Epilogue

Epilogue
     - The night After

   “Finnley you’re going to be late. Oh great! It’s raining.”
Finnley chuckled at her mom’s freaking out as she unlocked the bathroom door.
   “What do you think? Too much?” She asked. Posing for her mother.
Her mom’s mouth dropped and tears came to her eyes.
   “’Too much’? No honey! It’s perfect!”
Finnley smiled and turned to look in the full length mirror. Her dress was simple, cream colored, with designs in brown stitching decorating the bodice and the bottom. She wore brown flats, (she refused to wear high heels.) And she had done her make-up herself and was very satisfied with the results. Her hair was curled and pulled away from her face with a brown ribbon.
   “You look beautiful darling you really do. But I don’t know what you’re going to do with this rain.”
Finnley walked over to the window and laughed.
   “Mom. It’s a drizzle. I’ll just run over to Tanya’s house really quick, she only lives two doors down. It’ll be fine! You’ll see.”
Her mom cast a worried look, but Finn kissed her cheek and squeezed her shoulder.
   “I’ll be back later.”
   “I’ll be staying up till you get back young lady!”
Finnley laughed and walked out the door.
She actually enjoyed walking in the rain. Though she didn’t walk. She waltzed.
There’s a difference.
Humming her new found favorite song, a smile grew across her lips when she was suddenly aware of someone watching her.
Looking up she noticed the familiar figure with a dark leather jacket and spiked blond hair.
Glancing both ways down the street, she hopped over the puddles daintily and ended up on his side of the street.
Before either of them knew it, she was standing in front of him with a sweet smile on her lips while raindrops clung to her skin.
   “So you thought you could just get up and walk away with out so much as a ‘good-bye’?”
Jay shrugged.
   “I was hopping to.”
Finnley cocked an eyebrow and shifted her weight with her hands on her hips.
   “M-hmm.”
   “Ok, so it didn’t work.”
   “You bet it didn’t.” She chuckled and shook her head. Sending her curls bouncing.
   “You look really pretty by the way.” Jayson said modestly.
Finnley smiled at him.
   “Thanks. This look is growing on me.” She said glancing down at her raindrop speckled dress.
   “Dresses?”
   “Femininity. Actually looking like a girl for once.” She smiled as she looked down at her shoes.
   “I wish daddy could see me now. Boy would he be surprised.”
   “I’m sure he can.”
There was a momentary silence, where Jay couldn’t figure out what to say.
   “So…you really leaving huh?” She asked.
   “Yup.” He repositioned the backpack he was wearing over his shoulder.
   “And there’s nothing I can do or say to get you to stay huh?”
   “Well…” He got a stupid boy grin on his face. “That seriously depends.”
Finnley rolled her eyes.
   “Within reason.”
He chuckled.
   “Yeah. Yeah I know. But no. I don’t think so. There’s something I need to do.”
   “Have you made up your mind yet?”
Jayson shook his head.
   “No. Not yet.”
Finnley couldn’t see the problem. It was an easy question, easy answer.
Jay noticed the confusion in her face, and pain crossed his.
   “It’s for your own safety Finn.” He said, trying to convince him.
   “You are always worried about my safety.”
   “Well someone has to. You being a long lost princess and all.”
Finn stuck her tongue out at him.
   “I’m just Finnley for right now.”
   “Finnley or Almera?”
She sighed and moved from one foot to the other, getting slightly chilled.
   “I’m not sure. But I am not a princess right now.”
Jayson caught her in his intensive stare.
   “Well you look like one. All your missing is the tiara.”
Finn blushed.
   “Thanks.”
Jay tapped his hand against his leg and sighed.
   “Well I’ve got to get going. Need to be in South Carolina tomorrow afternoon.”
He wasn’t sure how to say good-bye. But Finn had an Idea.

