Playing With Fire

Part 10

"What's going on with Bayley?"

"Don't you think you should ask her that?"

"I did, she's being very evasive with me lately. One minute she's right there, and everything's fine then as soon as I get close to figuring it out, it slips through my fingers. You're her best friend, some insight would be appreciated."

"I don't think there's much I can tell you Finn."

"Look, I'm not asking you to break a confidence or anything, I just...I need to know she's alright. She says she is, but something's off."

"She's fine. She's going through a lot trying to get her life back together, but she's handling it."

"Why does it feel like she's avoiding me then?"

"I can't answer that, that's between you and her." He sighed in a combination of frustration and resignation and put his head in his hands, making her take pity on him.

"Can I ask you something?"

"What?" he answered, not even glancing up.

"What are you waiting on?"

"What do you mean?"

"Come on Finn, I'm not stupid, it's written all over your face everytime you look at her. There's nothing in your way anymore. I would have thought you would have already done something about it by now." There was a long silence before he finally answered,

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Because I'm too used to the way things have always been," he paused for a long time. He looked like he was struggling to find the right words. Eventually he continued,

"You know when I met her I told myself I was ten kinds of stupid for falling for her, but I still couldn't stop it. And then when I realized that I wasn't going to get over it as easily as I'd hoped I told myself I could stay away from her, but I couldn't stop that either. And everytime I kept going back being pulled in closer and closer. I know it's cliche, but I was the moth and she was the flame, and I guess I enjoyed playing with the fire, dancing in and out of her light, always close, but never close enough to get burned. And now..."

"Now you have to risk getting burned."

"Yeah."

"That is cliche, but also really sweet. My advice, take the risk. You didn't spend four years fanning a flame just to watch it go out did you?"

"I wasn't...I didn't...this wasn't something I planned or thought would ever happen, but no I guess not. I'm not going to lose her now."

"Then do something about it."

...

"Bayley," she looked up startled. He'd been trying to talk to her all day, but she'd managed to evade him until now. She knew she shouldn't, but she didn't know what to say or how to talk to him. The way he'd looked at her that day, she was afraid if she said anything at all, that everything would come spilling out. She was kicking herself for being a coward, afraid to move forward and tell him the truth, afraid of what it might mean for them and their friendship. It was silly. She'd pretty much ended her engagement for him, so why she couldn't tell him that was baffling even to her.

"Hi Finn."

"Hey. Feels like I haven't seen you in days." She ducked her head, she still wasn't sure what to say to him. She felt him step closer and she peaked up at him through her lashes. He was a lot closer than she'd realized. His voice was soft, soothing, his accent thickening when he spoke again,