Unmasked

Valerie's POV

The first thing I saw was a shock of blond hair. I shifted—throwing an arm across my face, wanting to keep the heavy sunlight from damaging my perfect eye sight. I grimaced. My throat was dry; I needed to drink something. Instead of getting up, though, I hid my face in a mound of warm flesh and found out I was—basically—on top of Finn's back. Finn was lying on his stomach, facing away from the window showering us with early sunshine. I smacked my lips twisting around, dizzy with sleep. A little sound came from behind me and an arm snuck around my torso, catching me under my breasts.

Last night came back steadily, in an array of pleasure and fun. The taste of Finn's mouth exploring mine, our wandering hands, Finn's teasing and… I cocked my head to catch a glimpse of him. Slate-gray eyes were open in slits. I wasn't sure he was aware—

"What time is it?" Finn drawled, eyes falling shut. Okay, his brain was on operational.

"I don't know. Early?" my phone was in my room. Finn gave a sleepy nod. My neck was beginning to cramp, so I wiggled in the loose embrace, putting us face to face. "Finn." He hummed in return. "Finn!" I hissed, shaking his shoulder.

The boy's lashes fluttered.

"Yeah?"

"We had sex." Heaving a massive groan, Finn turned onto his back. The heels of his palms rubbed at his sleepy eyes as a sound from deep in his chest shook the bedroom. Finn's hair was a hot mess, strewn about, sticking out at awkward angles. "Are you awake?" I braced my hands on his bare chest.

"Thanks to you, I am." the intense gaze landed on where my palms were.

"We had sex." I repeated, feeling dumber than before.

"Good morning to you, my Queen. And yes, I know we had sex. I wasn't hit with selective amnesia overnight." Finn's fingers startled me—running up my naked arm. My heart raced at the gesture. "You have a weird look on your face."

"What?" I snapped. My nails dug into his abs drawing a muffled grunt from the sprawled boy I'd slept with.

"I don't know. It looks like nobody's home." Yeah, I knew that expression. I was retreating into my brain to think—rather to overthink—this whole situation. Okay, Valerie, calm down. You were in a secret relationship with a guy before—you had sex with him—and no one found out. I could keep this secret, too. Keeping secrets was something I excelled at. Yeah—our friends didn't need to know about this one-night stand. My elbows warmed as Finn's hands enclosed them; he pulled me down, lifting his head off the pillow, "You're thinking too much, Valerie. What happened is between you and me, we're not sharing it with anyone."

I was taken aback.

"How did you…?"

"Wild guess." Finn's lips brushed mine in a chaste touch. My hands curled against his side. "I think I like kissing you."

"You think?" Finn offered me a little grin, face ridden of sleep. In one swoop, the tables turned. I was on my back with him hovering me, much like last night.

"I'm sure of it." that was better. Finn lowered himself, angling our bodies just right. "I also like having you under me. Last night was a surprise," he skimmed fingers through my dark, tangled mess of hair. "A good one. I don't regret it—I didn't regret kissing you before, either."

Finn's forehead brushed on mine. He kept leaving me speechless with all the forwardness. Finn could be adorably awkward sometimes, while other times, he was so damned sexy. The memory of his mouth teasing my nipple made blush furiously. I looked away; his chest rumbled with laughter.

"I never thought you were shy." My eyes flashed to his. He was smiling good-naturedly.

"I never thought you were capable of being sexy."

Finn tapped the tip of my nose; his lips took a wry turn.

"I'm sure it's a fluke." I shrugged underneath him, nodding my head starting to smile—just a little. Finn mimicked me coming closer, molding our mouths together. I pushed up against him. I took his lower lip between my teeth; Finn yielded, lowering his entire weight onto me. "We have a long time until they get here…"

"Hmm." I gripped his hair moving his head aside, running my mouth along his jaw. My cheeks were going to get rugburn—a rumble came from my stomach. I grinned into his neck, letting my arms fall. I tipped my head back. "Or we could go downstairs and eat breakfast."

