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When I took it off, I glanced in the mirror behind the dresser, and I nearly screamed when I saw the reflection. Finn was sitting behind me on the bed. His eyes, dark as night, met mine in the mirror, and I could hardly breathe.
"Finn!" I gasped and whirled around to look at him. "What are you doing here?"
"I missed your birthday," he said, as if that answered my question. He lowered his eyes, looking at a small box he had in his hands. "I got you something."
"You got me something?" I leaned back on the dresser behind me, gripping it.
"Yeah." He nodded, still staring down at the box. "I picked it up outside of Portland two weeks ago. I meant to get back in time to give it to you on your birthday." He chewed the inside of his cheek. "But now that I'm here, I'm not sure I should give it to you at all."
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"It doesn't feel right." Finn rubbed his face. "I don't even know what I'm doing here."
"Neither do I," I said. "Don't get me wrong. I'm happy to see you. I just...I don't understand."
"I know." He sighed. "It's a ring. What I got you." His gaze moved from me to the engagement ring sitting on the dresser beside me. "And you already have one."
"Why did you get me a ring?" I asked tentatively, and my heart beat erratically in my chest. I didn't know what Finn was saying or doing.
"I'm not proposing to you, if that's what you're asking." He shook his head. "I saw it and thought of you. But now it seems like poor taste. And here I am, the night before your wedding sneaking in to give you a ring."
"Why did you sneak in?" I asked.
"I don't know." He looked away and laughed darkly. "That's a lie. I know exactly what I'm doing, but I have no idea why I'm doing it."
"What are you doing?" I asked quietly.
"I..." Finn stared off for a moment, then turned back to me and stood up.
"Finn, I-" I began, but he held up his hand, stopping me.
"No, I know you're marrying Tove," he said. "You need to do this. We both know that. It's what's best for you, and it's what I want for you." He paused. "But I want you for myself too."
All I'd ever wanted from Finn was for him to admit how he felt about me, and he'd waited until the day before my wedding. It was too late to change anything, to take anything back. Not that I could have, even if I wanted to.
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked with tears swimming in my eyes.
"Because." Finn stepped toward me, stopping right in front of me.
He looked down at me, his eyes mesmerizing me the way they always did. He reached up, brushing back a tear from my cheek.
"Why?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"I needed you to know," he said, as if he didn't truly understand it himself.
He set the box on the dresser beside me, and his hand went to my waist, pulling me to him. I let go of the dresser and let him. My breath came out shallow as I stared up at him.
"Tomorrow you will belong to someone else," Finn said. "But tonight, you're with me.
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