Finding Finley ✔

25

"She actually thinks you can help her?" Darby laughs as she looks over my shoulder at the snap Ellie had just sent me asking for my help with our Chemistry homework.

"Believe it or not, I know a few things." I grab her hand and pull her down on to the couch beside me. I take a quick pic of Darby and send it back to Ellie, telling her I will help her later before tossing my phone aside and turning my attention to my girlfriend.

"So what did they say?" Darby had gotten a phone call from the officer that was handling her case against Josh and had just ended the call a few minutes ago. 

Throwing her head back against the couch and letting out an exasperated sigh, she says exactly what I knew she was going to say. "He said that there's nothing to be done because there's no proof Josh was the one to hit you." 

"Shit." I was cleared to leave the hospital a few days ago after my two day stay, and I've been  spending most of my time since then at Darby's instead of my dorm. 

I told the police that Josh was my attacker, but they say that my identification of Josh doesn't really mean anything to the case for a few different reasons. First they said that it was dark, so maybe I didn't get a good look at the guy. Secondly they said that since I had no idea at the time what Josh looked like, that it's possible I am just choosing to believe it was him because it would make sense for it to have been. Third, Josh has an alibi.  

Really though, Josh and his dad are doing everything they can to get the police to look the other way. 

"I'm sorry, Finn. This is all because of me." Darby has been apologizing a lot over the past few days. 

"Darby, stop. It's not your fault and no one blames you, okay?" 

Leaning into me, Darby gives a small nod, but I know she still blames herself no matter how many times I try to assure her that it's not her fault.

---------------------------------------------------

Ellie puts her Chemistry book in her backpack, and lets out a long sigh, "I still don't get this stuff."

Darby and I had come upstairs to do homework with Ellie while Kit was at work, but now that Kit's home I need to talk to him.

I pace in front of Kit as he sits on the couch with Ellie beside him. Darby is finishing her homework at the kitchen table. "Okay, so I've been putting this off for awhile now because I wasn't sure how to tell you. Just please listen to everything I say and keep an open mind, okay?"

Darby knows what I'm about to d, she's been helping me figure out what and how to talk to my brother about this topic for the past couple of days. 

"Okay. I'll listen and keep an open mind." Kit agrees, patiently waiting for me to continue.

"You too, El. You have to wait until the end before you start acting crazy." 

"Why do you always say I act crazy?" She throws her arms up in the air before crossing them over her chest and giving me a dirty look.

"Probably because the last time he sat us down like this, you got up and said you were going to go kick Darby's ass." Kit's laughing at his wife's dramatic reaction as he teases her. 

"You what?" I turn around and see Darby looking at Ellie from behind her computer screen.

Ellie just shrugs at her, "At the time, I didn't know the whole story and it seemed like you deserved it." 

"Can we get back to the subject, please?" I ask, giving Ellie a pointed look. 

"Sure." She shrugs again.