He tilted his head to the side as if considering our options.

"Or we could do that." Finn husked.

I played with the curly hair at the back of his head.

"After we eat, I can give you a proper tour."

"That sounds nice."

As I disappeared into my bedroom to use the bathroom and grab my phone, I almost forgot how Finn felt about me. Almost.

I leaned against the door.

The moment I saw a text from Ava, it all came rushing in. Finn had been afraid of Thomas seeing us together. He thought I was a cold-hearted bitch, a spoiled brat who had everything she asked for and more. And I was sure he pitied me after that major mental-breakdown in the car. Or, maybe, Finn thought I used that as a manipulation strategy, hoping he would drive us here, instead of stopping at a side-road motel.

His words hit and bit harder now that I was alone: What happened is between you and me, we're not sharing it with anyone. That was my impulse, too, to keep things between us, because... it was how I did things. My personal life was handled in the shadows, it was a default setting. I was sure it wasn't Finn's default setting, though...

It stung to think Finn would be ashamed if his friends found out about us—whatever we were. I let out a snort walking to my personal bathroom. It was just my luck that the one guy I actually felt physically and emotionally attracted to was interested in my body, but absolutely disgusted by my personality.

***

After breakfast, I showed Finn around. We started on ground zero; I took him into the giant living room with the majorly tall ceiling, gorgeous fireplace and beige couches. The floors were dark wood, and the walls were covered with dark-gray shale panels. Next, I unlocked the sliding doors and we stepped out onto the large porch. The backyard was accessible through the living room or the kitchen. The deck's railings were decorated with several wooden planters; those plants were alive thanks to Dad's monthly pay to caretakers. On the left, the deck was shaped into a hexagon; there were two identical wicker couches, shaped in a crescent moon, along with a tall, circular rattan table in their middle. To the right, was a large rectangular table, large enough for seven people.

"It's beautiful out here." Finn stated sounding mesmerized. I agreed. It was still early, like ten in the morning early, and since we both texted Thomas and Ava and received nothing, we assumed they were still asleep back in Pennsylvania. "You have a boat?"

I nodded.

"I don't know how to drive that, though. Do you?"

"I've taken boats for a spin once or twice down in Florida." We walked down the porch steps, soon the wood was replaced by lush grass. It seemed freshly cut. I gripped Finn's hand, tugging him towards the lake dock, next to the boathouse. "What are you doing?"

I let go of his hand, pulling the tunic I wore for breakfast over my head. I was wearing a black bikini underneath; the bikini top was wrapped. I whirled around and ran along the floorboards, hair wishing around as the hot scalding sun reflected on the lake's surface. I heard footsteps before jumping off the edge. I flayed my arms and legs as my body registered the colder temperature; I forced my eyes open underwater. I kicked my feet, aiming for the water's surface. I drew a long breath once my head broke through.

I wiped at my eyes.

Finn was standing at the dock's edge, arms crossed. I paddled towards it. Finn traced my movements until I planted my hands on the dock.

"Why are you just standing there? It's not cold." I stared up at him without having to squint, since the sun was at my back.

Finn's unruly hair swished as a breeze kicked up.

"Don't tell me you can't swim, Matthews." I was baiting him. The medals, that blue ribbon and swim team jacket were still a mystery I wanted to solve. As long as we were spending time together… I kicked back from the dock, floating on my back.

Without warning Finn assumed a very professional looking pose and dove in—I moved my arms to get my body into vertical. I sloshed around—turning in circle—searching for Finn. I didn't see him anywhere. I started getting worried when after thirty seconds he still hadn't come up for air.

I squealed loudly.

Two arms had come from behind me, closing around my waist. I settled my hands on Finn's arms. He lowered his face nuzzling my neck.

"Stop," I giggled, hitting at his hands. "You scared the hell out of me. You can't just do… that… Stop!" Finn grinned against my cheek, pressing tiny kisses as I kicked around trying to get free.

