𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 | 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞

Epilogue

Finn

Millie lies beside me in our bed. The apartment is tiny. A studio, but it doesn't fucking matter. What matters is it's ours. And cheap. And Josh's dumb ass friends aren't partying in our house every night. That matters too. I pull her to me like I do so often now. She still has her room in the dorm because she's supposed to live on campus the first year, but she goes back enough and Andy helps cover for her. The deal works for her because it gives Andy more time with her girl.

"You feel so fucking good."

I bury my face in her hair and palm her breast. It feels good to know she's there. That she'll always be there. It's because of her and Josh I'm even still here. Or not a vegetable. They got me to the hospital quick and from what the docs say, that's what matters.

"Are you ever not horny?" she asks me.

"Why would you ask a crazy question like that, Tiny Dancer?"

She rolls over and faces me. Damn, she's sexy. I can't get over the fact that she's here. That we're fucking here together. I could have died the same day as my mom, which is screwed up, but I didn't. We may have been brought together because of a stupid ass game. Or because we were both screwed up, or needed to change, but we got somewhere important and that's the only thing that counts. I'd play that game over again to be laying here. To know I'm really giving Mom a reason to be proud of me.

"You're right. What could I be thinking?" She laughs and I laugh. I wonder why I didn't do it more often—before her.

"What time do you go to work?" I ask.

"Four. I'm going to hang out with Andy for a little while first."

They've been hanging out a lot lately, which I'm pretty sure Andy is stoked about. She tried to get close to Millie before, but my dancer never really let her. She's getting better at it now.

I lean in and almost kiss her, but know if I do, I won't stop. I never want to stop when I touch her. Most of the time I don't.

"I want to go see Mom before I head out to your aunt and uncle's."

Millie sighs. "You don't have to work yet. They said they'd wait till summer. With your job and school."

I do kiss her this time. I pretend it's to shut her up, but it's really because I just like tasting her. She's so familiar now. We know exactly how to move and I've memorized her taste. I'm hard in about two seconds, but really know we don't have time for that.

"They've done a lot for me, Tiny Dancer. I want to pay them off."

They took care of my hospital bills. They paid for Mom to be held until I could be there to tell her goodbye. Her uncle agreed to be my lawyer in my court case, but they ended up dropping the charges since I hadn't had that much weed on me anyway. Of course they also have some stipulations and they want to make sure I'm doing what I'm supposed to do. Not dealing. Being good to Millie. How the hell do you pay someone back for that?

"I know... I get it."

"I'm good. No worries." I left school and enrolled part time at the community college. I'm still going, but I'm doing it because I want to be something. Not because I have to, but I also have bills to pay. School's not going anywhere. I can handle doing both.

"No headaches or anything?"

I groan and push out of bed. I know she worries, but it's every day.

"No, dear. No headaches. I still know my name, birthday and who you are too. Do you want to go to the doctor with me next time to make sure?"

She gives me a dirty look which tells me I'm being a prick. That's nothing new. It's better, but that's just who I am. I'm lucky she puts up with me...but it's not like she's always easy to get along with either. I think that's one of the things that makes us work. I'm glad she stopped bugging me about Jacob though. I hate the motherfucker and don't want to ever hear his name again if I can keep from it. She wasn't happy I didn't want to press charges, but that's not my style. I hate him, but I also know he didn't try to kill me. I pushed him first. Told the cops as much. There's not a whole hell of a lot they could do at that point.