I Remember You

Chapter 14

Lily and Finn walked in silence. There was a full moon, and the skies were clear, so there was no need for the flashlight. She could feel his arm as it brushed hers while they walked. She supposed she could have pulled away but she didn't want to she wanted to be close to him.

"What do you think of Mason's idea for the end of the season?" she asked when she could no longer take the silence. She knew it was her way of asking if he was alright with her storyline continuing.

"I think Mason will enjoy it and you will have a job for a little bit longer," he said without really saying anything. Those were both facts that Lily knew.

"You're like a freaking wall," Lily muttered.

"What do you want me to say?" He stopped walking and turned to look down at her. A large gust of wind rustled through the trees as the cicadas hummed. It was a beautiful southern night, one for romance, but she had a feeling that feelings were about to her hurt, and they were hers. Well, let Finn bring it she thought. She had most likely survived worse than what he was about to dish out after all her mother was no picnic.

"How do you feel about me staying on another season?" She crossed her arms as she waited for his answer.

"If I told you I didn't want you to, would it make a difference? Would you quit?" He crossed his arms too as he looked down at her. She felt so small standing in front of him, just as she always had with her father and mother, but this time she would stand up for herself. Perhaps it was the song that had made her feel this way, maybe next time she should sing You Are My Sunshine or something equally upbeat.

"No," she responded.

"Then I can't see what the point of answering your question would be." He started walking again.

"But you just did answer it, didn't you?"

He didn't deny it he just kept on walking, and Lily had to almost run to keep up, and when he stopped abruptly in front of the cottage, she ran into his back.

"I talked to your Uncle today," he said, totally throwing her.

"Uncle Mason?" she asked before she could think about it, and she closed her eyes when she realized what she had said. She stunk at keeping secrets, at least her own.

His eyes grew wide as he looked down at her. "Mason is your uncle?" he asked incredulously.

"No, not really, I spend a lot of time with his family, and he's sort of an adopted uncle." She cleared her throat, nervous about how he would take it. He only stared at her as if he had never seen her before.

"You really do live a charmed life, don't you, LeeLee?" He shook his head and turned away from her as he started up the steps towards the house. He had finally put it all together.

Lily ignored the barb. "Do you mean my Uncle Lee?" That was the only uncle that she had outside if the Stevens family or Sam Evers.

"Yes, Uncle Lee," he drew out the name.

She ignored him once again. "Why did you talk to Uncle Lee, how do you even know Uncle Lee?" she pressed forward, climbing the steps, sticking close to him as he opened the screen door.

"I served with him; he was my CO." He threw the flashlight on the couch and turned to face her crossing his arms once more.

This time it was Lily's turn to look at him with wide eyes. "You were a SEAL? You served with my Uncle?" And then before she could think about it. "It that how you lost part of your leg?"

"Yes, yes and yes," he watched her as she absorbed the news.

"How old are you? How did you become an actor?" The questions tumbled out before she could stop them, and they landed in a silent abyss as he silently stared at her.

Lily felt herself start to blush, and she was about to recall the questions when he finally answered.

"I am thirty-one years old, and you are how old? Twenty-three?"

"Yes, twenty-three," she confirmed fighting a blush, he made it sound so much like an insult.

"A young and innocent twenty-three," he said, taking a step towards her as if to frighten her.

She stepped towards him, not allowing it. "And you're a bitter and angry thirty-one year old." She was lashing out, hurt that he wasn't taking her seriously.

"I've lived a heck of a lot in the eight years that are between us," he agreed.

Lily felt the tears start. It hurt that he wasn't going to take her seriously. She hadn't felt like she wasn't good enough in a long time, and she swore when she left her mother all those years ago that she would never let another person make her feel that way.

"Shame on you Finn Baxter, you would hate to be judged based on your limitations, and yet here you are judging me. You know nothing about me, nothing!" She turned to leave, but he reached out and grabbed her.

"It hurts to watch you, to know that you will soon lose all that innocence," He sounded angrier than he ever had.

"Is that what you discussed with Lee? Did you want him to try to convince me to quit?" she wiped away a tear.

"No, I wanted confirmation that you were related to him. That was all he would say, that and that you were stubborn and his money was on you." Finn sounded put out by Lee's lack of sharing.

Lily felt as if the clouds had cleared and she gave him a brilliant smile. Uncle Lee had her back; he knew she could handle Finn Baxter, or anything life threw at her because he knew just how much she had already had to handle.

"Uncle Lee knows me, unlike you, that's why he said it." Lily wiped away her tears and sniffed.

"Why does what I say or think matter so much?" he asked, squeezing her arm it almost felt like he was attempting to comfort her.

Lily shrugged. "I like you despite your grumpy disposition, the creepy way you always appear out of the shadows, and your lack of communication skills. And because I like you, I want you to like me. That, and we might have to kiss before this thing is all finished, and I would really rather kiss someone I get along with, especially since..." She stopped realizing what she had almost admitted.

Finn heard it though and his eyes narrowed as he looked at her. "Especially since?"

"Nothing, I'm tired, and I think I'll go to bed now." She tried to pull away from him, but he wouldn't let her leave as his hand tightened on her arm.

"Especially since?" he demanded again.

Lily sighed and looked at his hand on her arm and then up at him. "Especially since the cameras will be able to tell if we like each other or not," she lied.

He eyed her, still not releasing her arm. She watched as his eyes narrowed and he shook his head. "No, you're lying. Especially since?" He wasn't going to let it go, talk about stubborn.

"Fine," she looked at his chest, focusing on the buttons on his shirt. "Especially since I have never really been kissed before," she finally admitted.

He released her arm as if she had burned him. "Jesus! I don't even know what to do with that!"

"You could kiss me, that would solve the problem." She didn't know why she said it, except that it was kind of fun to see him so on edge in a nervous way. She had a feeling that not much made him nervous.

He stared at her like she had lost her mind. "What kind of trouble are you Lily Mercer?" he asked before he turned and stormed out the door.

Something about his reaction made her feel powerful, and she turned towards her bedroom with a grin, knowing that somehow the conversation had been a win for her.