XXXVIII • The Calm Before The Storm

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"What are you doing?"

"Picking out a dress for tonight," Millie replied, searching through her closet. Her speakers blared music into the room as Millie proceeded to push aside her clothes in search for a perfect outfit. "We're going out tonight."

"You and Finn?" Lilia asked, closing the bedroom door behind her and taking a seat on Millie's bed. She reached over to turn down the speaker volume before turning back to Millie.

"Yeah, he's picking me up around 7:00." Millie laid a few outfit options on the bed, placing her hands on the hips and letting a loud sigh escape her lips. "Help me pick out an outfit before I go insane?"

Lilia looked through the options Millie had picked out, before settling on a familiar navy blue dress. "This dress and a pair of sneakers," she said. Lilia looked up at Millie. "Hey Mills?"

"Hm?"

"Isn't Finn leaving to film that movie soon?" Lilia asked as she bent down to look for a pair of matching shoes. "Have you thought about that at all?"

Millie shrugged, placing the dress across her lap. "I mean, he hasn't said anything about it and I'm sure it'll be fine." She knew she wouldn't be happy the day he told her he would have to leave, but to her, she figured that day wouldn't be soon and she would have plenty of time to figure out her thoughts before he got on that plane.

"I hope so," Lilia replied. "Now, is he taking you on a date?"

"No, no." Millie laid the dress on the bed with a pair of sneakers at the foot of the bed. Keeping her gaze away from Lilia, she said, "We're just hanging out. We both decided it wasn't a date."

Lilia nodded, a small, knowing smile forming on her lips. "So you're not considering it a date anyways?"

Millie knew better. They had both agreed that tonight wasn't a date, but she couldn't help but think differently. Truly, she was excited to see him tonight and to spend time alone with him. But the grin on his face and the waves of butterflies that had filled her stomach when he asked her to go out with him almost made her think differently of what the true intention was by going out tonight. But regardless, Millie didn't mind. But that didn't mean she would admit it.

A light blush had crawled its way over her cheekbones.Without answering the question, she changed the subject. "So, what are you doing tonight?"

"Hey I know what you're trying to do." Lilia laughed softly, playfully pushing Millie's arm. "Answer my question."

Giggling, Millie laid on the bed. "Well what if I don't want to answer your question?"

"By not answering, I'll just know the actual answer."

"Smartass."

Both girls broke into a fit of giggles. Millie took a seat at the vanity with a curling iron, watching the numbers on the iron slowly increase. She let herself slip into her thoughts. Her excitement for tonight was becoming to difficult to contain, but what Lilia had said about Finn's movie lingered in her mind. He surely wasn't leaving soon; he wouldn't do that to her. He wouldn't tell her at the last possible minute and would give her promises to fulfill once he came home. She knew she would receive some sort of closure when he eventually did leave to film, and she would be content with it.

But little did she know.

Blinking out of her thoughts at the chime from her curling iron, she picked it up and wrapped a strand of her hair around the iron. Everything would be alright, she figured. Until now, everything seemed to work out well in Millie's life and she trusted that it would all work out in the end. It always had. Though Lilia's words lingered in her head, she knew that she had nothing to worry about. All she needed to focus on was going out with Finn tonight; the sole thought sent a wave of butterflies through her stomach.

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Parking at the end of the driveway, Finn waited nervously for Millie to arrive. Adjusting his jacket, he flipped down the visor to look into the mirror, quickly checking his appearance then glancing up the driveway to the house. Ignoring his racing heartbeat and clammy hands, he quietly began to recite his plan on how to break the news to Millie tonight. Since the night he had video called her, anxiety and stress on how to tell Millie had filled his mind day and night. He desperately wished he could avoid it all, but knew she deserved the truth, regardless of how difficult it may be.

"Just tell her the truth," he muttered to himself, leaning his head back against the headrest. "All you have to do is tell her you have to leave and don't know when you'll be back. She'll understand... right?"

But Finn knew better. He knew she would be upset and he wanted to treat her to a nice night before he confessed the little secret he had been holding until the last possible moment. Finn would be leaving tomorrow night and possibly wouldn't see Millie for months. For the first time in Finn's life, he regretted signing the contract for the movie that would separate him and Millie before they had a chance to really figure out what they wanted from each other. But Finn knew they were out of time, and one last night together would never be enough time to figure it out. He could only hope Millie would be okay while he was gone and that she would accept the apologies he would give her tonight after having to push her away. The calm before the storm.

Blinking out of his thoughts, he glanced over as a gorgeous girl in a navy blue dress and sneakers climbed into the passenger's seat. Her dark hair laid in loose curls, giving him the urge to reach over and tuck back the loose curl framing her face. A soft smile formed on her pink lips as she locked eyes with him, then laid a small purse across her lap.

"You look gorgeous," Finn said, giving her a warm smile. "I recognize that dress."

She looked down at her outfit. "Oh yeah. I wore it to that concert in March where you knocked me unconscious with a door." She giggled softly, tucking back the loose strand of her hair as her heart beginning to race out of pure excitement. 

"It was an accident," he chided. "Plus, I apologized." He started the car, driving down the road. "I hope you don't mind going to a beach; I would take you to a restaurant but I'd prefer not to go there, if that makes sense."

Millie nodded, a smile lingering on her lips. "I don't mind." 

Finn nodded, driving to the beach nearby with his hands gripping the steering wheel. After moment had passed, a beach came into view. The beach was mostly empty, most of its visitors going home for the night except for a few lingering people. The sun was in the process of setting, leaving a red and yellow hue over the sky, which Millie found beautiful. Parking the car, Finn grabbed a bag of take-out food from the backseat and set it on a wooden picnic table. Millie soon followed, taking a seat at one side of the table. After laying out the food, Finn took a seat at the other side of the table.

"I hope this is okay," Finn said after a moment, pouring a can of coke into two glasses. "I hope you don't mind." He tossed the trash into the bag.

Millie smiled and shook her head. "I don't mind this at all." She took a bite of her food. "I don't care much for expensive dates or spending a lot of money." She looked up at him with slightly wide eyes and flustered cheeks. "N-Not a date, that's not what I meant."

He smiled. "I get what you mean," he said. "Don't worry."

Millie nodded, continuing to eat. She looked out at the ocean, the breeze blowing her hair back ever so gently. They talked quietly, laughing at their conversation as they ate. Finishing her food, she looked over at him with a soft smile forming on her lips. Packing up the garbage, Millie set the bag at the end of the table then turned back to him. Their eyes locked immediately, matching smiles forming on their lips. The waves of butterflies filled her body as he gently took her hand in his, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. Biting her lip, she slowly managed to stand. Leaning over the table, she kissed him softly. Her heart began to race, any lingering thoughts in her mind fading in an instance.

He raised his hand to cup her cheek gently, smiling softly into the kiss. Breaking the kiss, he smile slowly fell in realization that this would be the last time he would ever feel her kiss. They fell silent for a moment as Millie took a seat once again with blushing cheeks, both of them falling silent.

"Millie?"

"Finn?"

Millie giggled softly. "You go first," she offered. "What is it?"

Finn sighed, looking down for a moment. He could feel Millie's eyes on him, watching him carefully and scanning over his face. "We need to talk," he said, slowly looking up at the girl before him. He knew the next words he spoke would change everything, and possibly leave Millie with a broken heart. But it had to be done. 

They were out of time.

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