CHAPTER NINE
Gabriella
28th October 2019
The sound of the torrential rain smacking the window awakens Gabriella from her sleep. She rises slowly, her bearings not yet with her. She sits up, pressing her back against the head rest. She panics suddenly, the realisation that this isn't her bed kicks in. She scans the dim lighted room. It's clean, not a single thing out of place. She looks to the floor below seeing a navy duvet cover. She can hear the shower turn off as she waits for her mystery man to reveal himself.
Finn pulls open the door to the bathroom leading out into his bedroom. Gabriella presses her hands against her face, unable to control her emotions she lets out a faint word "Oh no." Finn stands with only a towel wrapped around his waist, he enters into the bedroom "Don't worry, nothing happened. You crashed on my bed, so I pulled the covers over you and I took the floor," he says smiling.
Gabriella sits on the bed embarrassed. Her cheeks turn a cherry bed. She tosses the warm duvet off her and steps out of the bed. She begins making it as Finn looks on confused. "Hey, it's fine really, I can do that." Gabriella can't bare to look at Finn, she is utterly embarrassed. She ties her hair up into a ponytail, pulling the bobbin tight. She looks at Finn momentarily and asks
"What happened last night? I can't remember."
"Well, after I got that phone call, we were both pretty upset. We sat outside for about an hour, then we drank, a lot. Then we went upstairs, we got talking about high school and you passed out, as I was mid-sentence."
Gabriella covers her face into her hands, she lets out a sigh of disbelief "I'm so sorry," she says. Finn looks at her with a small grin. She catches this and asks, "What are you smiling at?"
"You haven't changed," he says softly. He takes her by the hand "Thank you."
Gabriella confused asks him, "For what?"
"I don't know, last night, I guess. Since I've got here, I haven't really connected with anyone. I mean I have friends, sure. But not like close friends. Even though the timing of that phone call was awful, I'm just happy you showed up last night." Finn takes his puffy, dark navy bomber jacket and slides his arms in and continues, "Felt like home."
Gabriella now dressed, grabs her bag from the desk beside her, "I have to go, my roommate will be worried about me, I'm sorry." Finn watches her approach the door, she is reaching for the handle when the dreaded question leaves Finn's lips, "Are you going back for the funeral?"
She holts for a moment, not looking back, "I guess we all have a responsibility to go back," she says nervously.
Gabriella pulls the door open slowly, she glances back at Finn, his hands in his pockets, his shoulders rolled forward, he's scared, she thinks. She smiles softly before exiting the room.
Gabriella pulls the door open; she steps out onto the porch and looks over at the wooden swinging bench. A familiar sight from last night. The crisp, cool fall air hits her hard. She wishes she had brought a jacket. She walks down the stone steps to the pavement. Her mind wonders, her memories still jumbled up in her head. She looks left, then right, trying to decide to go back to her dorm or take a walk to the local coffee shop.
She brushes a single strand of hair behind her right ear before making her mind up, home it is. She walks slowly down the street. Her attention is on the pavement, she can't think of anything else other then the phone call that Finn received last night. Suddenly she can hear her name being called from behind, faintly.
"Gabriella," says the voice.
She turns swiftly to see Finn jogging down the street. He reaches her in no time. Her mind races once again, her thoughts take control of her mind. Finn reaches Gabriella, he takes off his bomber jacket and hands it to her telling her "I thought you might be cold," he says. Finn takes the jacket and helps Gabriella put in on "Thanks Finn," she says smiling as the warmth slowly takes over.
She examines Finn's body language once again, this time his left hand is rubbing off his upper right arm. He grips it gently. Gabriella can't help but ask, "You okay?" Finn's head rises, their eyes meet each other, "Yeah, I'm fine." A small uncertainness in his voice causes Gabriella to think he is lying, "Finn you can tell me," she says caringly. Finn looks away, he is not one to show his softer side, if you will. Once again, he tucks his hands into his pockets, Finn takes a deep breath in. Unsettled by something he tries to throw Gabriella off the scent.
"I'm fine," he utters to her, unable to look at her.
"You don't have to bottle it up, you can tell me anything, you know, that right?" she says.
Finn brings his gaze to hers; the crisp wind could slice a tree in half, almost like a hot knife slicking through butter.
His deminer even more evident that something is bothering him. Gabriella can't let it go. She reaches for one of his hands that is tucked deep into his pockets. Finn obliges and takes her hand. He lets out the strongest sigh. Gabriella places her left hand onto his chest to feel his heartbeat.
"What are you doing?" he asks curiously.
Gabriella doesn't answer, instead she takes Finn's hand and places it on her heart. Finn, confused, asks once again "What are you doing?"
Gabriella looks him in the eyes, not one blink shared between them. Their eyes are magnets to each other "They beat the same Finn. Whatever you are feeling, I'm feeling too."
Finn smiles at her, they both stand on the sidewalk with each of their hands on the others heart. Gabriella leans in, draping her arms over Finn's shoulder, kissing him on the right side of his cheek and squeezing him in the tight embrace. She smiles and lets him go. Gabriella looks into his eyes; she can see that whatever he is feeling right now is going to be bothering him all day. "Coffee?" she asks hoping to make his day that little bit better.
"Sure, I'd love a coffee" Finn replies smiling at her.
They make their way to the nearby coffee shop. They both have strained eyes, although they have slept, both feel the effect of a sleepless night. They make their way to the counter, Finn leans in checking the menu for his favourite coffee, a white mocha. Gabriella inspects the menu, her index finger rubbing off her chin, perfect she thinks, an americano, that should take the edge off.
The pair make their way to a nice, secluded area of the shop right in the corner. They sit with their heads buried into the two cups of coffee that sit in front of them. Finn glances up softly to see Gabriella swipe a tear away from her eye. He exhales, placing his coffee on the table in front.
"I know how it feels, losing a friend. Marney, although she could be difficult, helped you a lot during the school years."
"Its not just about that, it's the fact that it was so sudden, I thought we'd all see each other again, all be it not anytime soon. But somewhere down the line, ten years maybe. We'd bump into each other on the street. Some of us would have kids, others maybe not."
Finn reaches his hand out, placing it on top of Gabriella's, his hand is hot from the cup, he grips hold with both hands now squeezing tightly. She closes her eyes and goes there, ten years later. She imagines walking down the sidewalk, baby and husband, all together like a family. She smells the fresh, crisp air, Pumpkin Spice or something other then that. The leaves trickling onto the ground. She should dabble down the suburb, her husband holding her hand, wrapping her as he pulls her closer for the kiss. Her child would be kicking the leaves then, pick them up like a bundle of joy and throw them into air.
Gabriella snaps back into the real world, Finn now sitting there with his eyes closed, picturing his life after ten years of adult hood. "Yeah, that sounds nice actually." Gabriella grabs hold of Finns hand with her other, she is lost, nervous, scared. All these emotions just hitting suddenly, she isn't sure how to handle them, how to control them, be at peace with them.
They exchange a glance, and in that glance they both know what the near future will hold for them and that's getting back to Forrest Hills to attend Marney's funeral.