Light In The Dark

Chapter 11- Julianna

"Where do you want to eat?" I asked Finn. We just left the hospital room. He was basically as good as new, minus the bruises covering his arms.
"I don't know. What were you thinking?" He was walking next to me.
"Maybe pizza?" I looked at him. He was taller than me. He was definitely the cutest guy on earth.
"Sounds delicious." He laughed a little.
"What? Why are you laughing." I raised my eyebrow at him.
"Nothing." He laughed again. Then I realized I was staring at him. That's why he's laughing. I look away, probably blushing.
"So, Pizza it is." I say quietly.
"Yup." He just keeps laughing.
"Okay seriously? Why do you keep laughing?" I look back up at him and find myself staring again.
"Because you keep doing that." He points at me.
"Oh." I nervously laugh and look away. I look at him just out of the corner of my eye and find him staring at me. I laugh this time.
"What?" He raises an eyebrow.
"You're doing that now." I point at him.
"Oh." He blushes and looks away. Then he says something quietly.
"Huh?" I didn't hear what he said.
"Nothing." He shook his head and smiled.
We kept walking. We didn't say much until we got in the car.
"So. Where we going for pizza?" Finn was buckling his seat belt.
"I was thinking I would grab Pizza and we could spend the day at the beach. Only if you want to though." I looked at Gonna and but my lip.
"Sounds awesome." He smiled.
"Finn?" I looked at him. I need to tell him I love him.
"Yeah?" He looked at me. I forgot what I was going to say.
"Nevermind." I looked away and started driving to Pablo's Pizza Palace.
"Julianna? Are you mad at me or something?" Finn looked over at me again.
"What? Am I mad at you? What are you talking about?" I almost looked away from the road, but we would probably crash if I did.
"I don't know. You just seem... Off I guess." He shrugged.
"I promise I'm not mad at you. Sorry if I seem like it, these past two days have been a lot. I'm really sorry Finn. I mean it when I say I'm not mad." I shook my head.
I'm so stupid.
"It's okay. You're fine. No worries." I could hear a smile in his voice.
<~~•~~>
The weather was nice today, it was sunny and felt like maybe 95°. Me and Finn just finished eating pizza.
"Want to feel the water? I bet it's warm." I smiled jumping up from the picnic blanket.
"Let's do it." He jumped up too.
Walked over to the water and I put my feet in.
"Wow I think this is the warmest the water has been all year." I smiled at Finn.
"Definitely." Finn smiled back.
I walked up to my knees in the water and Finn bent down with a smirk on his face.
"Finn what are you doing?" I backed up. Finn put his hands in the water ready to splash me.
"Finny Joseph Marshall, I swear if you splash me I'm going to drown you." I put my hands in front of me to stop myself from getting as wet. Then he splashed me.
"Finn! Stop!" I squealed and splashed him back.
"Okay okay. I'm stopping now." I raised his arms up. I laughed. He did too.
"Good. Want to take a walk down the shoreline?" Started walking back to the shallow.
"Let's do it." He walked with me.
"Finn do you have a girlfriend?" I wasn't looking at him.
"No. I don't." I saw him look at the ground out of the corner of my eye.
"Okay." I smiled.
"Why?" He still didn't look up from the ground.
"I don't know. I was just wondering." I smiled even bigger.
"Okay." He looked up at me.
"When do you have to be home?" I asked.
"Whenever." He smiled.
"Okay. I probably should go home around dinner." I smiled back.
"Sounds good." He looked away.
We walked in silence for a little. I kept staring at him. I couldn't help myself. I love him. I wish he felt the same but he doesn't.
<~~•~~>
"Okay. okay. Fine. I'll go in the water. This is the last time though. It's getting cold." I rolled my eyes and laughed.
"Good. Let's go." Finn jumped up reaching his hand out so I could use it to stand up.
Finn started running, I didn't.
"You're slow. Come on!" He laughed. I loved his smile. Definitely one of my favorite things in the entire world.
