a phoenix in the fire » fillie

chapter 15 ↝ the new girl pt. 2

IT'S A NEW START FAR AWAY FROM THE TERRIBLE THINGS WE DID.

Grace Vanderwaal sighed and carried another box into the house. She had recently moved to Lavender Ridge with her mother. It would be a better opportunity. She would also be closer to the one and only, Millie Bobby Brown.

She set the box onto the ground and checked her cell phone, nearly dropping the phone. Grace gulped nervously and deleted the message, entering the house with the box again.

She didn't see him follow her in.

—

Finn stared at his chords, trying to read them as quickly as he could. It was Monday, and they were at school again. Finn had been forced to leave Millie at his home. She conceded with a soft kiss and a promise to still be there when he returned.

"What about this M person though?"

"How do we know no one is going to be attacked?" Sadie asked, looking around carefully. She met eyes with a boy and awkwardly looked away. "Who's that?" She subtly pointed to the boy.

"He's a new student. He moved here from California," Gaten answered, following her gaze.

"What's his name?"

"Romeo Beckham or something. It's very Californian, like Hollywood dramatic."

"He looks familiar," Sadie thoughtfully remarked, squinting to look at Romeo.

"I think he knew Millie. She was talking about some guy from her camp on Instagram," Caleb murmured. Finn stiffened slightly. His eyes stopped reading the music as he instantly saw her again.

She looked ethereal, smiling at him from the gazebo. He remembered they travelled to the west coast for his cousin's wedding, a few days after their first kiss. She had brought a steel grey dress, and it now seemed that any cool-toned colour was unofficially hers. She pulled her hair back with a lacy headband, one Finn wanted to rip out just to run his fingers through her hair freely.

At the wedding, they walked about a mile to the gazebo and trailhead where his cousin wanted to have the ceremony. Finn sat next to Millie and cradled one of her hands in his. She never stopped smiling throughout the entire ceremony. He loved her so already.

Upon introducing her to his relatives, they smiled knowingly and complimented her on everything about her— from her accent to her dress to her manners to her hair to her pretty face to her intelligence. In their eyes, she was perfect. When they left to talk to yet another person, his relatives would tell him something along the lines of "you found a good girl" or "you found a keeper" like Millie was an object.

They finally found a moment of silence upon walking back to the cars. Millie and Finn trailed behind. Finn pulled her behind a tree. He kissed her quickly and drew back, slightly jogging back up the trail to catch up to the group. He heard her frustratedly squeal, and when she caught up, she slapped him playfully.

"What was that for?" Millie pouted.

"Kiss me if you dare," he whispered back.

"Game on, Finnie." They continued walking down the trail. Millie yanked him behind another tree.

Her lips grazed his gently when he found the bravery to push back against her, and she snorted, causing him to choke. He leaned back, coughing. Millie laughed again, pulling him back onto the trail.