Perfectly Mated

Chapter Six

We were both silent after that for the rest of the car ride.

It wasn't awkward, we were both merely stuck in our thoughts.

We pull up to an adorable little ice cream cafe that is famous for its mint chocolate chip and salted caramel ice cream. It's a running argument in the town, over which ice cream is better.

Personally, I believe the salted caramel is better, but as I find out when we order, Finn thinks the mint chocolate chip is better.

"You know, salted caramel is better." I say with a casual shrug.

He looks at me with narrowed eyes. "I don't believe it. YOU prefer salted caramel to mint choc chip?"

He says it as if it's a crime.

"So what if I do? It's the truth. It's better." I say innocently.

"I don't think this is going to work, even though we are mates. I just can't except someone who has such flawed judgement." He says overly dramatically.

I nod solemnly.

"I agree wholeheartedly. With such opposing opinions..." I shake my head as if it's a real shame, us parting because of this.

I look at Finn with a straight face. "It was good while it lasted." With a final pat to his shoulder, I slowly start to walk out the cafe.

Wait for it.

Wait for it.

Just as the door closes behind me, it's opened again and Finn grabs my arm.

His liquid brown eyes bore into mine and he says slowly and seriously," I think I can live with your faults. No matter what happens."

Somehow his words have a double meaning.

I smile brightly shaking off the just-turned-serious mood.

"Great. Now let's get the ice cream. I can't wait for my AMAZING SALTED CARAMEL ice cream."

***

We are sitting outside the cafe, on a pastel coloured table for two.

"What do you want to do after school?" Finn asks curiously.

I instantly answer," I don't particularly want to study. I'd love to just.. Travel the world for a couple of years. Explore new cultures and traditions. Learn about the natives and different religions. Maybe fall in love with a place and then just stay there, settle in a small town, and get a small job and have a simple life."

He's quiet. He seems troubled over something I said.

"What is it?" I say.

"Does your future include me?" He seems very self conscious in asking this and he looks rather vulnerable.

I've never seen him look like that and it makes me feel very guilty. I think about what to say carefully.

"Yes. Of course. I might not be ready to marry and mate right now but I will be ready someday. And once we do that, I could never be able to leave you."

He looks relieved but I'm not done.

"However, I do want to travel for a couple of years. And by that time, you'll have taken over the pack. And could you accompany me while running a pack that needs constant attention?"

His relieved look is replaced by a troubled look again.

"We can sort that out when we get there." He says, closing the discussion.

Before it can get awkward, I ask him the same question he asked me.

"Well, I have a responsibility to the pack. That will take first priority. I can't leave the town to study or travel. I've never considered it because it simply won't happen."

His reply gives me a heavy heart and I feel bad for him.

"You have a beta though. You can study through correspondence if that's what you'd like to do. You can take holidays at least three times a year for two weeks each and go to a new place every time. You don't have to give up all ambitions you have just because you have responsibilities." I say with passion.

The way he looks at me makes a tingle run down my spine. It's a look filled with awe, wonder, amazement and, something close to love.

"You're right. But it will be hard."

I nod in agreement.

We both look down at our ice creams, suddenly quite shy in each others company.

***

As he drives me home, the mood in the air is different. Like we both anticipate something that's going to happen.

He stops in front of my house and we sit in silence.

I really, REALLY want to kiss him right now. I realize something in that moment.

If I want to kiss him. I CAN.

The thought is freeing and I turn to him before I can chicken out.

I put a hand on either side of his head, turning him towards me.

We look into each others eyes and there's that instant connection.

We meet halfway in a sweet, soft kiss.

I slide my hands down his head to clasp behind his head and he brings one hand to my cheek and the other sits on my waist.

I could never get tired of kissing Finn. His kiss is exciting, filled with emotions.

We break apart. "I'll pick you up for school." He says huskily.

I nod, in a daze.

I stumble out of the car and grab my things.

Before I walk up to my house, I lean into Finns open window.

"I'll see you tomorrow" I say softly. Really not wanting to go inside.

He kisses me once more before I reluctantly make my way inside.

Only once I am in the door do I hear him pull away.

What a day, I think with a dreamy sigh.

***

It's currently 3:30pm and Daniel and I are sitting under an oak tree overlooking the field. School ended half an hour ago but we are hanging around to spend some time together.

He's telling me a story about something but I find myself nodding along and saying 'wow' every now and then, but I'm not actually listening.

I'm thinking about Finn.

When we first met, I definitely didn't like his personality, obviously I thought he was gorgeous -who doesn't- but now I'm in love with everything about him.

I didn't think it would happen so fast and it's scaring me.

