That Girl

Alex watched as Finley made her way through his movie collection, tossing various plastic cases towards him. He, of course, was lucky to have been blessed with the ability to, well, catch things that were being aimed at his head. "Having fun?" he asked as he caught the hard plastic case of Hercules, one of his favorite movies.

"Yes," Finley said, scrutinizing his collection before tossing Anastasia back at him.

"Gotta love movie nights," Alex said while catching the movie. "Your dad knows you're staying?"

Finley nodded. "Yeah, I told him I'd be back in the morning or something."

"He knows you're staying with me, right?"

"Yes, Alex, he knows," Finley repeated. "I don't lie to my father."

"About anything?"

Finley looked over her shoulder at him. "About anything."

Alex shrugged but he didn't doubt her. He could just tell that she wasn't lying. He had a small inkling that she would be a really bad liar and he didn't know why. But then his mind went back to a previous conversation; she was hiding something from him. So maybe she was a better liar than he thought. He was shaken out of his daydream by a case hitting him in the chest. "Ow! What the fuck?!"

Finley bit back a laugh. "Thought you were paying attention," she told him.

"Guess not," he muttered, setting The Lion King aside. "Disney marathon?" he asked.

"No."

Alex paused, glancing at the movies that were sitting beside him. "All you've given me are Disney movies. Ergo, Disney marathon."

"Not every movie."

"Yes, every--"

"Anastasia is Fox, not Disney, ergo not a Disney marathon," she told him before standing up and stretching. "Do you approve of the movie choices?"

"Would you change your mind if I said no?"

She shrugged lightly. "I would think about it."

The corner of Alex's lips twitched. "You wouldn't change your mind."

"Yeah, you're probably right," she muttered. "Hercules first?"

Alex sighed. "Am I ever going to find out what you're hiding from…everyone?"

Finley cursed under her breath. "Let it go, Alex."

"I can't. You're my girlfriend--"

"I never agreed to be your girlfriend," she interrupted.

Alex rolled his eyes. "You're kind of my girlfriend. I think I should know."

"I said let it go," she snapped. "I hope you never have to find out."

"Did you…rob a bank?"

She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Are you kidding?"

"Did you…have a baby? Or, like, an abortion?" he asked.

"Alex…"

"Did you shoot a man in Reno?"

Finley laughed slightly. "I did not shoot a man in Reno," she told him quietly, resisting the urge to rub the scar tissue on her shoulder at the mere thought.

"I want to know," he whispered, reaching for her hand and pulling her towards the bed. "Don't you think I should know?" he asked, pulling her down to sit next to him.

"I don't think so," she admitted. "It's not something anyone should have to find out, okay?"

"Is it that bad?"

"Yeah," she said quietly. "Please drop it, Alex. Please."

Alex sighed. "On one condition."

"If it's that I have to be your girlfriend--"

"Dammit, I didn't even think of that…" he muttered. "Fuck."

Finley smiled softly.

"Just… Lay with me…tonight," he told her. "Yeah?"

Finley leaned in and brushed her lips across the corner of his mouth. "I can do that."

+

"Okay, pause it," Finley said, moving Alex's arm from her waist and sitting up.

Alex groaned but did so. "This is my favorite part."

"I need a Coke if I'm going to watch Mufasa die for the millionth time," she told him.

"Fine," Alex muttered, standing up. "Anything other than a Coke?"

"No, thanks."

Alex scratched the back of his head, messing up his hair (more than it already was) before walking out of the room.

Finley reached over onto his nightstand for her phone. Instead of reading her missed messages, she turned her phone off and tossed it into her bag. While the possibility of someone calling or texting her was slim to nil, she just felt a sense of relief when her phone was off that couldn't be explained. She glanced up when Alex walked back into the room, a cold can of Coke in hand.

"Are you ready for this shit?"

"I'm never ready for this scene," Finley admitted, taking the can of Coke from Alex's hand and taking a drink.

Alex climbed back on the bed, wrapping his arms around Finley's waist. "I think every kid who grew up with this movie cries during this scene," he told her.

"It always reminds me of my mom," she admitted, reaching for the remote.

Alex took it from her hand. "Do you want to…talk about it?"

She shook her head.

He nodded, pressing play. Maybe he just had to trust that when she was ready to talk about, well, anything, that she would.

+

Finley couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she climbed out of Alex's car and walked into her own house. It was barely after one in the afternoon, but they hadn't fallen asleep until sometime after four, well after three Disney (and one Fox) movie. She made her way into the house, shutting the door behind her. She set her bag down on the couch, pausing when she saw her father sitting on the couch, a frown on his face.

"Why did you turn your phone off last night?" Robert asked.

"We were having a movie marathon."

Robert rolled his eyes. "Of course you were."

"We did," she told him. "We fell asleep near four. I'm sorry I turned my phone off."

"You lied to me, Finley."

"I didn't--"

"Did you sleep with him?"

Finley scoffed. "I didn't have sex with him."

"I didn't ask that."

"I'm not lying to you," she snapped.

"Lying by omission or technicality is still a lie, Finley."

Finley sighed. "What do you want me to say?"

"Nothing. Walker is on his way over. Something's come up."

Finley paused, her heart dropping into her stomach. "What--"

"That's why I tried to call you. What if something was wrong?"

"I didn't--"

"I don't want to hear it, Finley. We'll discuss this later."