Brynn eyes never left the road. My eyes never left Brynn.

"You know I only have a 30-minute dinner break right?" She kept driving and I couldn't help but wonder if her intention is to possibly get me fired.

"I'll get you back in time. Don't worry."

Worry? Worry. Why would I worry? Just because the girl I'm in love with sees yet another girl kiss me and say we are going together to the prom... why should that make me worried?

"Do you like her?" Brynn takes her eyes off the road for only a mere second and then stares straight ahead almost as if she finds the thought of looking at me too painful. Oh, this is bad, really bad.

"Not in the way I think you're implying," I tell her.

"And in what way would that be?' Brynn tried to sound so unaffected but failed so miserably.

My frustration with this cat and mouse game got the better of me. I'm tired of forever feeling guilty over feelings I did not create, endorse or manifest and yet the only true feeling I have for this beautiful girl next me is forbidden to be expressed. She claims she just wants to be friends yet looks heartbroken that someone is taking her place. This is insane.

Brynn pulls into some random business center parking lot. Since it's gone past closing time the lot is empty and she parks the car, turns and stares at me. "If you've moved on, it's okay... I'm happy for you."

I blink once, maybe twice. "Wow! Just wow, Brynn."

"What?" She is desperate to appear nonchalant. Only I know her too well for that.

I had enough. I look at her dead in the eye and demand, "Tell me you love me."

"What? No."

"Tell me you love me or I'm getting out of this car and I'll walk back to work. Even if it means probably losing my job as I haven't a clue where I am right now.

She looks so panicked but I refused to back down.

"Tell me!"

She shakes her head no.

"Alright, have it your way." I reach down to undo my seat belt and her eyes go wide.

"NO wait!" her hands cover mine stopping me from unlatching the belt.

I look at her, my heart is on the table fully exposed with a guillotine dangling above it, but I no longer care. There comes a time where you got to pull out all the stops, go for broke, take the shot or be left forever wondering, 'Would you have won if only you tried?'

"TELL ME," I implore of her but even still there's nothing but hesitation and fear, a wall so thick I don't ever think I'll break through.

"I..."

My breath catches in my throat, I'm practically choking on my own spit.

"I..."

If it could physically reach in and pull out the words out I would.

"I can't. I'm sorry."

"Why? Because of Paris, Jessica? I don't LOVE THEM... I LOVE you!"

"Please don't."

I throw my hands up in the air at that answer. She is the most frustrating. The most infuriating woman I've ever met.

"Too bad. You want to keep lying to yourself you go right on ahead but I know what's in my heart, Brynn. I know that despite your every effort to push me away. I know I love you and the worst part of loving you is knowing that you love me too."

Unshed tears turn her brown eyes into liquid pools. God even upset she's beautiful.

"Why?"

I shake my head; my brain is trying to comprehend her question. "Why?"

"I'm poison, Finn. There isn't one person who's loved me that hasn't gotten hurt. You, Adam, Gran, my dad ... my mom."

"And yet we all love you."

"Why?"

"Because you're someone worth loving, Brynn."

She's shaking her head no. "You'll go away just like everyone else. Everyone leaves eventually."

"Could that possibly be because you're forever pushing us away?"

She looked like I slapped her in the face. "My mother died, my father abandoned me, I couldn't be what Adam wanted and now Gran is moving, without me. And you?"

I unlatch my seatbelt and lean in a little closer. I'm angry that I keep getting lumped in with everyone else who has disappointed her. "And me? What about me? You're so certain that I'm going to be the one to leave when it's you who keeps pushing me away."

"You just said that you would, just moments ago." She throws in my face. 

"To shake up your world a little like you have mine. To get you to face what it feels like knowing that the person you love, the person you want to spend the rest of your life with is going to walk away.  All you had to do to stop me is tell me the truth, tell me you love me."

She looks away and out the window. I reach out and turn her face to look at me when she does she breaks my heart all over again. "Please, Brynn." I pull her towards me by the nape of her neck and rest my forehead against hers. "Please."

"Everyone I love leaves me," she says in a hushed whisper. "They leave me alone and I... I'm afraid... if I say it... then the clock starts ticking and I can't stop it and it insistently reminds me time is running out and soon I'll be all alone again and I can't ... I can't..."

"lose me."

"lose you," she echoes, as her eyes spill over with tears and I wipe them away. I tuck her hair over her ears and then I take her sweet lips to mine. She doesn't try and stop me. She lets me kiss her lips, her cheeks, and her eyelids when she closes them against my onslaught of kisses.

I undo her latched belt and pull her into my lap and hold her, she snuggles up under my chin, which I rest, on top of her head. 

"Brynn, I don't want to play a minor part in your life. You and I deserve to be the Main Characters in our stories, not some stand-ins. You mean too much to me. I need to see you, touch you, just listen to you breathe like you are right now. I want you in my life, Brynn. I have to have you my life. I know it scary but I know you're amazing and you deserve so much love, probably more than I could give but damn it I'm going to at least try."

"Paris has never been allowed to attend any of her school dances. Her dad is willing to let her go if she goes with me. He trusts me, to keep her safe. That's all. She was excited because with this mess with Adam and Mike her Dad changed his mind. I know I could have taken the out but I felt bad. I knew how much this meant to her but there's nothing between us. I even told her I couldn't go, that I didn't want to screw thing up between you and I.  I've been trying to find a replacement for me but I'm running out of time. I don't want to disappoint her but you mean way more to me, so you say the word and I walk away."

"What about Adam?"

I push her slightly back from me so I can see her face and I'm shocked to see she's serious. "Adam? Really? I don't know Brynn. I highly doubt..."

"I trust you, Finn. Whatever decision you make I'm okay with but you mentioned once that she reminds you of me. So I ask you if that's true, who better than Adam?"

"But it's a school dance, it requires a suit or a tux, dancing, flowers, you know smiling and having a good time. Do you think Adam can handle it? It's the first dance Paris can attend I don't want him to ruin it for her."

Brynn shrugged and played with the collar of my T-shirt. She's driving me crazy, but I doubt she realizes what an affect her simple touch has on me. "You won't know until you ask."

She had me there. I'm running out of options, but even I couldn't imagine subjecting Paris to Adam's sparkling personality for an entire evening. Especially one that was so important to Paris.

"So where does this leave us?"  Her hand stills. I could tell by her demeanor she had hoped she had changed the subject and was probably hoping I'd let the discussion drop.

"I don't know?" 

I take a look at my watch and sigh heavily, "I have to get back to work." I lift Brynn up and deposit her back in her seat.

She looks at me briefly, her emotional guards back in place. She nods her head like she's decided something but just turns the car on and gets us back to the shop. She doesn't say a word the entire ride back. Our shakes have long ago melted, not a sip enjoyed. This is not what I wanted for today.

She pulls up in front of my work. "You asked me for a hug," I say unbuckling my seat belt I reach over and hug her, she briefly hugs me back.

"Sorry, this isn't what I wanted tonight to be like."

"I know. Me either."

"Then I request a do-over?"

She shakes her head at me. "You really think that's a good idea?"

"I know it is."

She surprises me by saying, "Same time tomorrow then?"

Again she dangles the carrot and again I jump for it. "I'll text you when I'm free."

She nods her head and I kiss her cheek, not daring for more. I know if I indulge, I'll be late getting back.

I get out of her car and lean in before shutting the door. "Good night, Brynn."

"See you later, Loveface."

I chuckle, slightly, shut the door and watch her drive away.