Forgotten Fates

Chapter Twenty-Three

Finn

Listening to the two of them gush over remembering some old memory makes me lose my appetite. Setting the carton of chicken down I lean back and try to focus on Space Balls, which I feel like shouldn't be all that hard since it's one of my favorite movies. However, I keep getting distracted watching another guy put his hands all over the girl that should be in my arms instead.

Halfway through, I notice her getting uncomfortable and pick up the pillow she hit me with earlier, and put it behind her back. She smiles in gratitude, but Eli just glares. He could have been paying attention to her and have done something about it but he didn't. Not my fault.

When she gets resituated in her seat, her arm is now so close that it keeps grazing mine, causing an internal electric shock. I keep trying to gauge her reactions to see if she feels it to, but if she does she gives nothing away.

Being so close and not able to touch her is almost as painful as being away from her. I think about moving to the chair several times, but can't make myself put any distance between us. I guess I am a masochist.

When the movie finally ends, the girls leave the room to get ready for bed and I get up to get some water, which is very needed after spending the last couple of hour sitting so close to Alice. I fill a glass and start to take long gulps, when I hear Eli ask his brother about saying the 'love' word to Paige.

"Haven't you said it to Alice?" Cole asks.

"No, not yet." he confesses.

"Really? Don't you love her?"

"Of course I do. More than I've ever thought was possible," he says. "I'm pretty sure I was in love her before Seattle."

I already knew that when Alice left she was in Seattle with that prick. But that doesn't mean I wanted to hear about time together. Or about him being in love with her.

"Then why haven't you told her yet?"

"I don't know, dude. It's just never seemed like the right time. In Seattle we had just met, and I was worried that anything I did would scare her off."

"Didn't you psychically propose to her though?" Cole says, and I almost choke on my water.

"We shared a vision of one of our past weddings, asshat. I couldn't control it," he growls.

Awesome so they have been married before in the past. I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

"But she still ran out on you!" Cole laughs and I have to admit it makes me smile a little to hear that. "So what's stopping you now?"

"I want it to be special and I want us to be alone," Eli says. "And I haven't had many opportunities for that to happen."

Sounds like me being here is more of inconvenience for lover boy than I realized. Which just gives me more incentive to stay as long as I can of course.
"Actually, I think I am going to tell her tonight," he adds.

And my heart breaks. 

Elijah

When the girls come back downstairs after changing and brushing their teeth, Alice is wearing those little shorts again. I smile when I see she is also wearing my favorite t-shirt, but am less than thrilled that it goes down longer than the shorts.

"Aren't you cold?" I ask her. Worried about her getting sick, but also about her body on display in front of Finn.

"I can't sleep in pants no matter how cold it is. I feel trapped," she tells me.

"Weirdo," Paige comments coming down the steps behind her.

"Are there any extra blankets?" Finn asks Alice. "With the broken window it is crazy cold down here."

His intentions are ridiculously transparent, and I am surprised that Alice falls for his 'poor me' routine.

"He's right," she says to me. "It's way too cold for him to sleep down here."

"I'll make him a fire."

"And he would be down here alone where anyone could get to him," she adds.

"You can't be suggesting that he sleeps with us like one big happy family?" I ask.

"She has a point bro," Cole says. "The whole reason he is here is so he can be safe. It would be stupid to leave him alone and vulnerable."

He could not be serious right now. I literally just told him what I had planned with Alice tonight, and he is helping his new BFF Finn ruin it.

"Not to mention a popsicle," Paige adds.

Great. So, it's four against one now. "Fine!" I groan, "What do we do? Have him sleep at the foot of our bed like a puppy?"

"Or I could sleep in Alice's bed and you could sleep down here," Finn suggests while enunciating 'Alice's' bed. I guess he didn't like me calling it our bed instead of hers.

I narrow my eyes at him, and suppress the desire to set him on fire.

"I mean, you are the one with the super powers, so you would probably be fine right?" he adds in that snarky way of his.

Alice smacks him with an air blast knocking him back against the couch. And I smile.

"Ouch! Babe, that hurt!" he says, standing up and rubbing the back of his head, and my smile disappears.

"Good! Now stop calling me babe. You are only doing it to piss off Eli and it's not funny," she scolds.

"He can sleep in your dad's room," I suggest still irritated despite having my girl knock him down a few notches.

"Creepy!" both her and Finn say in unison, adding to my annoyance. "He would still be by himself and unguarded in there, anyways," she adds.

"He could sleep in our room," Paige offers.

"Umm, he can?" Cole asks in a way that sounds more like a hell no he can't.

"What's wrong with that?" she asks.

"I was kind of hoping we could be alone if you know what I mean," he says kissing her neck.

"You can't put some ice on it for a night?" she says, pushing him off her.

"I mean yeah, but you know with the whole love declaration I was thinking tonight was special." Cole actually pouts and I already know Paige will cave.

"Guys, don't worry," Alice tells them. "Finn is going to sleep in my room."

"He is?" I ask her. "So, it's just decided?"

"Yes he is, and I don't want to hear another word about it," she says marching up the stairs and away from any further conversation on the subject.

"You heard the lady," Finn smirks. Then starts to follow behind, staring intently at her ass.

I know he heard me talking to my brother about my plans for tonight, and I get the sneaky suspicion that this was part of a plan to sabotage them.

"Thanks a lot bro!" I spit at Cole as soon as Alice and Finn are up the stairs.

"Hey, your declaration can wait one more day," he shrugs. "I already made mine and need to be with my girl."

"Do I want to know what you two are talking about?" Paige asks.

"Eli was going to tell Alice he loves her tonight," Cole informs her, earning him a punch to the arm. Now that Paige knows she will probably do the girl thing and tell Alice the first chance she gets. Ruining my surprise. My bone-headed brother should have known better.

"You haven't said it yet?!" Paige gasps, but I ignore her and stomp up the stairs. Unwilling to leave Finn alone with Alice for too long.