Chapter 10 10 | feel

My eyelids fluttered open to a brightly lit room. The sheets I laid on were soft and fluffy, and I started rubbing my legs together like a cricket at the comfort.

"Josephine, shut the curtains," I muttered in default, placing an arm over my eyes, then winced in pain. I felt a searing headache whenever I spoke or moved. "Jo?" I called.

Wait. I wasn't at home.

The realization caused me to sit up in an instant, my heart beating frantically as I took in my surroundings. I was lying on a king sized bed in an equally large room. The place was bare save for a chair and table at one end and a few art pieces hanging around loosely. But the room looked expensive, that I was sure of.

I couldn't recall anything from the point when I began drinking with Constantine last night at the nightclub. And how the hell I got here, wherever this was.

And I needed to pee badly.

I struggled to disentangle myself from the sheets and climbed off the bed, scanning the area for my purse and shoes. Carefully, I walked across the room to a door and pulled it open, revealing an en suite toilet. It was stark white and pristine, and I almost lost my mind when I saw my appearance in the mirror. My dark hair was a matted mess on my head and my make up was smudged like a two year old had taken an art lesson on my face.

I peed and scrubbed my face clean, tempted to drown myself away in the luxurious looking bathtub.

After you find out where you are. After.

I padded back into the room and pulled open another door, stepping into a hallway. The area was clean and serene but eerily quiet, scenting a lot like lemons and a vaguely familiar scent I couldn't put my finger on. Barefoot, I quietly descended a stairway that led into a living room.

My mouth hung open as I took in the extravagant setting. This place I'd found myself at, albeit shrouded in mystery and a hangover, was insane. High ceilings, floor to ceiling windows that encompassed the large room, minimalistic decor. Damn. The flat screen TV was on mute, with a newscaster speaking. I looked around the area to see if anyone was around, but found it empty.

"Hello?" I called out, my voice hoarse and sending another pang of pain straight to my head. I winced and held it in my hand.

"Coffee?" A raspy voice asked. I spun around in alarm and gasped when I found Finn standing just a few feet from me with a mug in hand. "You look like you need it."

His hair was messy like he'd shoved it into a dryer, green eyes studying me carefully like I was a test specimen. I blinked, then was thrown off by the fact that he had no shirt on. His built body was lean and tan, tapering into a slim waist that met with the band of his sweatpants. I caught the faint scattering of hairs that trailed down his abdomen and disappeared into his pants, then I gulped.

"Eyes up here, sweetheart." I heard him say, the sexy smile on his lips doing weird things to my sanity.

"Where am I?" I asked defiantly, trying my best to stare him down. Considering how much taller he was, it was almost laughable.

"My house."

"Why am I here? How did I get here?"

"Relax, we have enough time to get into storytelling," he lazily closed the gap between us and lifted the mug up to me, "like I said, you'll need this."

Hesitantly I wrapped my hands around the cup and took it from him, ignoring the grin he wore. I craned my neck up to meet his eyes, which turned out to be a bad idea. The intensity they held scared me, and at the thought of how we'd left things prior to this moment, I turned away and edged towards a chair.

I took a small sip of the coffee and winced. It was black and sucked the life out of me. Finn chuckled at my expression, making me glare at him.

"Look, I really need to know what happened last night and how I got here."

He hesitated then folded his big arms over his chest. "I never pegged you for a girl who parties a lot."

"I don't party... that much."

"Well, you certainly did yesterday. You drunk dialed me and it turned out a guy was trying to fuck you. Long story short, I paid to have his lip stitched and his jaw wired shut."

My mouth fell open as the memories began trickling in. Of Constantine and how Morgan had tried to set me up. Finn appearing at the party and punching him out cold, saving me from possibly being raped. And with that came the feeling of anger and frustration all at once. I needed to talk to Ingrid.

"Oh my God."

"Relax, he's a tough guy. He'll heal alright, and hopefully he learns his lesson."

