Finley's P.O.V

"Wait! Fin!" he shouted, banging on the door.

I flinched, even though I wasn't close enough to get hit. "Go away!" I shouted.

"Not until you hear me out!" Eli yelled. "I've tried calling you, I've tried texting you, and this is my last resort, Fin, I'm sorry, but I'm not leaving until you let me explain."

"Then you're going to be there a long time," I snapped.

"I'm prepared to wait," Eli said, through the door and I heard him slide down and I imagined that he was sitting with his back to the door.

I bit my lip and I decided to do the same thing. I sank against the door and closed my eyes. Eli was exhausting. Loving him was exhausting and my heart was tired but a heart is a muscle that works on its own and it won't stop loving him no matter what my head says.

"Finley," someone whispered.

I glanced to the side and noticed Luke coming down the stairs. He had crawled over to me.

"Why are you crawling?" I whispered.

"So Eli doesn't see me," he replied.

"So what do you want?" I asked. "I'm a bit busy here."

"Busy imitating Eli like some sad chick flick," Luke muttered. I made to hit him but he moved out of my reach. "But, here's my advice- I'm a guy."

"I never noticed," I muttered sarcastically.

Luke shot me a glance but continued. "I'm a guy. I get it. Eli loved, loves," he corrected himself. "You a lot. He probably has a good explanation for that picture. Maybe it was Photoshop. Maybe the skank forced herself onto him and the picture was snapped before he could push her away."

"Maybe..." I trailed off.

"So just hear him out," Luke reasoned. "It won't kill you."

"It might kill my heart if he did it willingly," I muttered.

Luke shot me a death glare before crawling away. I shook my head. He clearly thought he was some kind of ninja or something.

"Okay," I said, loud enough so Eli could hear it through the door. "Explain."

"Can I come in?" He asked.

"No," I answered. "Just talk."

"I didn't kiss her because I wanted to," he began earnestly.

My heart sank. "But you did kiss her," I murmured.

I was about to walk away when Eli shouted, "But they made me! Trey and Mika!"

I paused, halfway in motion. "You have two minutes to explain."

Eli began talking very quickly. "Trey and Mika, they teamed up, they had this master plan. Mika wanted me, but I told her to fuck off and she didn't like that. Trey was there, he was the one who took the picture and was in charge of showing you. Mika cornered me before school. She told me to kiss her and I refused.

"She pushed me up against the lockers and told me if I didn't kiss her something bad would happen and I laughed in her face," this is where Eli's voice faltered. "I... I didn't want to. But then she told me that if I didn't kiss her, and for as long as she wanted Trey would..." Eli stopped. "I can't say it," he whispered. "I can't."

"You have to," I said, startled by how harsh my tone was.

I could hear Eli swallow and get up.

"She said that if I didn't kiss her Trey would rape you," he said it so quietly that the only reason I heard it was because I had my ear pressed against the door and Eli sounded like he was pressed against it too.

I inhaled slowly, my eyes widening. In the hours I spent thinking of reasons why Eli would do it, that never crossed my mind. My mind filled with horrible images as Eli explained further.

"And then I looked at Trey and he just had this look on his face," Eli said bitterly and I heard his fist pound the door. It made me jump away hen come closer to listen. "This proud look like he would enjoy it and I wanted to punch him and then run and find you but I couldn't," Eli pounded the door again. "So I had to kiss her, because I couldn't let him hurt you," Eli's voice got quieter. "I couldn't."

He sounded so vulnerable that I believed him. I slowly opened the door and peeked through. Eli was sitting on the stoop with his head in his hands. He heard the door open and immediately got up and faced me.

He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something but he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

Without hesitation, I jumped in his arms.

Eli took a half step back to brace himself but then he buried his face in my shoulder and held me closely.

"I'm sorry," he breathed. "I'm so so sorry."

"It's okay," I mumbled into his hair.