Finn's arms released me. I twisted around only for him to dip below the surface. I blinked. From my scavenging in his closet, I knew Finn was a good swimmer, but watching him in the water... moving so smoothly—all honed moves and grace—was astounding. I felt a hand wrap around my foot, tickling it. I twisted the foot away, smiling widely. I couldn't remember the last time I felt this happy—had I ever? Finn came up, hair stapled to his forehead and temples.

"Are you secretly a dolphin?"

"This is nothing." His found perch on my hips as we paddled our feet to stand above water.

I opened my mouth, feigning complete shock.

"Tune down the modesty, Matthews."

Finn's teeth showed in a cheeky grin.

"It can't be helped, my ego's been inflated." I knew he was referring to last night. Finn's gaze slid to my chest. "My sister would fan-girl over your bikini."

"Right. You said your sister's into drawing and fashion?"

Finn nodded, seemingly amazed that I remembered.

"Yeah. It's her passion. I don't know anything about fashion, but her drawings are cool. She just got accepted into a summer internship."

"Wow," I dipped my head back, wetting my hair. Finn brought me back with a small tug. "I'd like to see her designs."

Finn's fingers slacked on me.

"You… want to meet my sister?" he questioned, starting to frown.

Noticing how that sounded, I forced a smile, knowing I'd overstepped a boundary to whatever the heck we were doing. I untangled from him and swam towards the dock, extracting myself from the lake. I could feel Finn watching me—probably my ass. I sat at the edge, legs dangling and occasionally swinging back and forth. The issue resolved itself when Finn came out of his stupor and started swimming at length.

I watched quietly, mind drifting back to when Dad, Mom and I came here, when everything was easy and painless. This was where Dad taught me how to swim. Mom hadn't been a big fan of water, so, she sat right here watching us. Sometimes she sat watching my father swim. Other times, she would come outside and compose. My throat burned—my windpipe constricted terribly fast, sending tears to my eyes. I wished Dad had the courage to come with me. If he did, I wouldn't have to go at it alone. Like so many times before, I held my chin high, defying the sadness threatening to swallow me whole.

I gathered my hair over a shoulder and twisted it until little water dripped to the boards. Finn was making a commotion; water splashed as he swam towards the harbor, using both arms. Butterfly stroke, my brain provided. I'd never been coordinated enough to pull that style off, ending up with gallons of water in my mouth because I forgot to work my legs.

Finn went under once he was only a few feet away. He resurfaced inches from banging his head on the dock's underside. He heaved himself out.

"That was amazing." I whispered in awe of him. Finn took a seat beside me, body glistening. His hair was darker from being wet. "Why aren't you on a team? I'm pretty sure you could go pro."

"It's nothing special."

I frowned at his blatant dismissal.

"Yes, it is. How long can you hold your breath?"

He skimmed a hand through his water-matted hair as he eyed the trees on the other side of the bay.

"For about a minute and a half."

"If I did that, I would die."

"Please don't try it." Finn side-glanced me, not really sounding afraid that I'd do something so stupid and reckless. I thought of my scar. Oh, if only Finn knew. "I was in my school's swim team when I was younger." How much younger? That jacket could fit him now. "I tried out when I was nine. My Dad called me a prodigy." Finn buffered a laugh. I brought my knees up, cradling them to my chest. I studied his profile. "It's my brother's fault. He's a surfer—well, he's a lawyer now, but he used to surf a lot before college. He used to take me with him. He wasn't the best babysitter, leaving me unsupervised for hours. If my parents ever find out, they'll kill him." Huh. Yeah. Possibly. "He taught me how to swim, though, so I never told on him."

"It sounds like you like him a lot."

Finn hiked a shoulder.

"He's my big brother. I used to follow him around all the time wanting to be just like him." Finn stretched out his legs, leaning back on his hands. "Can I ask you something?"

"You already did."

"Funny. Really, though. Can I?" I nodded slowly, bracing myself. "How did your mother die?"

The remaining water on my body turned to crusted diamonds, biting into skin and bone. I held my legs tighter.

