It was getting harder to hear her over the painful pounding of his heart. It seemed to be growing louder with each word she spoke in that uncharacteristically calm, matter-of-fact tone. He'd done that.

Finn couldn't believe she seemed to accept his apology so easily. It had hurt worse than if she'd actually fought with him or reacted any other way. Surely, he'd hurt her a lot. Enough for her to hate him. He'd never meant to but he had.

Guilt had been coursing through his veins, weighing him down with the thought of how his one little moment of weakness and utter stupidity had hurt her, broken her trust… it was him, not her as she'd always thought, who wasn't good enough. He'd proven it.

As badly as he wanted to, he could not reach out and take her hand in his and beg her to – to what? To give him another chance? To not leave him? To what? He didn't deserve her. He was just like all the other knobheads his age.

It didn't matter that he hadn't made the first move or it had only lasted a few seconds before he pulled away. It didn't matter that he'd been hurt and conflicted and unable to get through to Rae... It didn't matter- he could find a hundred excuses but he could not justify it. He had let her down when she had needed him most. He couldn't be there for her.

And now it was too late for it. So he sat there beside her- dejected and conscience-stricken.

But despite himself, longing creeped into his voice and his regret-filled eyes begged and pleaded with hers in silence. Not that it mattered. She was blissfully unaware.

He'd always been the silent and brooding one- so cautious and guarded of his emotions. He remembered how she used to call him her 'grumpy sod' affectionately. A flicker of a smile ghosted his face at the thought. But now it was a struggle to remain calm; to keep the storm of feelings inside him from showing on his face.

''Listen, I shouldn't have made out that you were Mr. Perfect. It wasn't fair…''

He flinched. It was like she'd stabbed him in the chest as a tremor of pain shot across where his heart must have been. Had she been looking closely, she'd have detected the almost imperceptible flicker of pain that flashed across his face at her words. But she continued on in that same manner, never really focusing on him at all. He thought of the pain she must be feeling at the moment while facing him- he who had betrayed her trust so brutally and thoughtlessly. He'd broken her heart. And now his was breaking the same way.

His face settled into a grimace of sorrow. He deserved this. He wasn't good enough for her. After what he'd done, how could he ever deserve to have this smart, beautiful, incredible hellion of a girl in his life?

The truth penetrated him at last. It hurt that she didn't need him and perhaps never would, but he could somehow still be happy for her; seeing how far she'd come to become this strong and independent woman. He was hurting for what he'd lost, but at the same time, he was genuinely proud of her.

It was bittersweet. This ending. And even as his heart was breaking, her words gave him hope. He didn't know what the future held; only one thing alone he was certain of-he would wait. No matter how long it took or where she went and who she became, she'd find him there if ever she chose to return- she'd find him waiting for her.

For he still loved her. He always had.