Eli held me even tighter. "I didn't want to, but I couldn't let him hurt you, this was the only way I could think to protect you, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry-"

He was rambling, and I cut him off with a kiss.

Eli responded immediately; he picked me up and my legs went around his waist. His hands were dangerously close to my butt and my hands were in his hair, messing it up. He tasted salty, like he had been crying but he was still as sturdy as always.

Eli set me down and took my hand, tugging me gently towards his car. He shot me a mischevious smile. "C'mon."

...

I found myself flat on my back on Eli's bed with him hovering over me. He brought his hand up and touched my face gently.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured. "I love you."

I blushed. "I love you too."

He let himself fall so he was resting on his elbows, still above me but with his face buried in my shoulder. "I missed you," he mumbled. "You wouldn't talk to me. Not for days."

I chuckled slightly. "Well, I thought you kissed her willingly, so I was a tad heartbroken and unwilling to see you."

"Yeah, you need to work on that," Eli said, nibbling on my neck. "And let me explain first."

Laughing, I pushed him away. "I'm not a chew toy."

Eli made a mumbled sound of protest as he buried his face in my shoulder again. "But I want to kiss you."

"Lips are up here," I reminded him.

Eli, still over me, lowered himself so he was directly above me; his lips were barely brushing mine. "Do you want me to kiss you?" He whispered.

We were so close that I couldn't breathe without feeling Eli's exhale of breath. "Maybe," I replied, shifting so my lips brushed Eli's for a brief second before I moved so they weren't touching anymore.

Eli closed his eyes for a moment before opening them. "You're such a tease,"" he breathed before he was kissing me intently, making my toes curl from the way his lips moved against mine.

I pulled back to gasp, "Tease? Me? How?"

Eli moved to kiss my neck before groaning out, "You know exactly how," before he was kissing my neck again.

And it felt so good, the way his lips would move against my skin, sometimes accompanied by a little nibble here and there that I groaned.

I sat up, making Eli fall off me and land on his bed with a soft thump. My hand was over my mouth.

"What was that?" Eli grumbled.

"I've never made that sound before," I admitted, cheeks aflame.

"Well, it was fucking hot," Eli said bluntly.

My mouth dropped. "Eli!"

"What? It did!"

I didn't think my cheeks could get redder but apparently I was sorely mistaken. "But..."

"But what?" Eli asked, easing me down so I was lying on my back again. "I'm being honest. That was sexy. I want to hear those sounds again. Maybe even my name..."

I pushed him. "Eli!"

Eli groaned and buried his face in the crook between my neck and shoulder yet again. "Fin, God, I love you, and when you do stuff like that... it makes it hard to control myself."

To be honest, seeing Eli like this was kind of hot. "So don't."

Eli's head shot up. "What?" He asked incredulously.

"Don't control yourself," I said, cheeks burning again but I was determined to get this out.

"Are you serious?" He gaped.

I bit my lip and nodded.

"Are you sure?" Eli asked worridly, gnawing on his bottom lip, fiddling with his lip ring which honestly made me more confident. "I mean, you do know what this means, right?"

I nodded. "Yes, Eli, I do. So stop worrying, alright?"

"I could never not worry," he said, pecking my nose. "I love you. It's my job to worry."

"You're my boyfriend, not my mother," I said, wrapping my arms around his neck.

Eli pulled a face. "Do me a favor and not mention your mom when we're about to do this."

I laughed. "Shut up and kiss me."

And he did.

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So hey guys. This is the deal next chapter they are going to have sex. I will write it and I struggled with this for like three days and that's why this is so late. I didn't want to do it, because I liked how pure their relationship was, but I thought this would make them closer. So yeah, be mature about it, I will warn you guys next chapter, but it won't be kinky and shit, okay because honestly Finley is not like that.

On another note, I hated the fact that I used the word alright, I hate that word and I don't even know why, my sister says it all the time instead of okay and it infuriates me to no end, I swear to God. But I hope you enjoy a s pretty please comment!

Love ya!

-T A Y L O R