I've never had a boyfriend and I know Finn has had multiple girlfriends. He's always been known as the player of the town but now he seems to have left that behind for me.

I know I'm going to come into contact with one of his exes sometime and that isn't going to be pretty. He's also hiding something he says he'll tell me soon, but I am dying to know what it is.

Who to ask is the quest-

"AMELIA YOU AREN'T EVEN LISTENING TO ONE WORD I'VE BEEN SAYING. I FORGAVE YOU ONCE BUT I WILL NOT FORGIVE YOU THIS TIME." Daniel crosses his arms over his chest and pouts like I just insulted him.

"I'm sorry okay? It's just so hard not to think about Finn." I bat my eyelashes at him innocently.

"Fine." He huffs. "This is the LAST time though. Do it again and we will no longer be friends." His empty threat is ignored by me and I grin and tackle him in a hug.

"I LOVE YOU DAN DAN." I say.

"Whatever. Now get off me, you are crushing me, you fatty." He teases.

"Whatever. I'm flawless." I flick my hair over my shoulder.

He rolls his eyes before saying, "Now tell me all about Finn. Why are you looking so conniving?"

I shrug. "He's had loads of girlfriends and he's hiding something from me. Why would he tell everyone to avoid gossiping if I could hear? Or not talk to me about us being mates? Not knowing is killing me with curiosity. I NEED TO KNOW."

He nods knowingly.

"Well then find out. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to help you. If Finn finds out I helped you he'll kill me. And you can't tell him I encouraged you." He looks at me sternly.

"Okay okay. Who should I ask though? Please help me. I won't tell Finn. Nina would usually be very helpful but now that she's so engrossed in Alex, I doubt she has even noticed Finn and I are mates. Even though everyone's talking about it."

He looks thoughtful for a minute then his face lights up. He smirks at me.

"I know just the person."

***

Daniel leads me back into the building, which seems pointless because there's literally no one whose still going to be inside school besides the cleaners, teachers and any detention goers.

"She should be here." Daniel says.

We're at the library.

We go in and Daniel walks through the isles looking for someone. I see a girl with long black hair and hipster glasses sitting be herself and Daniel seems to know her.

He leads me to her and she looks up as we approach. She looks impassive.

"Hey Cas, my friend Amelia needs some info. Can you help her out?"

She looks kinda bored and not really interested at all. She shrugs.

"Sure. Usual price?" She says.

Daniel nods.

I don't even want to know.

"Okay what do you want to know?" She asks, looking at me for the first time.

I look at Daniel, unsure.

He gives me an encouraging smile.

"Um... Okay so I don't know if you've heard, but I'm Finns mate and I want to know about his past girlfriends." I blush and look down as soon as I say this. It sounds so desperate and I sound so clingy.

"He's hiding something from me and he commanded everyone to stay clear of me if they were going at gossip or ask about us being mates. It seems weird." I hurriedly add to try to make it sound less desperate.

Cas looks deep in thought, then says," I'm sure you know he's been quite a player up until he met you."

I nod.

"He's had two girlfriends in the last year. Before that he had multiple girls around but he never tied himself down to one girl. His relationships with his girlfriends weren't serious to him, but to them it was. They were both fiercely territorial over him. They lasted a while but when they started getting too clingy for his liking, he dumped them. The first lasted five months, the second eight. She only lasted that long because she hid her clinginess well from Finn."

I nod for her to go on.

"The first girlfriend isn't here any more, she graduated last year. She was a year older than Finn. The second was none other than Ashley Lawrence."

My jaw practically drops when I hear this. I feel the blood drain from my face.

Ashley Lawrence is the queen of the school. She's tall, blonde and skinny. She has perfect style and she's always done up immaculately. Almost the whole school say they're friends with her, because she's so nice to everyone. All the guys want her. And surprisingly, she's smart too. Did I add she's a cheerleader?

How the hell could I complete with her?

Cas carried on, "When they went out, they were the power couple. They were almost perfectly suited to each other."

Great, thanks for making me feel even worse, I want to say.

"As I said earlier, before the girlfriends, he couldn't be tied to one girl. So one day one of the many girls went up to Finn and kissed him in the hall. He didn't push her away until almost a minute had passed. Obviously, Ashley was having none of that and got way too possessive of Finn. So he broke up with her."

This shocks me more than it should.

He was such a player. And that was a serious douche move. I almost feel sorry for Ashley.

"Is that everything?" I force myself to say.

"Yep." She says not looking up from her homework.

I thank her and Daniel and I leave.

He looks at me every few seconds worriedly.

"Are you okay?" He asks tentatively.

I nod grimly.

Finn and I were going to have a serious chat.