"My mother got sick." He knew that already. In my peripheral vision, I saw Finn nod once, eyes trained on me. "She started getting horrible headaches. Then it became dizzy spells, until one night she fainted. My parents were getting ready to head out and I was helping Mom pick out a necklace—she just collapsed. I… ran out—went to get my Dad. I didn't go with her to the hospital. I stayed with Simone." I scrunched my nose. "She was diagnosed with glioblastoma. Brain cancer," I clarified quietly, minutely glancing at Finn's somber face. "It was already too large to operate, but they tried chemo. It kept spreading, though. Not all the money in the world could have saved her." I wiped a hand across my eyes. "So, I sat and watched my Mom lose that battle for eight months."

"My mother was always optimistic and funny. She donated money to several foundations. She loved me and my Dad… She was my role model. My whole world." I sniffed. "Losing her hurt more than… anything." They said time healed all wounds. Why did my wounds feel like scabs that bled every time I thought of her?

Finn knocked his shoulder gently into mine.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Valerie."

The pit in my stomach soured and my worst half came out with teeth bared, like the defense mechanism it was.

"I don't want or need your pity, Finn."

"It's not pity." Right. I glared down at the thick leather bracelet concealing the scar on my wrist. Last night, when I went to Finn's room, my wrist had been naked; it had been too dark for Finn to see anything. "Is that why you go to therapy?"

"That's more than one question." I barked, feeling a familiar coldness fill the void inside.

Finn took the snappy tone in stride, unlike other times, when he would spat something back at me. I scowled. I didn't want him to walk on eggshells. I wanted… I squinted at the harsh sunlight. I wanted not to be screwed up.

"Is the tour over?"

I concealed a smile, knowing he was attempting at a distraction. We headed towards the boathouse, where the motorboat was. I led us to the shadowy side of the house, where a cement stairwell climbed alongside the wall, leading to the second floor. Finn let out something between a gasp and laugh.

"You can come up here by climbing those stairs or you can come from inside." 'Here' was a large deck made up of: a wicker couch with white pillows in the shape of an L, a coffee table of the same material covered in thick glass, and behind the large couch were three steps leading into a sunken Jacuzzi with marble-finishing for a border. "Through there's the recreation room." it was framed into large top-to-bottom windows; I walked to a wall, punching a code into a keypad. The window slid left, granting us passage into the rec room.

Finn lingered outside—checking out the Jacuzzi. I used my iPhone's lantern to search for the light switch. Ouch—another bruise. I pointed the light down; I'd hit the pool table. Nice. After a string of curses—because I kept bumping into every object in this room—I reached the far wall, flicking the switch.

"You have a Ms. Pac Man arcade game?" came a breathless, squeal of joy.

"Of course you would go straight to that." I rolled my eyes.

Finn was fussing over the machine. It was unplugged. I wondered how long it would take him to figure… Never mind, he plugged it to life. At the far corner, closer to the pool table, was a bar with several bottles on glass shelves and three stools at the mahogany counter. I headed back outside because Finn was besotted with his new toy. Still, I couldn't stop smiling watching him.

Finn's POV

My right hand was stiff from countless turns at Ms. Pac Man. How long had I been playing? No idea; the only thing I knew, was that once I got bored and turned around, Valerie was nowhere in sight. She was easy to find, though. David Bowie rang from the outside deck. She was stretched out on the L shaped couch, eyes shut against the sun.

"You're going to get a sunburn."

Her nose twitched, but her eyes stayed closed. I wondered if she'd been sleeping.

"I had more than enough time to go inside and grab my suntan lotion while you were entertaining yourself." She pointed at nothing in particular—because she was pointing blindly. I got what she meant. Her lotion was resting on the quadrangular coffee table. "Ava texted me saying they were on the road."

Hum-hmm. My hormones were all over the place at the sight of Valerie in that bikini. Hell, I could shut my eyes and see her naked. Last night felt unreal. But this morning I woke up to her—we'd kissed, and we got along. Wasn't it sad that before today I hadn't experienced being with a girl? Not like this. Just stolen kisses back at Florida.

