No Boss of Mine

Beneath the Stars

The quiet night sky stretched endlessly above them, the stars twinkling like diamonds scattered across black velvet. The soft crackle of the fire was the only sound, and for a moment, they were lost in it—both the night and the silence.

Finn broke the stillness first, his voice low. "Wow... you don't see that every day."

Ashley chuckled softly, eyes trained on the stars above. "Yeah, I mean, stars only come out at night."

Finn turned his head to look at her, his brow furrowed in confusion. "What?"

She flashed him a playful grin. "Lame joke, I know. But I got you, right?"

Finn chuckled, but there was something different in his laugh this time. His usual playful banter wasn't there. The lightness in his tone was replaced with something more contemplative, more distant. She felt it, too—the shift in the air between them.

Ashley couldn't help but notice how quiet he was tonight. Her mind wandered, wondering what had changed. She stole a glance at him, seeing the slight glaze in his eyes from the beer as they lingered on her. His lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but then, he hesitated.

"Is there something you want to say?" she asked gently.

Finn exhaled a slow breath, his eyes still locked on hers, and then he knocked back the rest of his beer in one go. "I don't just want to be some name on a plaque," he finally said, his voice steady but filled with sincerity. "I want to help in a meaningful way."

Ashley's heart fluttered. She leaned forward slightly, her gaze soft and open. "Finn, you've already done a lot... The donation—"

He cut her off, shaking his head. "It's one thing to swipe a credit card, but it's another to be there, doing something real."

The words hung in the air between them, and Ashley felt her heart swell. This was a Finn she had never seen before. And she was loving the view. She studied him closely, her smile softening as she spoke.

"I can't tell you how much that means to me," she said, her voice tender. "And how much it would mean to the kids."

He met her gaze with an intensity she hadn't expected, his eyes vulnerable yet determined. "I want to be part of things that matter to you, Ashley, because you matter to me."

She paused, feeling a warmth spread through her chest at his words. His sincerity was undeniable, and in that moment, she saw him in a whole new light. She could feel her feelings for him growing deeper, more profound, and it was a feeling she didn't want to let go of.

"This is a side of you I could get used to, Finn," she said softly, a smile tugging at her lips.

Finn's smile was just as warm as hers, his eyes full of admiration. "Well, it's a side of me you're bringing out. And I like it."

Under the twinkling stars, the weight of his words settled in, and Ashley felt a sense of peace she hadn't known before. They weren't just two people standing beside each other—they were two people who were beginning to understand what it truly meant to be there for each other, in every sense.

"Then, I guess I'm glad to be the one bringing it out," she whispered, feeling the bond between them solidify in ways words couldn't capture.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, the crackling of the fire punctuating their peaceful thoughts. After a beat, Finn raised his beer bottle, his gaze never leaving hers. "To new beginnings," he said, his voice warm with promise.

Ashley smiled, her heart full. "To new beginnings," she echoed, clinking her bottle against his.

As they sat there, side by side, under the vast, starry sky, Ashley realized that this night would forever mark the beginning of something more—something that wasn't just about the future, but about the here and now, about making a difference together. And as she looked at Finn, she knew they were on the path to something beautiful.