I usually never do this, but the first version of this was bothering me. It was rushed, and after re-reading it, I wasn't fully happy with it. So I re-did it. So if you read the original, I hope you like this one too! If you didn't read it:
I've always loved this song since I first heard it. Not sure why. I've always thought of it as a hidden love story, but one day while listening to it, this thought popped into my head. What if instead of love, there was terror? What if the person singing was actually creepy? And out came this.
Valerie walked into the banquet hall in her dark green dress and was in awe of her surroundings. Her friend Michelle had just gotten engaged, and her parents being wealthy and high society wanted to throw her an engagement party. But this engagement party had well over one hundred guests, all dressed in cocktail attire. Servers were walking around with appetizers and champagne. There was a DJ and it was decorated beautifully. She couldn't even imagine what the wedding itself would look like.
She walked through the sea of people until she found some that she recognized. They were standing off to the side of the dance floor, drink in hand talking. She joined in their conversation, talking and laughing. She was also scanning the room looking for Michelle. While searching, she found another group of friends that she knew, and among them was a man that she was hoping she wouldn't see tonight. She was hoping that maybe he hadn't seen her, but before she could look away his crystal blue eyes locked onto hers. He had left the group he was talking to and walked over to the one where Valerie was and greeted everyone with a charming smile.
Valerie hadn't really known him. The only time she had really ever seen him was at group outings. He was a very attractive man. He was in great shape. His dark hair and facial hair was a contrast to his light eyes. And having only been in the United States for a few years he had a very thick Irish accent. She was surprised when he asked her during a party if she would like to go to dinner with him one night. It gave her the feeling of having butterflies in her stomach. But now when she saw him her stomach turned for other reasons.
Valerie excused herself to go and find Michelle while everyone else continued on with their conversations. As she was weaving around the people on the dance floor she felt someone grab her upper arm causing her to turn around, bringing her face to face with the one person she didn't want to see.
"Hey Val." He greeted.
"Oh, hey Finn." Valerie got out.
"I was hoping I'd see you here." He said with a smile.
"I didn't think you'd be here. I didn't know you were still close with Michelle."
Finn shrugged. "Eh, I'm not really. But I hang out with Trevor and the guys a lot. So here I am."
"Well you have a good time tonight with them. I'm going to go try and find Michelle." Valerie said trying to end the conversation.
He still had his hand wrapped around her arm. When she tried to take a step back, his grip tightened to stop her.
"She's outside schmoozing her future in-laws." Finn told her. "Not really the kind of thing you'd want to interrupt. So what do you say in the meantime you share a dance with me? It's been a while."
"I don't think my boyfriend would appreciate that very much." Valerie answered quickly.
"Oh? Where is he?" Finn asked. He had noticed that she had arrived by herself, and no other man had come and joined her since she had been there.
"He had to work." She answered trying not to stutter.
"Shame. I would have loved to meet him. But since he's not here we can share one dance. What he won't know won't hurt him." Finn stated with a smile.
"Yeah, but it might hurt me." Valerie mumbled under her breath without thinking.
He yanked on her arm pulling her in closer to him and snaked his arm around her waist. His smile seemingly switched from nice and charming to devilish in a matter of seconds. "Oh, I'm counting on it."
A slow song began to play over the speakers. He released her arm and wrapped his arm around her back along with the other one and slowly started to sway to the music. The sounded sweet and romantic on the surface, but if you really listened to the words, that was not the case.
"Kind of a strange song to play at an engagement party." Valerie pointed out recognizing the song. Also trying to make normal conversation hoping these few minutes would pass quickly. Unfortunately for her, his answer just made her more uneasy.
"I requested it."
