Unmasked

Finn’s POV

Valerie was moody when I picked her up.

"Are you going to tell me what's up?" today marked two weeks since Mom found Valerie in our bathroom. Things had been good between us; our banters would pick up, sure, but we hadn't had a serious argument. "Is this because of lunch? I told you to say no. My mother can be overbearing…"

"It's not that. I'm happy about meeting your family." Seriously? I thought meeting them this soon might send her running. Valerie dropped the pointy-edged glare, tuning to face me. "Jackson's back. He arrived last night." Ah. Valerie didn't like the guy; she told me he was a jackass and a slacker in college.

"And you're angry because…?"

"Because I wish he would've stayed in Europe."

I bit back a chuckle. Getting a brother, after eighteen years of being an only child, couldn't be easy. For all Valerie's qualities, she was a bit spoiled, no getting around that.

"If he picks on you, slam the door in his face. Or tell on him. That's what I did with Johnny and April when we were kids. Now I just argue with them." Valerie smiled but it wasn't the unguarded, childish smile I'd gotten used to. "How was your session yesterday?"

"Same old. We've been talking about that panic attack and… other things."

"Am I included in those things?"

"Definitely." Valerie drummed her foot. I noticed she did that whenever she was nervous. "So… Who's going to be at this lunch?"

"My parents, April, Johnny and his fiancé—Carly." I didn't miss the short breath she released. "We're lucky my Mom didn't fly in my grandparents."

Some of her anxiousness seemed to melt away as a grin tugged at her lips.

"She sounds committed."

"You have no idea."

I couldn't have truly prepared Valerie for what awaited us, because not even I knew what to expect. Yesterday, Mom asked if there were any foods Valerie didn't like, my answer: bacon. Mom gave me the third degree for not knowing Valerie's favorite dish. Suffice to say, once we stepped inside the loft, Mom dropped everything she was doing coming at us—at Valerie—with a heavenly glow to her face. You'd think she was pregnant.

"Please don't suffocate her…" I whispered, rubbing the back of my neck as Valerie got snared by my mother's arms.

"I'm so happy to meet you! Properly!" the dark-haired girl gave a half tentative smile once she was let go of. "Finn's worried you'll be put off by me, honey. Don't be. I'm just a very affectionate person."

"I'm not bothered…" she whispered.

Mom wasted no time sending me a victorious smile over Valerie's shoulder, coupled with a reproachful glance for ever doubting on the matter.

"See?"

"She's being polite, Mom."

Valerie twisted her neck to frown at me, "No I'm not." Thanks for having my back, marshmallow, I thought with a quick scowl at those glimmering eyes. "I just want to apologize for giving you a… scare."

"Water under the bridge, sweetie." Mom waved it off.

Valerie pushed a lock of thick hair behind her right ear.

"It smells great." I just got around the kitchen island to see what was cooking when April came barreling out of her bedroom; my sister's headphones hung around her neck in all of their yellow glory and her blond braid swung behind her like a cat's excited tail. The image of a cat sporting a tail on its head made me snort a loud laugh.

"OMG!" If Valerie was the scaredy-cat type of person she would've jumped six-feet, blowing a damn hole in the ceiling. April wasted no time cornering her with rapid speech, "You're so pretty—I wasn't expecting… I mean he's nice looking and all but—wow. I never thought you'd be…"

"That loud mouth is April…" my soon to be dead little sister, my thoughts grumbled.

My mother had resumed taking care of lunch—apparently garlic shrimp pasta—I saw the smirk she was trying to hide from the rest of the room.

"He has potential…" Valerie muttered in a giggle. Oh sure, take April's side. "I love your blouse. Did you make it? Finn told me you were into…"

"Yes!" April threw open her arms in sheer excitement; the loose fabric of her sleeves fluttered. "I'm the only one in this family with a fashion sense…" both Mom and I grunted in blunt disagreement. April ignored us. "I can't believe Finn found someone with good taste." She was clearly talking about Valerie's dress; it looked sexy and elegant on Valerie, but April and I liked it for different reasons.

