They've been playing this game all night.
Trying to make one another jealous.
Trying to prove a point that, deep down, doesn't want to be proved.
The gang had decided to meet up at the fairground. Everyone was in pairs.
Chop and Izzy.
Archie and Danny. (They'd formed a beautiful friendship, which none of the others were aware of.)
Chloe and one of the lads she'd been hanging round.
Finn and Olivia.
Rae and Liam.
Nobody seemed to really notice as they were all having too much fun, but Rae and Finn couldn't keep their eyes off of each other.
But it wasn't in lust.
Every smile, every touch, every game, and every ride that Finn and Olivia share, Rae does better.
Every smile, every touch, every game, and every ride that Rae and Liam share , Finn does better.
They're having a competition to see who's moved on better. They're having a competition to see who can get jealous first.
They don't know the results because both have already lost.
Neither of them have moved on, and both of them are fuming with jealousy.
But it takes one kiss to break her.
Seeing Olivia draping her slobbery lips over Finn's was too much.
Right, She has to remind herself. He has moved on. He doesn't want me anymore. He deserves better than me anyway.
She walks off. Breaking away from everyone. Trying her hardest to not let her selfish tears escape her eyes.
You were the one who broke it off Rae, you have no right to get jealous.
Shaking her head as if to rid her of her thoughts and the image of Finn and Olivia, she accidentally bumped into someone.
"Watch it." She hissed as she stumbled backwards.
"Sorr- wait, you're Rae, right? Chloe's mate?" The lad asked, as he gently grabbed her arm, to keep her from falling.
Narrowing her eyes and getting ready to defend her friend, she replied, "And you are?"
He surprised her then. He smiled warmly at her and told her that he was a friend of the bloke Chloe was currently snogging. He even sheepishly asked her if she would let him practice asking her out, as there was a girl there he wanted to ask out but he didn't know what the best way to do it was. Rae, being the person she was, laughed and agreed, but said he was only using 3 minutes of her time.
—-
"Wha' the fuck, do ya think you're doing?" Finn whisper-shouted at Olivia. This wasn't part of their plan. She took it too far.
"I were helping. She were looking over and I had to do something! You told me to help make her jealous and I did." Olivia defended, looking quite offended.
"Were you fuck. I-y-y-." Running his hand across his face in frustration, Finn sighed. He had had enough of this. "You know wha', just forget i'. This was a stupid idea anyway. I'm just gonna talk to 'er."
Without a second thought, Finn started in the direction he had caught Rae going. Ignoring Olivia and her moans of protest, he quickened his pace.
—
When Finn found her, some bloke had his hand on her arm and her face was scrunched up in discomfort.
Who. The. Fuck. Does. He. Think. He. Is. Finn's inner thoughts slowly pronounced.
As soon as he saw Rae try to moved away from the lad and him pulling her closer, he lost it.
Legs moving before his mind, he didn't even realize it had happened until his fist felt wet. He'd punched the fella square in the face, knocking him down easily. He stood protectively in front of Rae, but leaned over enough to intimidate the lad on the ground and spat out in a low and dangerous tone. "If I ever see you near Rae again, I swear down, you'll live to regret it. Is that clear?"
Clutching his face, he nodded furiously, before picking himself up and running off.
Fucking coward
"What the bleeding hell do you think you're doing?" Rae screeched, eyes wide in confusion.
"Me?" Finn replied incredulously, "What 'bout you? Letting that scumbag put his hands on ya! Where the fuck is Liam, anyway?"
"'e weren't doing anythin' wrong! And what does Liam have to do with this?"
"He's ya boyfriend! He should of never left ya side. If we were still together I would of-" Finn quickly cut himself of. His eyes widening and a faint blush rose and settled on his cheeks. He hadn't planned of saying that. He didn't even realize that he started saying it.
Oh God. What have I done?
"Wha'? Would of wha'?" She whispered, her voice not strong enough to go any louder.
The air had changed and they were just staring at each other, like they were inwardly having a conversation with one another.
They were both open; completely vulnerable.
This was it.
Time for honesty.
Time for them to get everything of their chests.
Taking a deep breath, Finn opened his mouth, ready to spill everything out, but a shriek of a voice interrupted him.
"Finn, darling, you coming?"
Closing his eyes and sighing heavily, he muttered a "Just fuck off" under his breath, annoyed with Olivia. (and her voice.)
Rae sighed as well, thinking that whatever spell her and Finn were under was broken. But for the second time that night, she was surprised.
Finn had completely ignored Olivia, and gently, but firmly, pulled Rae by the arm and onto the Ferris-wheel.
As soon as they started to move, Finn began talking, knowing that if he left it any longer, he wouldn't have the confidence to say what he wanted to say.
"What I were gonna say was, that if we were still together, I wouldn't leave ya side Rae. I wouldn't be sharin' you with anyone. I would be tryin' my hardest to make everything comfortable for ya."
"But ya can't do that Finn." She interrupted, "You can't control what everyone thinks, or does, or says. They make me uncomfortable and that's something that you can't change."
"I wasn't saying that, and why do ya give a fuck about those people anyway, Rae? They don't mean anything to us. They can say whatever they want. They don't know ya. They aren't worthy of knowing ya. Fuck them." He cried out, like it's the most obvious thing on earth.
"But it's not that easy though, is it. I know that they think. I know that they're talkin' 'bout. I see them stare."
"What about what I think? What about what the gang thinks? Do you ever think about what we think of ya? How important you are to us? How much we love ya? How much I love ya?" He asked slowly and quietly, looking down at his hands.
It took three seconds for his words to sink in. And another ten for her to reply.
"You don't love me. Neither does the gang. And I do think about what everyone thinks. What you think. I'm not important to yas. I'm nothing. And it's because I love you. All of you, that I try to keep my distance. You'd all be better off without me." She whispered, loud enough for him to hear.
"How many times do I have to tell ya that you can't control how others feel. That's theirs. Mine. Not yours. You can't-" Just as Finn was getting ready to give her a little lecture, she cut him off by covering his lips with her own.
Caught off guard, Finn didn't respond for a couple of seconds. But as soon as he realized it was his Rae kissing him, he quickly responded.
Another minute later, they broke apart. Breathing heavily and resting their foreheads against one another's.
This was the first time that Rae started the kiss. And, damn, was she proud of it.
When they opened their eyes, they couldn't help by smile at each other.
"Liam's not my boyfriend. He's honestly just a friend. Nothing more, nothing less." Rae breathed.
"Olivia's not my girlfriend. I was helping her out and so was she. She's not even a friend. Just a friend of a friend. Nothing more, nothing less." He replied.
"Good."
"Good." He repeated.
"I love you, Finn Nelson." She smiled.
"I love you too, Rachel Earl." He chuckled, lovingly.
Sharing another quick peek, as the Ferris-wheel stopped, Finn helped Rae out and they couldn't stop smiling.
"Bumper cars?" Finn asked.
"Bumper cars." She repeated.
(About a week later, they finally made love. It wasn't planned, It happened naturally. And it was the best experience of both their lives. Sweet nothings and declarations of love was shared daily. And although Rae didn't always believe Finn's compliments, he refused to stop and slowly but surely, she began to believe.)