Climax King

•2.4•

"So, Finn Quinton, what do your parents do?" Mom asks as she slices her chicken evenly.

"His parents adopted him. Just like me, mom!" Ash exclaims, making my eyes widen.

I frantically look around and see Finn wiping his mouth with a clothes napkin. "Ash, no," I whisper although it's clear everyone heard.

Finn rests his hand on my knee before nodding. "Mena, it's fine," he attempts to reassure me although I can see in his hazel eyes that the simple thoughts was triggering something deeper. "They do similar work as you from what Mena tells me. They work mostly in Japan, however their main headquarters are in South Side."

I clasp my hand around his which still sat on my knee.

"Lovely. We'd love to meet with them some time," my father smiles to Finn, making me turn to the boy himself. His eyes are trained on mine however, boring into my own.

Finn clears his throat, "Unfortunately they have fled the country on another business call, and this time I don't believe they'll be coming back."

I look at him, but he gazes away. His hand moves from under mine as we both look at my family.

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Finn. Where do you reside, if you don't mind me asking? It is simply because Philly, of course," my father smiles, making me a little nervous.

"My parents gave me my trust fund early before their departure. I made my own funds at Rosalind's and managed to pay off our pent house in the South Side. It's currently in my name alone. Freddie Rose checks in on me from occasion as well as staff whom I share very personal relationships with. However, if you don't want Mena in my pent house, then of course I can respect your decisions and her and I can meet on different terms."

My father glances to my mother, "Well, son, you've proven yourself to be much better than that Teddy character, so if Philly wants to be in your pent house, then we can't disagree on her opinion. But, I do ask, what is it you're going to study in college, saying you attend?"

The mood lightens drastically, thankfully so.

"Well, at first, like any child raised in a business family, I had intended to follow in their tracks but I fell in love with literature. Actually, that's the first thing Mena and I bonded over. Not saying my opinion was solely based on her seeing as that's absurd, but she did make me realize that literary was something I wanted to dive into."

My mom smiles, looking up from her food. "And what is it not he literary field that interests you most?"

Finn looks over to me, a smirk that screamed Satan. "I've found that I can be a very good teacher."

•———•

"Well, trusting that you two will refrain from anything inappropriate, why don't you two go upstairs?" My father says, raising his glass of whiskey in the air.

Finn looks at me as if he needs to be assured that it was okay. I nod, taking his hand in mine and leading him up the stairwell in case my family could sense that he knew where he was going. That'd make for conversation.

We pass Ash's door and I can't help but look in. He was awake, that was clear, but something was bugging him.

"Go ahead in. I need to tuck Ashling in," I smile sympathetically causing him to nod and vanish into my room.

I knock on his door and cautiously step in. Curiosity gets the best of him as he looks at me, only to turn away just as fast.

"Fancy some company?" I ask, sitting on his bed.