Surviving (Surrender 2)

I take my time getting ready, and since I’m alone, the scene from last night plagues me. I’ve never seen Charlie that pissed off with me. We’ve had some spats, but she was angry. It was intense, and she directed it at Declan and me. I knew she would be upset I wasn’t ready to see Blake yet, but to throw all that trash at Declan makes me curious.

I join the others in the kitchen as the smoke detector goes off. Tripp jumps back from the stove and Declan rushes over to help. A frying pan goes flying into the sink and the kitchen smells like scorched bacon. Gabe and Jimi are at the table laughing, and Robbie comes up behind me to asking what the hell happened. I open the back door and start fanning some of the smoke outside. Robbie opens some windows.

All the girls come out of the bedrooms waving their hands to fend off the smell.

I double over laughing and Tripp glares at me with no amusement at all.

“What the hell? Who knew bacon grease could catch fire?” he yells to no one in particular.

“I warned you, Raven, this could have been avoided if you didn’t take so long in the shower.” Kendall laughs with me.

I calm down and catch my breath. “Who doesn’t know how to cook bacon? I thought I was safe long enough to get cleaned up. Tripp you are officially banned from breakfast duty.”

“I was trying to be nice. Obviously my talents lie in the bedroom and not in the kitchen.”

“Ewww, that’s wrong on so many levels.”

“It’s not too late to find out for yourself, Baby Girl.”

“You do realize I am standing right here,” Declan growls at him. This causes a round of laughter from everyone except him.

“Okay, looks like we’re going out for breakfast.”

Robbie asks me to ride with him, and I know he wants to talk privately so I tell Declan we’ll meet him there.

“Is everything okay?” He looks worried and somewhat sad.

“Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about last night. The whole thing with Charlie and then the thing with Finn. You seemed really upset.”

“I am upset; I’m not sure what set her off like that but it sliced me up when she started talking about Finn. I can’t help but feel a sense of guilt. He is one of my best friends; he’s family, and I hurt him.”

“RJ, I have no idea either. That’s between you two, and only a very few of us know the reasoning behind Finn’s trip to Europe. Hell, it took Gabe and Tripp weeks to figure it out. It’s not my business to tell you what to do, but I would be careful what you tell your friends. Finn’s got a sense of pride, and I wouldn’t want him hurt.”

“That’s the thing Robbie, I feel terrible. I tried. Believe me, I tried. He and I had some amazing experiences. He was my rock; some days he was even my foundation. I love him so much, but I’m ruined. I’m in love with Declan. Even with all that happened, Finn still held me at night knowing we would not go any further. And when he didn’t come home with me, my heart broke. Not because I wanted him pining for me, but because I miss him.”

“Raven, he knew the score. We talked about it before he left. I know he explained what happened after you got kidnapped, but what he didn’t tell you is that he ca

me to me. Then when you decided to leave for the summer due to the circumstances, he came to me again. I didn’t encourage him to follow you to Europe, but I didn’t discourage it, either. Your happiness is what I worry about, and I know Declan makes you happy. Finn’s loves you, I know this, but he doesn’t love you like Declan does. I see it and so does Finn. He called me and told me about the chance to stay back and not come home. At first, I assumed it was because of you, but then he explained this awesome opportunity. He may not have won your love as he hoped, but that isn’t why he didn’t come home with you. He still cares about you in a special way, and I hope you don’t let it ruin your friendship.”

“Really? I wasn’t the reason he stayed behind.”

“No, he really is excited about this job. And since school is so flexible, he can still work towards his degree. He’ll most likely be home for all the holidays.”

“That makes me feel better but I still miss him.”

“Yeah, me too. This is a good opportunity for him though.”

“So what do you think I should do about Charlie?”

“That girl is crazy. I think you should both sit out for a little while until things calm down. She made a fool out of herself throwing Finn in your face. She’s probably embarrassed.”

“Yeah, I’ll let her cool down for at least a day.”

We pull up in front of the restaurant and see our crowd at a large table. Declan saved two seats next to him. I know he’s curious what we talked about, but there is no way I’m getting into it with all these nosy ears around.

During breakfast, we tease Tripp endlessly about his culinary skills. He finally concedes he’s a terrible cook and promises to only make toast and coffee from now on. Even with all the laughter and banter, there are missing pieces.

“Hey guys, do we have any plans tonight?”