Unbreak My Heart (18+, ManxMan)

Chapter 1 Going to California

(A/N  ATTENTION! Another note to make sure you have read Breaking Finn before you read this book.  Some people have mistakenly read this book first - must have skipped the intro which clearly says to read Breaking Finn first - but this is a sequel to Breaking Finn and will not make much sense unless you have read Breaking Finn first.)

Chapter 1

Finn

"Little Dude!  Little Dude!"  I could hear the shouting before I saw the source.  As soon as I stepped out of the secure area at LAX, arms were grabbing me in a tight hug.

"Benj, I'm taller than you now, you can't call me that." I grinned.

"Shaddup, you'll always be my little dude."  Benji grabbed my carry on out of my hand and my backpack from my shoulder.  "I'm so glad you're here!" I cringed as he screeched the last part.

"Hey, I can carry those," I tried to grab one of my bags back.

"No! I've got them.  Come on, Jax is waiting in the car outside.  All your stuff came yesterday, it's in the guestroom at the house.  Your apartment won't be ready for about six weeks, they're going to paint and spruce it up a bit after the guy who lives there now moves out at the end of the month."  Benji was going a mile a minute.  "I don't know why you wouldn't take Ajax's old apartment, he's not using it anymore."

"Benji, it's a penthouse apartment in the center of L.A.!  It's just too much for me.  The apartment you found me near campus is perfect...and more in my budget."

"Rent at the penthouse would have been free!"  Yeah, but Nico has an apartment there too, I thought, even if he's no longer using it, I'd feel it every day as a reminder of him.

"Stop!!  My new apartment is perfect for me.  But tell me, how do you like living out in the suburbs?" I asked as I followed Benji out of the airport.

"It's great!  The house is beautiful, we've got a huge backyard, I mean like acres huge; there's a pool, a patio for barbecuing, nice gardens and a perfect field for playing soccer.  We have the boys come over whenever we can; play a little ball, have some fun, get them out of the city for a bit."

"Do I finally get to meet your young artist friend?"

"Liam.  Yes!  He's excited to meet you.  I've shown him the painting you sent me for my last birthday and your on-line portfolio.  He hasn't tried much painting yet, except in crappy High School Art classes, but his sketches are amazing Finn.  The best I've seen since looking through one of your sketchbooks.  Do you think you can teach him how to paint, I'm sure if he's given the basics he'd take right off."

"Of course!  I'm going to turn the second bedroom in my apartment into my own little studio, so I can set up a schedule to work with him once a week if he's interested."

"We hardly use the boathouse, so Ajax said you can use that to paint while you're here.  There's plenty of room and the light is great in there."

"Are you sure he won't mind?"

"Not at all, he loves your work.  The painting you sent him as a housewarming is hung in a place of honour right in the living room.  There he is!"  I looked ahead and saw Ajax getting out of a black SUV with a big smile on his face.  The small set of nerves that had me a bit tense, relaxed.  I had been worried about seeing him, I'd only seen him once since I moved to New York and I wasn't quite sure if I was going to be welcomed with open arms when I moved back to L.A. or if he'd be angry that I was back.  I knew that Nico had not come back to California, Benji had not seen him since that day in Miami, but he was still Ajax's brother and I was an integral part in his leaving.