"Thank you," my voice was small and tears welled up in my eyes. I stared down at my body and felt claustrophobic in the tight dress I had on. I wanted to punch Constantine so hard his face caved in.

"Hey, don't cry. I'm sure you did enough of that yesterday." Finn said, his voice teasing. "You were pretty sad your make-up got ruined." I found myself smiling at him regardless of the tears that streamed down my face. I felt like a hot mess and Finn wasn't making me feel crappier than I already was.

"Why are you helping me?" I furiously ran a hand over my cheeks and sniffed. "Don't get me wrong, I'm really grateful, but I thought that you'd probably..." My voice trailed off and I concentrated on the abstract piece laying on a table beside him instead.

"Hate you?" He completed. I nodded. "Why would I?"

I shrugged. My breathing stilled as he moved closer.

"Because I kissed you and you ran away?"

I closed my eyes so I wouldn't have to look at him. I couldn't handle situations like these. I didn't want the feelings that came with him.

"I don't regret kissing you that night," he said softly. I opened my eyes. His moved down to my mouth and he sucked in his lower lip between his teeth. "You're all I thought about all week." Then he chuckled, "I think I'm obsessed. And I don't care how long you keep running, sunshine, because I won't stop chasing."

"Why?" I asked, my voice shaky. I was afraid to breathe because his scent was everywhere, and everytime I inhaled, I liked it.

"I haven't felt this way about a girl before, and fuck if I know what the hell it is, but... I like it. A lot." His lips curved up so slightly I almost missed it. "And you."

There it was.

I snapped out of my trance and backed away, feeling a fresh wave of determination. "I'm sure you've overused that line, Finn. In fact, I'm sure you've spun that lie right here, in this living room. I don't know what you want, but it's really not me."

"You're the only girl who's been to my house." He said, raking his hand through his hair.

"What?"

He smiled. "Except my mother, of course. Why are you fighting this? It's not everyday I have girls reject me. Haven't lived to see the day, even."

I laughed without humour. "Whoa, entitled much? I'm not an item you can just have when you want. It's more than just your ego."

"I never saw you as an item. Far from it actually-"

The doorbell went off. Finn visibly stilled, his eyes narrowed as a thought fleeted across his head.

I smirked in triumph. "What? Are you afraid one of your call girls might see me?"

He didn't say anything as he crossed over to the door and peered through the peephole to see who it was.

"Shit." He jerked back from the door in alarm and walked down to me. He plucked the mug from my grasp and set it aside, grabbed me by my arm and pulled me up the stairs to the room I'd woken up in.

"Hey, what are you doing! Are you hiding me?" I asked, furiously pushing against him futilely. My palms met with his hard chest and he held my forearms, pulling me against him. Our bodies were close, my face a breath away from his, the sound of our ragged breathing doing the talking.

"Stay here and don't come out until I come back." He said quietly. Something in his voice compelled me to follow his instructions to the last letter. I found myself nodding and he let go of my arms and closed the door behind him. I exhaled and leant against the door, trying to swallow the lump in my throat.

I heard voices having a row and one was feminine, like I'd suspected. Biting my lower lip, I slowly twisted the knob of the door and pried it open. The voices became louder now and I could make out what they were saying.

"A club? A club! Do you know how ridiculous the story will look if the media gets ahold of it? You can do better than that, Finn!" The female voice was laced with anger. She sounded much older than I thought. His mother, I realized.

"You said it yourself, they aren't sure if the person was me. The rumors will blow over in a few days, trust me." Finn said. His tone hinted irritation. I could picture the frown that would be formed between his eyebrows and the grim look in his eyes.

"I think I've been trusting you a little too much lately. Any step you take out of line could tarnish the image of the company. We can't afford that!"

"I know."

The ensuing silence stretched so long I could hear my own breathing.

"I just came to make sure you're alright." The woman sounded much calmer. "The fundraiser is so close now and I don't want anything backtracking us."

