Chapter 46: Reality Strikes

“Are you sure your heard her voice?” Finn asked, his expression now darkened. “Maybe you imagined or dreamed it, Cody.”
But Cody was shaking his head firmly.
“No, daddy. It was grandma. I called her but she didn’t come to see me. I think she doesn’t like me,” Cody stated, lowering his head.
Gwen felt sad for her son, but that’s what she wanted to hear. That was enough proof for Finn to believe her now, right? If Marcy was at the same place as Cody when he was kidnapped, that was more enough to prove her involvement. She wondered if Finn would think the same.
Afraid to make eye contact to him, but dying inside to see how he reacted, Gwen lifted her head to look at Finn, and the scene she saw was heartbreaking.
He looked devastated. His shoulders were down, as if he was carrying a truck on top of them; his eyes were looking at Cody, soulless and incredulous; it was like all his energy and kindness had been ripped from him.
“It can’t be…” he murmured to himself.
Gwen looked from him to Stephanie, and just with her glance, her friend understood what she wanted.
“Cody, why don’t we go to your room and you show me some of your new toys? I heard your daddy bought you so many nice things.”
“Okay!” The little boy looked amazed. He jumped from the couch and dropped the drawing on the floor, taking Stephanie’s hand and rushing to show her all his collection.
Gwen breathed in and out, considering how she should start the conversation. In the end, she went with straightforwardness.
“Are you alright?”
But he simply looked at her with puppy eyes, like a little kid who got separated from his mother in a supermarket.
It was like the air got sucked from the room; the silence was practically deafening. Even though she was still feeling weak, her health seemed to have improved a lot during the day. She wasn’t feeling feverish, nauseated or dizzy anymore, so Gwen got up from the couch and walked straight towards Finn.
Without thinking, without hesitating, she lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck, pulling him for a tight hug. She just wanted to comfort him, take away all the pain he was feeling.
“It can’t be true, Gwen. It just can’t,” he said after a few minutes, still in her embrace. “I'll have my team investigate her. I just can’t believe she would do something like this to me.”
Gwen didn’t want to make things worse, so she just stayed silent, caressing his hair. If he really discovered everything his mother did, she had no idea how he would face it. She only knew that whatever happened, she would be there to help him endure it.
“If this is really true, Gwen, I don’t even know how I’m going to make up to you, for not believing you. I…”
“Shhhh… Don’t say this, alright? Let’s just get you in the shower and I’ll prepare something for us to eat. Stop thinking about this for now.”
He nodded, and Gwen walked by his side until he got to his bedroom. She tried not to look when he took his shirt off, but when he was about to remove his pants as well, she thought it would be better to simply leave him alone.
She didn’t trust her instincts anymore. Not with Finn. She went to the kitchen to prepare a meal for all of them, as he took a shower and eased his mind.
The dinner was very quiet and uncomfortable. Gwen had insisted that Stephanie stay to eat with them, but her friend strongly refused, which Gwen though it was probably due to the dismal mood in the house.
After they finished, Cody went to bed and Gwen stayed by his side until he felt asleep. Then she was left alone with Finn. Again. One more night. Just the two of them.
At that moment, something had happened to her, although she couldn’t explain exactly what. It was like her internal conflict had ended suddenly and unexpectedly. It was like a very strong force had taken control of her entire being, and she just wanted to protect Finn and Cody with all her might.
If Marcy was going to go after her forever, it was better to just live life while she could, enjoy the moments she had. She was tired of suppressing her feelings, living in fear, feeling like her happiness was something impossible to pursue.
And seeing the way Finn got just by hearing that his mother could’ve been involved, even though Gwen tried to warn him several times, she felt like her soul had been shattered. If she could do something for him to feel better, she would.
After days, months, even years, she had decided to finally give in. She got out of Cody’s bedroom and searched the entire apartment for Finn. He was nowhere to be found, and she started to get anxious. Then she decided to go back to his room, and to her surprise, Finn was walking from side to side, with his phone stuck on his ear.
“Yes, I want the report in my hands by tomorrow night. This is top secret, no one can find out I’m investigating this. Especially her,” he ordered. It was actually pretty intimidating seeing him call the shots that way, almost like a king.
He hung up the phone and tossed it on the bed impatiently. He sighed and passed his hands through his hair, exactly the way Gwen loved. Only when he turned, he realized she had been there the entire time.
The room was pretty dark, only a dim light was coming from a lamp near his bed. Finn was not wearing a shirt, and his sweatpants made Gwen gulp involuntarily.
“Gwen, I didn’t see you there,” he said, changing his tone automatically to the one he always used with her. The kind and gentle Finn was back.
“I came to see if you’re okay,” she lied. It wasn’t actually a lie, but that was not the only reason why she went after him.
As she waited Cody to fall asleep, her whole body was itching to be close to Finn again. It was like she had to be with him at that moment, otherwise she would feel sick again.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” he murmured coming a bit closer.
Gwen embraced her arms, considering for the last time if she should do what she was dying to do. She could not regret it later, so she had to make sure before she made any move.
“Are you sure? Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked, her eyes deliberately falling upon his lips.
His emerald eyes followed her glance, and Finn frowned. He hesitated, thinking that maybe he could have misunderstood her actions. That’s why, for the first time in years, she decided to take the initiative.
She loosened her arms and took a few steps forward, gluing their bodies together. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled him towards her and touched their foreheads.
“Gwen,-”
“Shhh… Don’t say anything else. Just let me take care of you for a change.”
She placed her lips on his, making sure he felt how badly she missed him.