   “Then can I have a request?”
He raised his eyebrows, questioning.
   “One last dance? Before I like, never get to see you again.”
Jayson chuckled.
   “Don’t you have a party to get to?”
Finnley waved a dismissing hand.
   “It can wait. You aren’t. Come on. Please? Just one simple dance.”
Jay scoffed and looked around.
   “In the rain?”
   “it’s a drizzle!”
   “And in your-”
   “Best dress? Haha sound familiar? Come on please?”
   “With no music?”
   “Psh! The music’s in here!” She tapped the side of her brain.
   “Now you’ve run out of excuses, come on.”
She beckoned to him with her hand, and held it out.
Jay sighed and dropped his backpack on the ground.
   “Just one dance.”
   “Just one.” She agreed as he stepped closer and took her hand.
   “Now. Lets see if you remember any of those moves I showed you a life time ago.”
He rolled his eyes and placed a hand around her waist.
Finnley couldn’t believe they were dancing in middle of the street. In the rain!
She chuckled as they moved across the sidewalk, yet it felt like they were inches off any surface other then air.
She was surprised that Jay actually remembered any of the moves she had taught him a while ago. But he did. All of them.
   “Ok, I’m actually impressed.” She said.
   “Yeah. I’m full of surprises.”
Finnley laughed. “Yes I know that…I should by now.”
   “But I’m not the only one.”
Finn chuckled and glanced around nervously.
   “Haha. Not me. I’m just the girl next door.”
   “The girl next door that happens to be an agent.”
She laughed.
   “That’s true. But I doubt for long.”
   “Hey. You’ll be fine.”
   “I don’t know. What happens when I get in to trouble and need Superman to come save me?”
  “I’m sure you can find someone else to get there in time. And besides, you’re known for beating up people, and out smarting them.”
She scoffed.
   “Well for the record, I’ll miss you.” She muttered.
   “Same here.”
He laughed at her slightly disappointed look.
   “I’ll miss you too.”
She laughed.
   “I’m just an open book to you aren’t I?”
He pretended to be thinking about this, but he just nodded.
   “Yup.”
   “Well I’ve got new for you. You are too.” She whispered.
   “Yeah right.”
   “No, I’m serious. Like right now. You’re trying to figure out a way to say good-bye. And the easiest thing to do…is not to go.”
Jay sighed.
   “I told you Finn. I cant do that. It doesn’t…it doesn’t work that way.”
Finnley sighed. “Why not?”
   “Because…I’ve got-”
   “Stuff to do yeah I know. But you’re lying.”
They stopped dancing and he let go of her. This was getting to difficult. All he wanted to do was stay with her. That’s it. But he knew he couldn’t yet. He had stuff to do. He wasn’t even sure he’d come back.
   “Finn…don’t-Don’t make this harder.”
   “I just don’t understand Jay. You saw what was going to happen. You don’t…don’t want that?” She asked hesitantly.
   “It’s not that I don’t want that Finn. It’s just that we got a long way to get there. If we get there at all! Look at me Finnley! I’m not the kind of guy that gets the princess, and the happy ending.” He groaned and gripped his hair. “That’s Kaden…not me. I don’t get the happy ending.”
   “Jay. Jayson. Jayson look at me.” Finnley gripped his shoulder, turning him around.
   “We all get a happy ending. As Christians, we all get a happy ending. But God says ’ask and you shall receive.’ come on what more of a promise do you want?”
   “It doesn’t work like that-”
   “Yes. Yes it does. We make our own endings Jay! Our endings aren’t set in stone. The future is always changing! Every decision we make, bends the future to a different out come. You can have a happy ending because you deserve one!”
   “Finn-”
   “I don’t know what you’re going to do. I don’t know where you’re going to go. Just promise me one thing. Just one thing. That’s all I’m asking Jayson. Come back. Ok? I don’t care how long it takes, or how long I have to wait. Just come back ok?”
At the moment, Finnley was glad for the rain. It hid her tears. She couldn’t help it if they ruined her make-up. She couldn’t care less.
   “Just come back ok? That’s all I’m asking.”
Jay wiped away a tear and took a shaky breath. He knew what he was going to do now.
   “It’s just one promise Jayson. Just one. I’ve never asked anything of you before. But please… Just this one.” She was pleading now. She didn’t want to say good-bye, then never see him again.
Jayson fumbled with his hand for a moment, then looked at her.
Finn saw a look in his eyes that she hadn’t seen before.
She wasn’t exactly sure what it meant till he cupped her chin and pulled her in close.
Her eyes grew big, as he hesitated. He was asking she realized. She nodded slightly and rose up to her tip toes.
He leaned down and kissed her.
She was never sure she ever wanted to kiss a boy. Ever sense she was little, Finn thought it was gross. As she got older, she wasn’t opposed to other people doing it, but just never imagined herself doing it. This single kiss changed all of that.
This time, she kissed him back. (Unlike Ryan, where she simply punched him. There was no punching involved in this.)
Her head spun, but her anxiety didn’t act up. Thank goodness!
Jay’s hands slid down her arms till they came to her own.
He squeezed them tight as he pulled away slightly. Leaning his forehead against hers, they tried to get control over their breathing.
   “Whoa.” He murmured.
Finn smiled.
   “Uh-huh.”
She suddenly noticed the cold feeling in her right hand.
   “Finnley. I want you to know.” Jay started. He pulled away slightly. Looking down at her hand, he let her go and took a step back. “I’ll be back for that.”
He then grabbed his backpack and jogged off to his bike.
He revved the engine and gave her his lopsided grin that sent her heart pounding.
Waving at her, he drove off.
Finnley moved into the middle of the street to watch him go. Once he was out of sight, she opened her hand and gasped.
In the palm of her hand was the promise ring that he wore on his left hand.
She grinned.
   “You bet you’ll be back for this. If not, I’ll come hunt you down Jayson Stone.”
She chuckled and closed her hand around the ring.
   “That’s…a promise.”
                              The End