"Well, he has a shred of good taste. He's dating me." Valerie spied me a quick glance over a shoulder; two small pink spots tinged my cheeks. "I would love to see your drawings. If that's okay with you."

"You shouldn't have said that…" I hadn't finished speaking and my girlfriend was already being carted off. After my sister's bedroom got slammed shut, Mom twisted around, handling garlic teeth.

"I think April's in love with your girl, Huck." I sighed; just my luck. "I won't lie, she isn't the sort of girl I pictured you with. She seems very classy." I knew what Mom meant. Even when Valerie was wearing casual clothes or being a bitch, she had an air of aristocracy about her. It was part of her genetic make-up.

I leaned against the counter as Mom peeled the garlic.

"I told you: girls from St. Joseph are snobby."

"You also told me you wouldn't be caught dead dating one of those girls."

I didn't say a word, allowing gray eyes to drift to the shut door.

Valerie's POV

April's blouse was cropped short, ending just above her bellybutton and those bell sleeves were awesome; I liked the thin material, it felt breathable—great for the heat wave New York was experiencing. What captivated me the most was that she'd made this; designed it and created it from scratch, right here in her bedroom. It was art. She was fascinated by my dress and I had to admit, I'd gotten it for this lunch: the skirt was silk, the top was a shirt of the same material with lacy adorns.

At first, I'd been mind blown. April's bedroom was a stark contrast of Finn's; while her brother was tidy, her room was a mess of fabrics, colorful yarns and accessories like sequins, buttons with different shapes and sizes. Her walls were covered, nearly top to bottom, with drawings for clothing, posters of various runaways from collections she no doubt admired. April sat on her bed which was currently occupied by a laptop and a sketchbook approaching its deathbed.

"Sorry about the mess. There's a method to this madness, though."

"If it makes you feel any better, I heard most geniuses were untidy."

"Ah! That excuse wouldn't fly with my parents. You've seen Finn's room." I did my best to show embarrassment over her knowing that fact. "Finn's not a certifiable genius, but he's damn close to one. At least at some stuff."

April could barely contain her joy once I started pestering her with questions about her source of inspiration. In turn, she couldn't help but ask what it was like to buy expensive brands or to attend exclusive shows or New York's Fashion Week. Before Finn came to my "rescue", I obsessed over a piece April was still drawing: an oversized cropped sweater with a crew neckline, slouchy sleeves –for a bohemian look that I adored—all in crochet. I could see myself wearing a bralette under it and… Seeing me like that would drive Finn nuts, I smirked to inwardly.

"If you like it that much I could make you one?" April suggested, albeit shyly. "I'm not a fancy designer—I've got loads to learn—but I could…"

"I'd love that. I love vintage things." Finn and I had that in common. "I think this is fantastic. Everything you make is yours, it has your marking—it's one of a kind. Like the artist who makes it."

April stared long and hard at me, bug eyed.

"How did my brother land you?" I laughed. The remaining tension seeming to seep out. "No really—how? He's so gruffy and stoic! You have a fashion sense and the freaking soul of a poet."

"I dabble in the arts, too. Painting and music are my two favorite things." I stopped. "Finn was in my art class. That's where we… started talking. More. He's not a disaster at it."

That's when Finn made his entrance. April tossed a pillow at his head for coming in without knocking

"If you two are done conspiring against me?" we shared a look that slowly became devious. Finn cleared his throat, "Johnny and Carly are here." Oh! More people; okay, socializing and causing good impressions was part of my Queen Bee charm. April spewed a practiced insult at Finn before plugging in her headphones. Back to work for her, I guess.

I let Finn drag and present me to a guy and a girl who—I was going out on a limb and say—were his brother and fiancé. I'd pictured Finn's brother as an older version of him and my imagination hadn't been far off. Johnny shared the same dark blond hair as his siblings; unlike Finn's wavy hair, Johnny's was neatly cropped. Seeing them standing together it was obvious their heights were scarcely divergent, and Finn's brother was built bulkier around the shoulders.