"Whatever." A laughed and ran too. I caught up with Finn just as we about got to the water. Then a tripped. Finn looked panicked for a second.
"Oh my gosh are you okay?!" He lauged a little.
"Yeah I'm fine." I smiled and he whispered something to himself. He does that a lot.
"Finn you do that a lot." I tried to get up from falling without getting mine clothes wet.
"Do what?" He gave me his hand to get up.
"Whisper to yourself." I looked up at him.
"Oh. Yeah. Just talking to myself." He shrugged and looked away. I found myself staring at him again.
"Now you do that a lot." He pointed at me.
"Yeah you told me in the car earlier." I looked away from him.
"It's okay Juli. I don't mind I just don't understand why you do it. That's all." He laughed.
"Oh. Okay. Yeah." I was definitely blushing right now.
"Okay if you don't actually come in the water I'm going to splash you to the point you will already be as soaked as you would if you just went in the water." He bent down ready to splash me.
"Fine! The thing is... I can't swim." I bit my lip.
"It's okay. I'll help you. I promise you won't drown." He smiled.
"I-I don't know Finn." I faltered on taking a step forward.
"At least go to your waist." He started walking out deeper.
"Fine." I walked towards him. The water was decent. We kept walking until I made it slightly past my waist.
"This is where I stop." I crossed my arms and didn't move.
"Come on. Please go a little deeper." He started walking further.
"No." I shook my head.
"Okay. Guess I'm going without you." He kept walking deeper.
"Finny James Marshall! I swear, you're going to get bit by a shark or something. Please don't make me come out there. I'm being serious I can't swim." I started panicking. He just kept going deeper.
"Okay. I'm going to keep going until you come." He could barely touch now.
"Okay! Stop. Stop there. I'm coming." I took a deep breath and started walking. Soon enough I couldn't touch and I was basically drowning. I was coughing on water.
"Julianna don't go any deeper I'm coming!" He started to freak out and swam towards me. He was right by me and I was still coughing on water. He grabbed me by the waist and held me up above the water. He was over a head taller than the water. I couldn't touch here.
"I told you I couldn't swim." I think I was crying.
"Julianna I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that. It was stupid. I'm sorry." Finn was still holding me.
"It's okay." I coughed.
"You okay?" He walked a little shallower and tried to set me down but realized I was holding on still. I didn't let go of him. I was too scared.
"I'm fine. Please don't let go." I wanted this for two reasons. One, because I don't want to go back in the water. Two, because this is really nice. This is what I want with Finn. I want him to be my boyfriend, his arms around me.
"I won't let go." He laughed just a little.
"Okay." I took a deep breath. I stayed with him holding me up just a little longer then I told him he could let go.
"Are you sure you're okay?" He looked worried.
"Yeah I'm fine." I was breathing heavy.
"Julianna. Please don't lie." He opened his arms for a hug. I faltered for a second before going into his arms.
"I'm fine. I'm fine." I melted in his arms just a little.
"Good." He sighed. I let go of him before it got awkward. I didn't really talk after that. I didn't know what to say. I was embarrassed and a little shy, especially after our hug. We were just sitting on the beach, I was drying really fast because it was hot outside.
"Julianna are you mad at me?" Finn randomly blurted out.
"No. No. I'm not." I gave him an awkward smile.
"Okay." He said.
"Okay." I said.
"We should probably go home huh?" He looked at his phone.
"Yeah. Probably. I'll drive you." I got my things and stood up.
"Thanks." He got his stuff too. We walked to the car in silence. We both got in and still never said a word. I turned on the radio to make it less awkward and one of my favorite songs came on.
"When I was your man." I sang quietly.
"My pride my ego my needs and my selfish ways." Me and Finn sang at the same time and bursted out laughing.
"You like this song?" I asked Finn.
"Love it." He laughed.
"Me too." I also laughed.
The rest of the car ride was me and Finn doing Karaoke to the songs on the radio. Though neither of us could actually sing.
"Bye Finn. Text later." I waved and smiled.