Well now that it's morning
Where do you want to go from here
Well now that we're sober
Are your thoughts of me more clear
Oh yeah
Now that your head is right
Did you dig last night
It keeps playing in my mind
Cuz girl I got a thing for you
And I think it's kind of crazy
Cuz I know that you have someone true
Wondering where you were last night
For now we'll say goodbye
But don't think we're through
I got a thing for you
The lyrics sent a shiver down her spine. They were bringing her back to the night she went out with Finn. They had gone out to dinner. They were talking and getting along really well through the night. At the time, she wasn't sure what happened, she had only had one glass of wine during dinner but the next thing she knew she was in Finn's bedroom. She didn't remember agreeing to go back to his place or how she even got there. She had no intention of sleeping with him that night. It was only their first date and they were just only getting to know each other. But he clearly had other plans.
She remembered coming out of her daze with him standing in the doorway watching her. She didn't think she would have to worry about leaving the table to use the restroom on their date, but she had been wrong. Whatever he had given her was just enough to make her loopy enough for him to get her home. From there he would wait. He didn't want her knocked out. He wanted her to feel and experience everything. She quickly realized he wasn't going to let her leave. She begged and pleaded with him that she would do whatever he wanted as long as he didn't hurt her. But that wasn't in his plans either. He took pleasure in hurting people. The more they begged, the more they screamed, the rougher he got, and the more he enjoyed it.
She remembered back to that night, him giving her just enough slack to fight back but not enough to get away. She remembered how he'd laugh at her attempts to do so. She remembered trying so hard not to scream or react to anything knowing that's what he wanted, but he did whatever he could to make her.
Well now that you're home
Will he be the first thing that you see
I know you'll compare us
How does he match up next to me
Oh yeah
Now that your head is right
Did you dig last night
It keeps playing in my mind
Cuz girl I got a thing for you
And I think it's kind of crazy
Cuz I know that you have someone true
Wondering where you were last night
After that night, Valerie hadn't dated anyone in a while. She wasn't sure who she could trust anymore. When she finally did start dating her boyfriend, she would only meet up with him in public places, never let anything she would eat or drink out of her sight, and would never let him take her home. She had told him that she had been attacked, so he understood and worked with her. It took her a long time before she was comfortable enough to be intimate with him. She was worried about how she would react to being with someone again. Worried to have to show him the scars she had on her body.
So girl I got a thing for you
And I know that night was hazy
But I still remember waking up
And kissing your head one more time
For now we'll say goodbye
But don't think we're through
I got a thing for you
She remembered laying in his bed when he was done with her. She was physically free, but she wasn't able to get away. She was in too much pain to move. He had crawled into the bed and laid down beside her. He draped his arm over her pulling her close against him and gently kissed the back of her head. The gentleness of him now after everything he had just done made her want to crawl out of her skin.
She should have forced herself to get up, to run away, to try and get help. But she just couldn't. Even if she fought through the pain, the truth was, as disgusted as she was by him, she was even more scared. She knew what he was capable of just because he wanted to, who knows what would have happened when he was angry. And she was sure with how he was around all of their friends that no one would believe her over him.
Finn holding her close to him, feeling her body pushed up against his, she felt trapped again. She didn't want to push him away and cause a scene. And she wasn't even sure she would be able to if she tried. She looked up at him, his eyes peering down onto her. The icy blue color matched the coldness of his heart. He moved his hands around slightly around her lower back. He brushed up against a spot by her side where she had a heart shaped scar, caressing it. She winced when he found it. He kept a small knife in his nightstand, to brand the ones he really liked. He would cut into them so deep that they would never be able to heal properly. Then they knew that they would always be his, and that at some point he would be back. Valerie knew that she couldn't have been the only one, she just didn't know how many there were. She often wondered if that is why he left Ireland or if why some of the people she knew had moved away.
As the song was coming to an end, she tried to gather whatever courage she could.
"Okay Finn, that was your dance. I really have to go try to find Michelle now." She said trying to sound strong.
His arms were still wrapped around her, hands placed on her back. He wasn't holding her there tightly, but he still wasn't letting her back away. Not until the song was over, not until he was ready.
"Thank you for the wonderful dance Val. And don't worry, I'll be seeing you again soon."
For now we'll say goodbye
But don't think we're through
I got a thing for you