"This is my brother Johnny and his fiancé Carly. This is Valerie." Finn's discomfort could've been heard across the Atlantic Ocean; I summoned a charming smile to counter his weirdness.

"Hi," it was Carly who stepped forward first. "So, you're the girl from Prom."

"I am?" I side-glanced Finn. He avoided my eyes like the plague. "I guess I am." I shrugged holding back a splitting grin.

"You should thank me for forcing him to go."

"Shut up." Finn shot at his brother, coming off as a pouty child.

"Thank you," I said anyway, ignoring my boyfriend's fuming cheeks. I never got to see Finn blush, it was always me getting flustered around him, it was hilarious to see he wasn't completely immune. "Oh! Finn told me about your engagement. Congratulation!" Being polite was easy-peasy.

Carly thanked me before going to the kitchenette; something about the vegetarian lasagna she'd brought?

Finn's POV

"So," my brother intoned after Carly walked off. For a moment, I wondered if all his years in law school fried his brain because he sounded like a bamboozled idiot. "I told our parents he was ass-backwards crushing on a girl weeks ago." I slowly glanced at Valerie.

"He's an environmental lawyer. If you can believe it."

Valerie delivered a small grin at both me and Johnny.

"You have a way with words."

My older brother cocked his head in a manner that read 'naturally'.

"My brother isn't the most forthcoming about what goes on in his life…"

"Oh, I don't know. He's told me about you." she volunteered with a coy look about her. Anyone who knew Valerie's cold streak would've done a double-tale, not me. I knew she was setting something up.

"Extensively?" John baited, amused.

She took it in stride, dropping all pretenses of innocence. Valerie adopted a sweetly amused façade.

"Well, I know you left him unsupervised and that he could've drowned." I gagged a laugh at my brother's wide-eyed stare. This girl was burying him with quick wit.

Valerie was apt to talk about wedding plans with Carly. It didn't take long for Johnny to get roped in. I resigned myself with hanging on the sidelines, trying not to worry about Mom overhearing Valerie's wedding-giddiness; God and I knew that woman didn't need an incentive when it came to plan out my wedding. Why couldn't she turn her sights on April? Not that my sister showed annoyance over Mom's teasing.

Dad arrived with a bottle of red wine; I had no idea if it was top notch or something you could buy in a dollar store. I wasn't a man of great wine-expertise. As Dad strolled for the kitchen area of the loft, I couldn't get off the couch quick enough. I knew Valerie was toeing behind because a snicker came from the couch; this was awkward, no one could convince me otherwise.

"Hey… Dad," I began, fighting the urge to scratch my nose. Instead, I sniffed. My father gave us a onceover while forking the bottle to Mom for inspection. "This is Valerie." I paused and then, like an idiot, added, "My girlfriend." of course she's your girlfriend, that's the whole reason for this lunch!

Valerie might have knocked into me on purpose, either way, she walked past me to shake my father's outstretched hand. He wasn't sending her an overbearingly happy smile like Mom had and he wasn't whisking her away like April, so, this was a good, proper greeting.

"…feel at home, Valerie." was the last thing I caught him saying before Mom shoved the wine bottle and a corkscrew into Dad's hands.

"Lunch will be ready in ten!" Mom called out, no qualms about our guest.

I took the opportunity to drag Valerie into my room. I eased the door shut before facing her, ready to apologize for all the fuss they'd been making about her—about us. But I couldn't say anything except for:

"What is it?"

Valerie's expression was strange; it was bewilderment, longing and sadness rolled into one.

"Nothing."

"It doesn't look like nothing."

"It's…" she stopped herself, tilting her head. "I'm just overwhelmed."

I stifled a groan by smacking my face.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't think they'd be this bad—"

"No, Finn, that's not… I'm not bad overwhelmed." It was my turn to be confused. Valerie looked at my beanbag, pursing her red lips. "Your family seems really great. I mean, they're warm and welcoming and… you act like a family." she went silent. Her gaze fell on mine. "It's been a while since I've been… Since I've been at a family lunch." Because it had been a long time since she'd felt a part of anything real and caring. I couldn't believe my family was giving Valerie much needed comfort—well, no, I couldn't believe how much of a jerk I was. To her, family was sacred. Valerie knew the kind of pain that came with losing a loved one. Family was big for me too, case and point: April. But… Valerie cherished things I took for granted every day.