"Bye Juli. Text you later. I had a lot of fun. Thanks for making it feel like I didn't just get out of the hospital." He laughed.
"Of course. Speaking of which, are you sure you'll be okay by yourself? I don't want something to suddenly happen." I was super nervous for him being alone. I couldn't live if something happened to him.
"I'm fine Julianna. I'll text you the minute I wake up tomorrow. Anyway why do you care so much? You've never seemed to care this much about someone. I'm fine." He laughed again.
"Sorry. Just worried that's all. Bye Finn." I waved and looked away hoping I wasn't blushing.
"All good. Bye Juli." He walked away. I took a huge breath in and out. I couldn't believe I actually got through that day without telling Finn how I felt.
He held me.
He hugged me.
He blushed a lot.
I started driving to Anaiya's. It was maybe a thirty second drive. Once I parked in the driveway I walked in the house quietly. I didn't really want anyone to know I was home. I need time to gather my thoughts.
Alex and Anaiya we're on the couch, the credits of a movie playing. They both looked like they were sleeping. Anaiya was laying with her head on Alex's chest, his arm around her.
I want that with Finn.
I tiptoed up the stairs careful not to wake them. I don't know why they're sleeping. It's 8:03 P.M.
I almost made it up the stairs and then something fell.
Crap.
"Julianna?" Anaiya said sleepily.
"It's fine. Go back to sleep. I just got home." I kept walking.
"No. We need to actually talk for once. We never talk." She got off the couch and walked up to me.
"Fine." I kept walking to my bed.
"Okay. So how was your date with Finn?" She smirked.
"It wasn't a date. And we had fun. I almost drowned though." I laughed.
"Whatever. And what?! How did you almost drown."
"Finn tried to make me swim. It didn't end well. He literally had to save me. Most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to me." I groaned and thew my face down on my pillows.
"It's okay Juli. I think it's kind of cute. Did y'all at least hug at all. Or even touch besides him saving you??" Anaiya seemed to really want us to be together.
"Yeah. We hugged." I smiled with my face still in my pillows.
"Yes! This is a start." I heard Anaiya jump up.
"Haha. Yeah sure." I shook my head lifting it off my pillows.
"Yeah. Well I'm going back downstairs to Alex." She waved.
Wow. My own best friend can't even spend ten minutes with me. It's all about her boyfriend.
I decided I would just go to bed now because I'm tired.
<~~•~~>
"I love you Finn." I run up to him before he leaves.
"That's too bad. Because I don't love you." He stops me with his hands before a grab him. I just stand there. Crying. I turn around to leave and suddenly I'm inside Anaiya's house.
"Hey Anaiya. Want to go have girl talk?" I fake a smile.
"No sorry I'm hanging with Alex." She shrugged.
I start walking upstairs. I'm not in Anaiya's house anymore. I'm with my dad.
"Do you really think I loved you all your life? I didn't. Why do you think I let you leave so fast? Because I don't love you. No one Loves you Julianna. No one." I hear it over and over again. No one loves you. No one loves you. The room is spinning. Anaiya is there, Finn is there, my dad is there. They're all telling me no one loves me-
I quickly sit up from my bed with a gasp. I'm sweating and tears are rolling down my cheeks. I look over at the clock. It's 9:25 A.M.
I guess I fell asleep pretty quickly last night.
I quietly get out of my bed, careful not to wake Anaiya.
I walk to the bathroom and rinse my face with water to try and calm down.
It was just a dream.
I decide I might as well take a shower. I turn on the shower and the fan and get in.
I take about a half hour shower. It felt nice. I just needed to relax.
Once I got out of the shower I blow dried my hair and straightened it and got dressed.
When I walked back into my room I sat on my bed and picked up my phone. I have three missed calls, 40 messages and 10 missed FaceTimes.
Three missed calls from Carson.
9 missed FaceTimes from Carson.
31 messages from Carson.
4 messages from Finn.
1 missed FaceTime from Maya.