I took a seat inches from where Valerie's head was resting. Valerie had been so freaked this morning. She didn't want people knowing about us—whatever we were, if we were anything. Not like I would share details about our night together, I wanted to keep the experience to myself—because fuck, Valerie was heaven sent. My thoughts swerved towards Sebastian—her Prom date. I wasn't a fan of how my insides curled. A warm breeze blew across the deck, sending strands into Valerie's face—she sputtered once they got into her mouth.

I felt something bubble within at the adorable expression she pulled. Her eyelids swept open only for her to cover her eyes quickly. I expected Valerie to recoil and hiss at the sun like a very attractive female Dracula.

"Finn are you there?"

"Yes." I replied amused at how her voice shook. She was obviously playing at something.

"I think I'm blind." I waited. Through the cracks between her fingers, Valerie slid me a look. "I'm starving."

"I don't know how you lasted this long. Fruit isn't breakfast." she glared icicles at me. "I can make us something." I was in the mood for a grilled cheese sandwich. I told Valerie that.

She turned over, allowing me to appreciate her bubbly ass. She slapped my leg. I sent her a sheepish grin. Valerie rested her chin on her crossed arms.

"I asked if that tastes good?"

"You've never eaten a grilled cheese sandwich?"

"No." I shouldn't be surprised at this point. "There are a lot of things I haven't tried—or done." Yeah, there were too many things to do in this world, more than can ever be done; but I got the sneaky suspicion Valerie was talking about normal things. Like eating a freaking grilled cheese sandwich. "You think that's weird…" my lips parted. "It's all over your face, Finn. Don't lie."

Valerie's fingers reached out, trailing my knee.

"Did you need to shave—when you were on the swim team?"

I hesitated. I told her about being on the swim team when I was little kid, with no hairs on my body. She didn't no I kept landing myself on the team every year until I was sixteen.

"Why, you like shaved men?" Valerie's fingers stilled plucking leg hairs. She cast me a sardonic glance. "I guess that means you'll neither deny or confirm that?"

"You are clever, Matthews." I was starting to doubt my intelligence. Getting wrapped up in Valerie wasn't smart—kissing her hadn't been smart and neither had last night. And still... something sizzled under my skin every time those honey eyes locked on mine or when we touched.

Valerie might be a mistake, but she was a fascinating mistake. Even if she didn't want to tell people about us, I wanted more of her. My stomach flipped. Yeah, I wasn't smart at all. Her iPhone was blaring Somewhere Only We Know from Keane, the only song I liked by them. I rubbed my chin; three days without shaving earned me a thick layer of facial hair. I climbed to my feet before her Queenship fainted from malnutrition—

Slim fingers latched onto mine making me halt and glance back at the sofa. I extended my arm, getting it closer to her. Valerie slipped her entire hand into mine, using it to pull herself off the wicker couch. Her hair was dry, falling to the front of her chest in disorderly waves. Valerie's free hand sent a shiver through my spine. It was resting on my waist—on the band of my shorts.

"I thought you were hungry?"

"I am." she tilted her head, seemingly confused at my question. "I thought I'd go with you. Is that okay?"

My chest flared with a sharp inhale. Was she teasing me? I couldn't tell with this girl.

"Yeah." I managed. Valerie's eyes dropped below quickly, before lifting back to mine, laughingly. My lips etched on one side. Yep, she was messing with me. "If you keep distracting me, we won't get anything to eat."

I could swear I saw the vestiges of that childlike smile on Valerie's face as her hand dropped and she took a healthy step back. I ignored our linked fingers as we walked down the stone stairs, making our way to the large backyard. Valerie's hand slipped away once she ran to grab her tossed tunic. I couldn't help but stare at her jiggling butt—I shut my eyes, turning my back and climbing the lower deck. I needed to swap dirty thoughts of Valerie for grilled cheese sandwiches.