He came across her secret. Is he going to be with her or leave her?

 

“I am so sorry to cancel again. Maybe next time…” she said on the other side of the phone. He hung up the call with a long face. She had cancelled their date fifth time. He had been wondering what she had been hiding in these three months relationship. He went to sit back on the couch. He thought if it was his job that intimidated her or it was anything else. Glancing at his uniform that was kept by the bed, he sighed.

 

Finn had fallen asleep on couch when he heard the doorbell. Switching off the television, he clicked open the door. He was shocked to see her soaking wet. Her clothes were different. She wore a one-piece with a glittery headband. He saw her bruised arms and legs which were covered in glitter. She was shivering. When she gazed up, he saw tears in her eyes. He opened his arms as she hugged him tightly crying. He rubbed her back saying, “Hey, Jane. Chill. You are okay”

She started crying burying her face in his chest. She murmured, “I am scared, Finn. They’ll kill me”

He made her sit on couch and went in kitchen to get some water. Covering her with a blanket, she wrapped his arm around her to comfort her. She put her head on his shoulder but her hands were still shivering from fear. He asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”

She started, “I am sorry that I kept this a secret that…”

He completed, “But you are a stripper?”

She nodded, “I have been doing this job for like a year now. But today…”

“What happened?” he asked rubbing her arms. She continued, “I was working as usual. A guy came up to me for a private dance so I went in one of the chambers. But…as we walked in, someone came from behind and shot him. Then, he tried to grab me with my hair and took me outside. He warned me if I said something, they’ll get me killed. There were many people Finn. He sat in a van which had five more people. I don’t want to die”

He nodded, “And I will not let them touch you”

She grabbed the hem of his shirt saying, “Please let me stay with you tonight”

He nodded as she leaned against him. Gradually, she fell asleep. He caressed her cheeks looking at her bruises. He was mad at her for not telling him anything about this secret life of hers but he also felt protective of her. He was mad himself that he was not there to protect her; he was not there when she decided to get this job.

 

In the morning, he slipped from the couch and rested her head on the cushion. Suddenly, she got up shouting, “No”

He held her tightly saying, “Hey, it is no one”

She hugged him, “Finn, he killed him and I didn’t do anything”

He shook his head, “It was not your fault. Come let’s get to freshen up”

She nodded and went in the washroom. Finn gave her his old t-shirts which were over-sized for her. Tying her hair in a bun, she sat on the bed while he made her breakfast. She asked, “Are you not supposed to go to work? There is murder that you should solve”

He replied entering with the breakfast, “I think I have a more important job here”

She asked, “And that is?”

“To take care of you. I can see that you are still in shock” he replied giving a smile. She smiled. It was first time he had seen her smile since last night. He said, “You don’t have to worry about anything. I am here with you”

Just then, the doorbell rang. He can see the fear in her eyes. She looked at him but he assured her that there was nothing to worry about. He got up and opened the door. A few officials stood there with their arms crossed. Finn asked, “Is everything okay?”

One of them with a mustache replied, “Do you know anyone named Jane White?”

He nodded, “Yes, she is my girlfriend.”

Another one asked, “Is she here?”

Jane walked out of the bedroom saying, “Yes, I am”

The mustache guy said, “Ma’am we believe you saw a murder last night. You have to come down to station with us”

Finn interrupted showing them his badge, “Officer, I am also an official and I know how this works but she is still in shock. I’ll bring her down to police station for statement when she gets okay”

They nodded and left. As he closed the door, she burst in tears, “No, they said if I saw anything, they’ll kill me”

He went up to her and held her shoulders, “No one is going to do anything. Let the police catch them. We just have to do a simple thing. We go to police station, tell them what happened and get back home. Simple”

She shook her head, “It is not that simple. If they find out, I told police, they’ll…”

“…Kill you. Yeah, I heard that hundreds times now. Come on Jane, no matter what they will plan to do that because you have seen them. You can either tell the police everything and do the right thing or hide fearing that they will find you someday” he got angry. She jerked off his hands and ran back in bedroom slamming the door loudly.

 

When they returned back from police station, Jane went in bedroom silently. She didn’t talk to him on their way back too.

After some hours, she walked out of the bedroom while he was sitting on the couch thinking about everything. She sat next to him with her hands clasped together. He took his I-pod and played a song. He got up and held out his hand saying, “Come”

She was looking at him in surprise, “What are you doing?”