"I know." Finn repeated. He sounded deflated and my heart sank. All of a sudden I felt so much emotion towards this man it frightened me.

"Hailey maintains that she doesn't want anymore in the deal. Her father has decided not to withdraw his endorsements, though, thank God he's not as insolent as his bratty daughter."

I heard the clinking of glasses.

"I really don't care for all the girls you fool around with," the woman started, "but you have to bring an escort to the fundraiser. It would save us a lot of trouble if you listened and looked for Elizabeth. It's a small world. People can't hide anymore."

"Don't bring her up."

"Why shouldn't I? You have this opportunity to cement your future and that of the company but you prefer to prance around like you have all the time in the world. You age older, not younger, Finn. I'll give you time to think about her, and if you don't make things happen soon, I will."

Her voice was steely with resolve. I closed the door and walked towards the bed, my arms folded. The windows in the room encompassed one side of the wall, draped in heavy grey curtains. I pulled them apart and gawked in surprise at the beautiful view of where the sky met the city. It was apparent I was in a very high building as I could see the top of many equally tall buildings. The view was divine.

I heard the door open and turned to see Finn at the threshold, dressed in black jeans that made his legs appear longer than they already were and a grey T-shirt. He had my purse in one hand and my shoes in the other.

"I'll drop you at your place." He said, leaving no room for objections. Cautiously, I walked up to him and retrieved my things, pulling my shoes on and pursing my lips as I awaited our departure.

He locked his door after we got out and I looked around, noting that they weren't any other doors in the hallway as we stepped into an elevator. He tapped on button of the ground floor and I noticed we were on the highest.

"You live in the penthouse?" I asked in surprise.

"Can't settle for anything less." He said. Of course.

We rode in silence, standing a few feet from each other. He casted furtive glances my way a few times, but I trained my attention solely on the doors instead. Being in such a confined space with him was grueling. His presence filled up the tiny space, demanding to be acknowledged.

When we got out I followed him across the lobby. The area was impressive with shiny marble floors, gold embellishments and chandeliers. He led me down to the underground parking lot past the high security and I realised I had already been here, the day I got my car back. I'd had no idea I was under such a magnificent complex.

Finn held the door open for me, and I flashed him a small smile in gratitude but his eyes giving nothing away. The conversation he had with that woman obviously put him in an unpleasant mood. As he rounded the vehicle and got into the driver seat, I rummaged through my purse for my phone. The battery was almost dead and I was met with thirteen missed calls and five messages, all of which were from Ingrid except one text from a classmate.

I dialed her number and she picked up after the first ring like she'd been waiting on her phone.

"Amanda! Fuck, where are you? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, I left the club last night. I know she's your friend and all but I don't want to see Morgan again. She told that guy Constantine that he could..." fuck you, Finn's line from earlier rang in my head. I turned to see him concentrated on the road. "Sleep with me." I finished.

"I'm so sorry, Amy. She said she thought you needed the hook-up even when you told her you didn't."

I snorted as my anger simmered. "Yeah, right. Fool me once, you know?"

"I totally understand."

"What about the dude you left with. Did you guys..."

She sighed. "We'll talk in person. Right now I can barely hold my phone."

"Okay, we'll talk later."

"Yes, thank you so much. Bye."

When the car stopped in front of my apartment, I inhaled. Hopefully I wouldn't be getting into more situations that rendered me a damsel in distress.

I turned to Finn and found him staring at the building, his jaw working. When he made eye contact, the look in his eyes appeared conflicted. I could have never anticipated what he said next.

"Can I come in?"

His voice was coercing and pleading intertwined together, two different sides of a coin. I don't know why my heart did a tiny leap, or my mouth instantly dried out, but my emotions won anyway.

"Sure."

I mean, he had saved my ass yesterday and housed me at his place, wouldn't it be unfair to deny him access to mine? I didn't regard this more than it was and neither did he.

Right?