a foot away. His horn went through her body, and he dragged her away, leaving nothing but a trail of blood and her screams.”
He pauses, taking a few steadying breaths. “I was just a boy… helpless. Dakota’s dad shot the bull, but it was too late. She was already gone.”
I take his hand in mine, unable to find words. Before I realize it, tears are streaming down my cheeks.
His voice drops even lower. “That’s why I have a hard time with you being on the farm, Alex.”
My mind flashes back to that day on the farm when Finley jumped between me and that charging bull. The tears come faster.
Now we’re in the parking lot of my apartment, and I still have no idea what to say.
“Will you stay with me tonight?” I ask.
