Synonym

Chapter 38

"Are you doing this for you or for me?"

Finn looked at me from the passenger seat of my corvette. His forest eyes ran over my body in an almost hesitant once over. "For me." He said after a moment. I could tell by the way Finn sounded resigned that he was lying to me and he knew it. "Does it really matter?" He sighed.

"Yes, it does." I replied while taking his left hand over the console. "Why are you doing it?"

"Because I want to do this and forget about her for the rest of my life." Finn responded bluntly like I had just asked him what color the grass was.

I held back a sigh but only because I didn't want to influence his choice. Personally, I thought this was a borderline horrible reason but I don't think that's why he's really doing this. I think deep inside, he misses his mother or at least the idea of her. After all, his father was always working so he saw his mom a lot more. Then she had an affair it crushed him because he thought he knew her.

Then there was also the feeling of betrayal, like he wasn't loved enough by his mom. I could sympathize with that even if Finn wouldn't fully admit it. He practically said as much, though.

Considering he started sleeping around when the divorce happened, it didn't surprise me that some part of his anger towards his mother had to do with some feelings of vulnerability and wanting to be in control. That's what Finn did best, and when he didn't have it he fell apart.

"Do you want me to wait in the car?" I changed the subject.

"Nah," Finn responded while looking at his house. "You can come. It probably won't take long."

His hand left mine as he climbed out of the car, I followed suit, the bang of the car doors echoing down the empty street. I trailed a foot behind Finn as he walked up the granite walkway to the contemporary mansion.

I had always loved Finn's house. It was the type you'd imagine a super rich and young businessman would live in; lots of white, black, grey, and glass. Everything was clean cut and geometric compared to my dad's Federal Colonial. The fact that Finn's house was on the water made it even better. You couldn't get a home on the water like this in Wilton or Greenwich. Even is Westport, the houses were different style mansions. This was the type you would see in the Hollywood Hills.

Finn opened the sleek wooden door and walked into the house with confidence oozing from his aura. Come to think of it, it was odd that his dad was letting his mother stay here since she cheated on him all those years ago.

My head snapped to the kitchen when I heard the clicking of heals. The model like Ms. Griffin, or whatever her new last name was, appeared in the doorway looking every bit the lawyer she was. I don't think she was working anymore, but that didn't change the esteemed air that surrounded her. When I first laid eyes on her, I expected her to be Finn's mother. No one of lower class could produce the egotistical boy in front of me.

Her honey colored hair was windswept like she was ready for a photoshoot and her delicate lips were pursed. "Oh, I thought Mrs. Valentino was here early. I'll leave you two to it, I suppose." She apologized in her angel like voice.

"I wanted to talk to you, actually." Finn spoke like he had the answers to everything even though I know he was far from it. His mom's pale green eyes flashed with excitement but Finn was quick to shut it down. "Don't get too happy just yet. It's just a conversation."

I swear, Elizabeth's right eye twitched but she smiled none the less and led us to the living room which I found quite pretentious, seeing that Finn lived here too. I sat on the dark grey couch while Finn sat on my right, his mother taking the grey armchair that faced the large sectional.