Seven Ways From Sunday

Emotion

Bayley knew she should have listened to Sasha. She and Finn couldn't keep going the way they had been forever, she knew something had to give eventually, but she was still stunned by the the way things played out.

"So my parents are coming in for my birthday," Finn said one night while they were laying in bed.

"That's great Finn," she said though in all honesty it made her nervous and unsure. She'd continued book a room for herself, but she always hoped she wouldn't have to use it. She wasn't comfortable with what staying with him would look like to his parents though so she might not have a choice. She'd also been looking forward to spending his birthday with him, but if his parents would be there then he would understandably want to spend it with them. Finn completely surprised her though with his next words,

"I'd like you to spend the day with us."

"I don't know Finn. Don't you want that time with just your parents? Wouldn't that be a little awkward?"

"I do want to spend it with my parents, but I also want you there, and why would it be awkward? You've met them before."

"Yeah. That was before, things are a lot different now."

"Exactly. They are different. You should be there."

"I don't think I would be very comfortable around them with the way things are."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Please Finn. Can we just drop this?" She didn't understand why he was being so insistent, he knew the shaky nature of their relationship. Spending time with the other's parents was real territory and she didn't want to feel like she was lying to them, but she certainly wasn't going to tell them the truth of the way things were either. His next words stunned her.

"No. I'm not okay with just dropping this. I don't understand what's wrong with asking my girlfriend to spend the day with me and my parents." He sounded exasperated, but she barely noticed anything except the word 'girlfriend'. He'd never called her that before, and now he was saying it like it was a given.

"I'm your girlfriend?" She asked confused.

"Dammit Bayley. Are you serious? I thought we'd taken care of this on that first night. You agreed we were together, and now you have a problem with it?" His anger surprised her as he sat up and got off the bed.

"You've never called me that before Finn. You've never put any kind of label on this, I've never known what to think of it as," she said as she sat up to face him.

"Seriously? I don't introduce someone I'm just sleeping with to my friends like that. We've been practically living our lives together. How could you think I would treat you like that?" He implored her while leaning against the hotel dresser, facing her, raking his hand through his hair in frustration.

"I didn't know what to think Finn. We didn't exactly get together in a conventional way. We've also never had this discussion before. I was just trying to take it as it was and be happy with it," she said as she started tearing up. She should have figured out a way to ask him sooner. He looked so sad, disappointed, and angry. Really angry.

"What do you mean we've never had this discussion before? What do you call us talking about what we were that first morning?"

"You didn't say we were dating, you just said that we were together and we couldn't see anyone else. Those don't necessarily have to add up to dating. I didn't know what you wanted especially after I'd practically forced you into this."

"You didn't force me into anything. I don't understand how you can think that if we are together we aren't dating."

"We've never gone on a date. We just picked up where we left off with our friendship and added in the sleeping together part. How was I supposed to know you meant more?" She hugged her arms around her knees, tears pouring down her face. He was obviously frustrated, pacing across the room.