5 messages from Maya.
I missed a lot. Finn is probably worried. Maya is probably worried too. I'm not even going to attempt and read Carson's messages or call him back. I'll answer Finn and Maya. That's it.
I start with Maya's messages.
Maya; Hey! I have something to show you! Please FaceTime me!
Maya; Girl it's been two hours since I texted you.
Maya; You're worrying me Julianna.
Maya; Is everything okay?
Maya; Please answer me.
Knew it. Maya was going to be worried. I definitely should respond.
Me; Hey Maya! Really sorry I worried you. I fell asleep really early. I'll call you in five.
Now for Finn's messages. This will probably be awkward.
Finn; Hey Juli. I'm heading to bed. Just wanted to check in and let you know everything is fine.
Finn; Julianna? Did I make things awkward earlier? I'm really sorry.
Finn; Juli I texted last night. Is everything okay?
Finn; Are you okay? I'm really worried.
I should probably text back.
Of course he's worried. He always is. I don't get it.
I text him back after contemplating what to say for a few minutes.
Me; Hey Finn. Everything is fine. I promise. I just fell asleep and then woke up really late. No worries.
He immediately texts back.
Finn; Oh good. Sorry I texted so much. Just worried that's all.
Me; All good.
I get up from my bed and walk downstairs. Alex is asleep on the couch. Now I have to be quiet. Great.
I walk over to the pantry and grab the cereal, then I go over to the fridge and grab the milk. I pour a bowl of cereal and sit down.
This is going to be a long day.
I finish my cereal and put the bowl in the sink. When I walk out of the room Alex is just waking up.
"Rise and shine sleepyhead. It's 11 o'clock." I say as I walk past him.
"Good morning to you too." I can see he rolls his eyes out of the corner of my head.
I walk up the stairs and back into my room, Anaiya is also awake.
"Good morning." I laugh.
"Morning. What were you talking to Alex about?" She says sleepily.
"Just teasing him." I shrug.
"Be nice. Anyway I'm going down there to say good morning." She smiled and jumped up.
"You're obsessed." I roll my eyes.
"Two words for you. Finn Marshall." She smiled and walked out of the room.
"I am not obsessed!" I shouted.
"Are too!" She shouted back. I slipped down on my bed and picked up my phone.
Five missed calls from Carson.
I don't bother calling back. Instead I click on his contact information and block him. Then I zone out and start thinking about my dream.
Maybe it's all true.
Maybe it's a sign.
Maybe my best friend will abandon me for her boyfriend.
And maybe Finn will never love me.
I realize now. Finn will never love me. Anaiya will probably leave me for her boyfriend.
I'm pulled out of my zoning when Anaiya calls my name.
"Juli! Finn's walking up to the driveway right now!" She yells.
"Coming!" I yell. I get up from my bed and go downstairs. Finn is walking up the driveway. I open the door and walk towards him.
"Hey." I say.
"Hi." He smiles.
"Everything okay?" I ask.
"Yeah. Just wanted to stop by. I also wanted to make sure I didn't make you uncomfortable yesterday." He looks down at his feet.
"No you didn't. Everything's fine." I smile.
"Good." He looks back up and smiles at me.
"Finn?" I bite my lip.
"Yeah?" He looks at me.
"Why do you care so much about me? I don't understand." I look back down.
"I don't understand why you care so much about me! I really need to know. I don't understand it! I'm so confused." He looks a little frustrated.
"Because I love you Finn. That's why I care so much. Because I love you." I bite my lip again. Finn doesn't say anything. He just stands there and stares.
"That's what I thought. You don't love me. You never will. And neither does my best friend." I walk away towards the house. Tears streaming down my face.
Then Finn grabs my wrist and pulls me towards him. He grabs my face and kisses me.
He actually kisses me.
"I love you too Julianna."
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Sorry that took so long to post 😬

Couple name: Finianna ♾️💜

Also sorry for the semi cliffhanger.
Love you guys! ❤️🫶🏼