"I'm sorry. I don't really understand what… not having them would be like. I didn't think about how seeing my family together would affect you."

Valerie smiled kindly.

"It's not something you should have to anticipate, Finn. This is your normality. A day in your life. I… like it. It makes me happy to know you have this." And sad, because it reminded her of what she was missing.

I released a heavy breath, reaching for one of her hands, pulling her near. Her fingers gently squeezed at mine.

"I feel like you appreciate it more than I do."

"There's some truth in that saying: you only know what you have when it's gone." she husked out.

"I'm pretty sure that's a song." I said as comic relief after a beat of just eying her.

"There are songs about everything."
My shoulders hunched, "True. I know a song about coconuts."

She frowned.

"What the hell have you been listening to?"

"I get bored. My YouTube feed is pretty weird."

"Pfft," she leaned up to kiss me. "That's because you're a weirdo."

***

Lunch wasn't so bad. It was a new experience. But aside from the occasional personal questions Mom fired our way—or Valerie's way—and April's rambling tendencies, it was… nice. Valerie wasn't bothered by Mom's forwardness, which kind of made sense; Valerie could be extremely straight forward herself. Like no one at this table would believe. She did more than indulge my little sister's monologues on her internship at Elan Vital; Valerie not recognizing the name was a testament of how indie the brand was. I didn't bother trying to keep up with Dad, Johnny and Carly's conversation once it shifted to football; the season was still a month away from kicking off and they were already buzzing over it. Apparently, the Vikings had a young quarterback that showed real promise and blah, blah, blah. Johnny looked a little bored since Carly was the big enthusiast, which won her points with Dad. He'd played ball in high school; neither Johnny or I ever showed interest in the sport.

"…I've heard about that guy." Valerie quipped, shifting on the seat next to mine. My eyebrows puckered at her. "I read newspapers." She scoffed. My face crumbled in a scowl; someone chuckled. Valerie stabbed a fat shrimp, "Isn't he really young?"

"He just turned twenty." Carly supplied; her excitement was palpable. "Are you into football?"

Valerie's shoulder lifted and fell in a meek shrug.

"Sports aren't really my thing. My… step-brother plays. He's in college."

"Your parents are divorced?" April asked in that tactless manner of hers. Because in her world, being the youngest meant she could be rude.

"April." I gritted; I noticed she was on the receiving end of Mom's flaming stare.

She stood still for a half second before looking sheepishly at Valerie.

"Sorry."

"Yeah, she doesn't have a filter." Johnny stole the words right out of my mouth.

With a practiced expression and voice, Valerie said, "No. My mother passed away when I was younger. My father remarried a few months ago."

The impulse to hold Valerie's hand was strong—I curled my fingers to stop myself. Everyone was watching; if they knew how fresh that wound was for Valerie, she would feel uncomfortable. I didn't miss my sister urge to glare at the floor, possibly searching for a rabbit hole to escape. No such luck, Alice.

It was Mom who broke the ice.

"I'm sorry to hear that, honey."

Valerie didn't dismiss it. She gave a split-second smile—a plastic one—before finally eating the large shrimp among her spaghetti. Taking a measured breath, I readied myself to become a spotlight:

"Don't let this go to your head or anything, April," I began. "But if you hadn't made me late a couple of months ago, I wouldn't have met Valerie." okay, so Valerie and I hadn't met that day, but our previous meetings hadn't been remarkable. I had everyone's attention. Dad took a quick sip of wine, one eyebrow furrowed. It wasn't like me to share without being poked and prodded. "Yeah. I saved Valerie from being run over." I threw out there in an offhand tone.

All at once, commotion ensued. I let out a silent sigh as questions came at rocket speed; I didn't need to glance at Valerie to know her eyes were sweet honey, I felt a knee brush up against mine under the kitchen island.