Ice.

Chapter Thirty-Nine.

Avery

I feel like every fiber in my being went dormant as soon as the words leave my mothers mouth.

Back to New York right after graduation? That takes another month away from my friends; away from Finn.

That's another month on the other side of the country.

"Can we at least talk about this?" I ask quietly, fully aware of Finn's hand tightening on my hip.

"We can have a conversation about it," she says, the tone in her voice telling me clear as day that she will not be changing her mind. "But it is non-negotiable, Avery. I will not stay here longer than necessary. I'm tempted to move back sooner, and if it wasn't your senior year, we would be."

I have never seen my mother so serious, and that alone is making me sick to my stomach. I know that there is no way I can talk her out of this.

Should I even talk her out of this?

God, I'm so exhausted.

"Ms. Harrison?" Alice says from the door, causing us all to look at her. "I'm sorry to interrupt. But we need to take your statement."

"Of course," my mom nods, looking back at me with a stern look before going over to the two officers.

I know I'm about to cry, so I break away from Finn and walk into the kitchen, feeling everything hit me at once.

"Aves," I hear him call, but I keep walking, tilting my head back to keep the tears from falling. He catches up with me as I stop in the kitchen, putting my hands on my hips as I let out a harsh breath, my head still fallen back in a desperate attempt to keep the tears back. I'm so done crying over this guy.

"Hey," he puts his hand on my shoulder, turning me towards him before putting his other hand on my other shoulder. I look at him with my eyes still threatening to release tears with a long, drawn out breath. "Breathe, Aves. Breathe."

"What the fuck, Finn?" I ask rhetorically, clearing my throat when my voice cracks. I will not cry. "Why can't he just leave me alone?"

"I don't know," he answers quietly, shaking his head slightly. "I really don't know."

"I can't talk my mom out of this," I tell him honestly. I roll my lips into my mouth before I say hesitantly, "I don't even know if I should."

He blinks a few times at me, his hands dropping from my shoulders. He backs away before he turns, shaking his head as he runs his hands down his face. "Finn, he's stalking me," I defend my words, wanting him to see where I'm coming from. "And he's going to get away with it."

"How do you know that?" he asks, turning back to me. He's upset as he rubs the growing stubble on his chin, his eyes watching me carefully. "They said they brought him in."

"You know they won't be able to keep him, Finn," I say sadly. He has some serious wishful thinking right now. "They didn't catch him in front of my house, and we don't have security cameras. There's no way to prove that he was here."

He drops his head, running his hand over his hair that is wrapped in a bun. I cautiously walk over to him, putting my hands on his hips now. "Finn-"

"I know, Aves," he cuts me off, pinching the bridge of his nose. He lets out a long and exasperated sigh that turns into an angered groan, full of resentment and distress. "I know it's not safe here for you, and that kills me. It kills me that this asshole has control. I hate that he's the reason we're going to be apart for longer."