Chapter 28: 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟕

BREE

Today, Rose and I arranged a small gathering for Nora so she could meet everyone in our group.

She and Jack will be leaving New York for a few days to go meet Nora’s family in New Jersey.

Jack was thrilled to finally introduce his girlfriend to everyone who didn’t get to meet her. Nora was nervous at first but slowly started getting along.

Now, us girls are seated around the coffee table talking while the guys are sitting by the kitchen counter engaging in their own discussion. I keep catching Jack stealing glances at Nora from time to time whenever I turn my head to look at Finn.

Finn quickly notices and glances at me before returning back to the conversation with a small smile on his face.

When I turn my attention back to the girls- again after taking another glance at Finn- Maham is in Nora’s arms.

“She’s so adorable,” Nora says as Maham reaches up her hands and touches her face.

“Baba,” Maham says.

"Okay, she's been repeating this since she came here," Rose says.

“Maham is starting to learn more words now,” Arzo explains, “she recently started saying ‘baba’ and now everyone and everything is ‘baba’ to her,”

Maham turns her head to Arzo and squeals, “baba!”

“Even me,”

“Well, we know who’s her favorite,” Farhan says and earns a hit on the back of his head by Faizan, “ow- sorry,” we let out a small laugh.

“I don’t blame her,” Arzo says, quietly, smiling at Maham.

Jack gets up from his seat and makes his way to Nora, sitting down beside her so he can play with Maham too.

“Okay, so,” Jack starts, earning our attention, “if I’m supervised with Nora, can I babysit Maham?”

“Why don’t you just learn to be responsible?” I ask.

“Where’s the fun in that? Look at Ryan. His life is so dull,”

“Agreed,” Rose mutters, loud enough for only the girls to hear.

“Can I hold her?” Jack asks Nora.

“Yes,”

Jack smiles and takes Maham in his arms.

“Your baba should let you spend time with us. You’d have so much more fun,” he tells her.

“Is he trying to steal my title as her favorite uncle?” Farhan asks, frowning.

“You’re not his favorite uncle,” Finn says.

“You’re just jealous.”

“You’re delusional,” Finn fires back.

“Thank you.”

“Dude-”

I turn my attention back to Jack and Maham to find Jack sticking out his tongue at her.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

Jack puts his tongue back in and looks at me as if caught redhanded, “nothing,”

“You-” I cut myself off when I catch Maham mimicking Jack by sticking out her small tongue, “uh, Arzo? Faizan? Jack taught Maham something,”

Jack freezes like a kid caught causing trouble when Faizan turns his attention to him after seeing what he taught his daughter.

“I’m a manchild,” Jack says, trying to save himself.

“It’s okay,” Arzo reassures him as Faizan gets up from his seat and walks to take Maham in his arms.

After Maham in her baba's arms, he shakes his head at her and she quickly puts her tongue back in her mouth.

We all stare at father and daughter stunned.

“Man, that is one obedient daughter,” Farhan says.

“Rose, learn something from her,” Jack says.

Rose smiles and picks up a pillow, “Nora, move aside please,”

Nora blinks at Rose and Jack wraps his arms around his girlfriend, “Nora, save me.”

“I…” Nora trails off, “please don’t hit him,”

“Fine.” Rose says and puts down her pillow, “I’m letting you go only because of her,”

Jack grins, “I know,” he says and kisses Nora’s cheeks.

The girls make an ‘aww’ sound as Nora’s eyes widen and she looks down, hiding her blush.

My attention goes to my phone when it dings with a notification.

I smile as I open Finn’s chat.

Finn

Do you have any plans for tonight?

Me

Only with my boyfriend

I steal a glance at Finn and catch him smiling at his phone. My smile widens and I turn my attention back to my phone.

Finn

Then I assume you will spend the night with him

Me

Of course

Finn

Then, enjoy your night, amore

ᯓᡣ𐭩

Finn stays behind so that he’s the last one to leave the apartment.

As soon as Ryan and Jack are outside the door, a few feet away, Finn pulls me in a kiss.

A smile breaks across my face when he pulls away.

“Come downstairs in ten minutes,” he quickly says.

“Okay,” I reply, my smile in place.

Finn smiles then hurries out of the apartment when Farhan calls him. I close the door and turn to find Rose smirking at me.

“What?” I ask

She chuckles and gently pinches my cheeks, “you’re glowing,”

I place my hand on the cheek she pinched after she removes her hand and blink at her, “what does that mean?”

She only smiles, “you’ll figure it out.”

ᯓᡣ𐭩

I hurry my way downstairs as soon as the ten minutes are up.

Finn is standing by his car when I exit my building. A smile brightens up his face as I quickly make my way towards him.

He pecks my lips, “hi, amore,”

I smile, feeling my heart explode at the sound of that nickname, “hi,”

With another peck, Finn opens the passenger door and I get inside. After he shuts my door and rounds the car to get in the driver’s seat, we head to his penthouse.

“By the way, as soon as we get to your penthouse, I’m stealing another one of your shirts,” I tell him.

He chuckles, “okay,”

I smile and kiss his cheek.

Being with Finn is so heartwarming. He touches parts of me with his affection that I didn’t know needed warmth. He unlocked parts of me that I hid over the years and didn’t realize how much they made me who I am today.

He doesn’t look at me with pity when I talk about my childhood, the good parts of my childhood whether they are memories with my parents, my brothers or Rose. He listens to everything I say.

Everyday I wake up with him as my first thought and every night he’s my last thought before I fall asleep.

As soon as the elevator door opens to Finn’s penthouse, I dart towards his room to steal his shirts.

I change out of my shirt and put on his.

I return downstairs with a smile on my face and find Finn putting snacks on the coffee table.

I plop on the couch just before he turns around and sees me.

He smiles, “I will never get over how good you look in my clothes,”

“That’s why I wear them,” I say with a grin.

He sits beside me, leans in and kisses me softly.

My hands place themselves on his face as I kiss back.

He pulls away and places soft kisses all over face, earning a giggle from me.

He then buries his face in the crook of my neck and softly says, “you’re so beautiful, amore,”

Finn was the missing part of me that I didn’t realize I craved until we started dating. I crave him so much that it’s getting harder to stay away from him everyday.

When everything's out in public, it will surely bring chaos but I’m ready to face it.

I’m ready to face anything as long as he’s with me.