He smiled, “Dance with me and for a minute, pretend that the world around doesn’t exist. Just for minute”

She sighed, “I don’t think it is a good idea”

He took her hand and made her stand. Slipping his hand around her waist, entwining his fingers with hers in his other hand, he started dancing with her. She smiled, “You don’t have to do this.”

He pulled her closer. She shook her head, “I am not your responsibility. I know you are angry with me for keeping all this a secret from you. You can break up”

He smiled, “Well, I was mad at you but…you know I can’t be mad at you for long”

She grinned, “And why is that?”

He kissed her cheek saying, “Because I love you”

She lowered her eyes trying to hide her tears, “Even after knowing what I do?”

He nodded, “Of course. Also, I think I’ll have a private dance for free”

She laughed, “But I left the job yesterday. I don’t strip anymore”

“Too bad for me” he replied. Her phone rang. She picked up saying, “Hello…”

She started shivering again. When she ended the call, she sat on couch with her face in her hands. He asked, “Was it those people threatening you?”

She shook her head, “No, it was from the police. They caught them and they want them to come by to confirm”

He smiled, “That is good, right?”

She shook her head, “No, that means I have to face them again”

He knelt in front of her, “Hey, I am with you. Just be brave”

She nodded squeezing his hand, “I’ll wear something appropriate”

He laughed, “Why?”

She stood up, “Aren’t you going to take me out?”

“Fine” he nodded.

 

“This is not the guy” she screamed at the top of her voice. Finn supported her by holding her by shoulders. She shook her head, “No”

Officer replied, “This is the guy. He confessed everything”

Finn understood that there was something fishy going on. He took her out of the station before she made a scene. He made her sit in the car. She said, “Finn, I am not lying. He is not that guy. I don’t know why everyone is making this up”

Finn assured her, “I’ll get the information about this. Don’t get scared”

She yelled, “How can you say that? I saw a murder Finn. And the killer is on loose. I don’t think I shouldn’t be feeling calm”

He said, “Look, I am going to go in. I’ll be back in few minutes. Will you be fine?”

She nodded closing the door. He went to get information on the case.

When he returned, he noticed that she was not in the car. She tried to call her but her phone was off.

 

Finn searched for four months but she was nowhere to be found. One day, he got a call from the police station informing him that they found someone matching her description. He rushed down there and found her sitting on the bench outside. As he sat next to her hugging her tightly, she looked at him with a blank expression. He asked, “Why are you looking at me like you don’t know me?”

She shook her head, “Should I know you?”

He was confused. A lady officer walked up to him saying, “She doesn’t know anything. We found her in the Grace Hospital. When they found her, she was in high drug dose. She doesn’t remember anything or anyone. We have been searching her home for a month. So, can you tell what your relation with her is?”

He replied, “Umm, I am her boy…no, I am her fiancé. We were supposed to get married soon but then she went missing”

“Oh, you should take care of her now. Did something happen? Do you have any idea who could have done this to her? Was she doing drugs?”

He shook his head, “No, she didn’t do drugs. Actually, she…”

He took her in the other corner while Jane sat there lost in thoughts. He explained her everything, “Now, I don’t want this case to ruin her life anymore. I want to start new life with her. Please get her out of this. I want them to get caught but I don’t want her to go through that trauma again. She had had enough of everything.”

Officer nodded, “She had suffered a lot. You can take her. We will try to catch whoever did this to her”

Finn gave a smile and walked back to Jane saying, “Hey baby, want to go home? Our home?”

Her face was blank. She asked, “Who are you?”

He replied, “We were going to get married. I am Finn. You are Jane. We love each other madly”

She narrowed her eyes, “And why do you love me?”

He replied, “Because you are a beautiful and amazing person. You are my present and I want you to be my future”

She asked with innocence, “Did you use this line while proposing me?”

He laughed, “Yes, so I am asking you again. Will you marry me?”

She replied, “But they are saying I have lost my memory. You have to remind me everything”

He took her hand, “I will be happy to do that”

She nodded with a smile, “Okay, I’ll marry you”

He kissed her and hugged her.

 

Finn and Jane got married. There was no happily ever after because he had to remind her everything but he enjoyed it. He saw her innocence when she tried to remember but couldn’t. Her culprits were caught after two years but she didn’t know anything about the incident because Finn thought it was best not to remind her the trauma she went through.

Everything in our life happens for a reason. Sometimes, a relationship goes through a rough patch to make break the relationship or make it stronger. It is up to the individuals if they want to leave or be there with each other through thick and thin.