Fin's Claim

Hard Time Path

Finian's POV

Tasting pain

Holding Victoria in my arms, everything pours out. It's not just about the kiss with Meela it's everything. The dam has burst from deep within, no hope of sealing it up until everything gets let out. So I hold her until she can hold herself up again. Meela taking the Charlie from Victoria's arms, so it's just her and me, no space.

Her head on my chest weeping for her life. Storms emotions are hard to stand against. Waves of pounding regret crash against me, up and over until I am suffocating on it.

I've done this. I'm her betrayer of Hope.

I've ruined my Moon's gift.

When her head comes off my chest, she takes a big breath in looking at me in the eyes like only she can. Touching my cheek with her hand. Fingertips touch my lips before she pulls her hand away as if it just got burnt.

"I don't trust you, Fin." Red eyes, wet cheeks hold me to my spot.

"I would rather be alone until I take my last breath than to let you inside here again." Her hand goes to her chest, touching where her heart is.

"It's easier for me this way. I can survive without you; I have Charlie now. That's all I need when it comes down to it. I was never born to be loved in the way I have dreamed about, but that's alright because I don't need it anymore. I don't need to be loved like that; I don't need to feel anymore. It's better this way for me, this way at least I'll never get hurt again." She starts to stand, but I won't let her, holding onto her.

"Please, Victoria, give me another chance. I promise this time-" Her hand going on my lips shutting me up.

"No more Finian, no more chances, it ends between us. It's better for the both of us. We'll be happier alone than together. I don't want to be with someone like you. I gave you my heart, my soul and I know it isn't much to you but for me, it was a lot to trust in something I had no business believing in." Melancholy sadness is seeping into my marrow brittling my bones.

"This is something that's hard to endure Finina; I just hope one day I can wake up and the hurt can go away just a little, and maybe every day after that it will get better for me." That's her new hope now, to be able to heal from me.

"Please Victoria, I understand, I understand everything."

"No, you don't understand." Saddening restraint hisses out of a face that just doesn't care who I am.

"I do understand, trust me, Victoria, I understand." Pleading voice, the only female I will ever plead with.

"Finian, I can't trust you, how do I know it won't happen again? How do I know that you won't do that again to me?"

"I won't!" Conviction of my thoughts sounding out, but she has lost her conviction in me to believe the words I'm saying.

"You will. I believe you will." She takes that first step away, easily.

I'm no longer able to submerge my mind with her's she's shutting me out completely. I try to nudge it with my own, trying to find a way past her barriers to let myself in.

"Finian, you need to stay out of my mind. You won't like what you see." Now she's up moving away from me, completely in control of herself.

This will be the hardest trial.

Fix

Repair

Restore

I'm going to have to walk that hard time path uphill, the top nowhere in sight.