Chapter 1075: It’s because I liked it.

[If it’s itchy, scratch it.]

"Jesus!" Nina shivered from head to toe as Lily’s face suddenly hovered over her head, along with Lily’s mischievous advice earlier today. She shook her head, waving her hand over her head to shake off Lily’s image.

"Why did I have to tell her everything?" she mumbled to herself, shaking her head, realizing it might not have been a good idea to confide in Lily about this. After all, Lily was just... wild. Nina wanted to believe it was Lily’s defense mechanism after almost marrying someone who was just after her family’s wealth.

"But then again, she had always been this energetic, even before," Nina muttered, sighing heavily as she gazed at her apartment door. Another sigh escaped her as she held the doorknob, a little hesitant to go into her own place.

Not that she didn’t want to see Finn.

"I actually miss him," she whispered, staring at the door. "I think... I need to talk to him about it."

How Nina would tell Finn without embarrassing herself or hurting him was something she didn’t know. But she knew she would eventually figure it out. All she needed was a full night to think about it.

With that thought in mind, she twisted the knob and went inside.

"I’m home," she announced out of habit, her brows rising as the house was unusually quiet. "Hmm?"

Deep lines appeared between her brows as she closed the door behind her. Her steps were slow and quiet, for a reason she couldn’t quite understand.

"Finn?" she peeked into the small living room, but Finn wasn’t there. "He’s normally just idling in here."

Her lips curved downward, but after checking the time, she realized it was quite late. "Right. I did tell him I’d be home late and to not wait for me."

Thinking that Finn had already gone to bed, she dragged her feet to the kitchen for a glass of water. But just as she did, she almost jumped in surprise when she saw Finn seated at the dining table. The dining area and kitchen were just a few steps apart.

"Oh, God." She breathed out, patting her chest mildly. "That scared me."

Her surprise didn’t last long when she noticed Finn’s stern expression. He slowly lifted his gaze to hers, and the moment their eyes met, she knew he wanted to discuss something very serious.

"Nina, can we talk?" he asked as he rose to his feet, his hand moving to the other vacant chair. "Please?"

She pursed her lips and nodded, taking the seat right across from him. But instead of sitting down, Finn walked away to the kitchen to grab her a glass of water.

"Thanks," she expressed with a short smile as he placed the glass of water in front of her.

Finn replied with a short smile, waiting for her to drink first before they started this heart-to-heart talk. His brows furrowed when he noticed how she chugged the entire glass in one go.

"Do you... want another glass?" he asked. "You seemed very thirsty."

"Ha ha..." she laughed awkwardly. "I’m fine, thank you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Nina pressed her lips together. "What is it that you want to talk about?"

Finn hesitated but then nodded in understanding. He took a deep breath, looking her in the eye sincerely.

"Nina, I’m sorry. I’m very sorry," he breathed out, holding his hands in front of him. "I was careless and made things difficult for you in your own home."

"Huh?"

Finn sighed. "I went to see Penny today because I’m starting to get concerned... and terrified."

"You met with Penny?"

"Yes." He nodded. "I didn’t know who to turn to with such problems. I checked my contacts and realized that there was no one I trusted enough with these worries. So, I went to see her, and I’m telling you this because I don’t want you to be surprised when you hear about it in the future."

"Uh..." Nina was rendered speechless, understanding the level of desperation Finn felt. She felt sorry for him, knowing it was because of her actions. She didn’t mean it like that. However, part of her also felt suspicious.

Penny was full of wisdom, and Nina had learned a lot from her. But in terms of relationships and love... Nina wasn’t so sure.

"You’ve been avoiding me for the past few days now," he continued with a deep sigh, snapping her back to reality. "And after consulting with your sister, I realized it’s my fault."

"No, it’s not..."

Finn shook his head, offering her a reassuring smile. "It’s mine, Nina, and I know it’s mine. So, you don’t have to protect my feelings by saying it’s not my fault."

"..." Nina pursed her lips. ’But it’s actually my problem, not his.’

"I know it’s about that night," he said, making her brows rise. "I made a move on you without asking for your permission, catching you off guard. I shouldn’t have done that; this is your home. What I’m saying is, I shouldn’t do that anywhere, especially not in your home, because it’s your comfort zone."

Finn huffed heavily, thinking he was messing up this apology altogether. "I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. It’s not going to happen again. I promise." He smiled, his mouth twitching as he tried to maintain it. "Please forgive me? Don’t avoid me anymore. I’ll be careful next time, so... don’t avoid me. I’d rather you be angry at me and show that you’re angry instead of giving me the cold shoulder."

The look of surprise on her face was brief because the more she listened to his apology, the more it became clear to her. It was Nina who had been reckless. Finn had been ignored growing up, and it was only now that he was starting to open his heart completely to her. Therefore, being ignored by her must have been a terrifying experience for him.

Nina hung her head low, and this reaction made his heart race nervously.

Myriad thoughts crossed his mind: Was she angry? Would she unleash her anger now? Or would she break up with him because she already gave him a last chance, and it was called "last" for a reason?!

As his thoughts grew more and more negative, Nina’s timid voice was heard.

"It’s not like that," she whispered, raising her head and catching the terror in his eyes. "I’m not avoiding you because you kissed me without permission."

She paused as she mustered the courage to correct this misunderstanding with the truth, even if it was a little embarrassing for her.

"It’s because I liked it."

Finn blinked, then blinked again, his eyes slowly dilating. His heartbeat grew louder and stronger, making his breathing skip. "Ah?"