The Alpha's Girl

Seven

AURORA'S POV

“You should have seen him Finn," he was so hot," I said excitedly as I lay on Finn's bed in his dorm room.

“Uh-uh," he replied non-committal as he typed away on his phone.

It had been three days since I resumed college and apart from move-in day, this was the first time Finn and I were seeing each other face to face.

He had been busy with classes and practice, that we hadn't really had time to see and debrief each other about our life updates.

“He had eyes so green, they reminded me of emeralds," I said.

“You have never seen emeralds Ror," he replied, still not looking at me.

“I've seen videos and pictures Finn. Don't be mean. I know what emeralds look like," I scoffed in reply.

He gave another non-committal shrug as he still wouldn't look at me.

In annoyance, I threw a pillow at him which he aptly dodged. I hated how his reflexes were so good. He wasn't even paying attention yet he still avoided the projectile and it had always been like this with him.

“Finn David Mercer, what the hell is so interesting on that phone that's more important than me?!!" I yelled.

I saw him flinch at that.

“Woah woah woah, what's with the entire government name?" he asked.

I glowered at him.

“Okay okay," he said in surrender as he turned off his phone.

I sighed as I sat up. “Look Finn, I'm excited that you're thriving in this place with a whole new life and a whole new group of friends but all I'm asking is you don't forget your best friend."

He came and sat beside me, putting his arm around my shoulder.

“I could never forget you Aurora. You're my day one, literally. I'm sorry if the last few days made you think I would."

I smiled. “Well if you do, it's a good thing I've made a new friend so I might not need you anymore."

He placed his hand on his chest with an exaggerated look of hurt on his face and gasped dramatically.

“Am I being... replaced?"

“If you don't play your cards right, then maybe," I said smugly.

He rolled his eyes fondly at me.

“You could never replace me. We're a package deal. You can't find one without the other."

“I wouldn't have it any other way," I said as I rested my head on his shoulder.

I looked up at him not saying anything. For as long as I remembered, I had had a crush on Finn and for as long as I remembered, he had not noticed. He always treated me like a sister and it bothered me. My mission when we got here was to finally make him see me as his soulmate.

But as I looked at him now, suddenly I didn't feel so sure anymore. When I looked into my heart, it wasn't the familiar pair of brown eyes that occupied it. I was so confused. What did that say about me if after three days, I was already getting over my crush for someone who was practically a stranger?

“Penny for your thoughts," Finn says.

“I'm in love with you. I've been in love with you for as long as I can remember but now I'm not so sure about my feelings anymore after I've spent all my life pining after you and I'm wondering what kind of person it makes me," is what I should have said, what I wanted to say so badly but I couldn't.

“I'm just thinking about Jared," I said instead which wasn't a complete lie. Since the day I saw him, he had always found some way to occupy my mind.

He groaned then, taking his arm off my shoulder.

“Jeez Aurora, you won't shut up about this guy. He cannot be that hot."

I flopped dramatically on the bed.

“He's the most beautiful man I've ever seen," I said wistfully knowing it was the truth.

“I thought I was the most beautiful man you've ever seen," Finn said teasingly, causing me to flush tomato red.

I grabbed a pillow and covered my face.

“You are never going to let me live that down, are you?" I asked, my voice muffled by the pillow.

Amidst laughter, he answered, “No."

Two years ago, when we were in junior year of highschool, Finn and I went to a party. It was my first high school party after he had tried over and over to invite me and I refused. I wanted to make sure I had a good time so I practically made sure I drank everything.

I ended up so drunk, I was throwing up and Finn had to literally carry me home. I didn't have any memory of this until he reminded me the next morning.

Apparently, while he was cleaning me up, I had blurted out to him that he was the most handsome guy I knew.

He hadn't taken me seriously and just viewed it as the ramblings of a drunk girl. He had teased me about it ever since.

I sat up from the bed, moving the pillow out of my face.

“You know what, I will not be shamed for sharing my drunken opinion," I began as Finn kept laughing.

“You were the most handsome man I knew until I met Jared. You've been demoted."

“Ouch," he replied, putting his hand over his heart, “you wound me Rory."

I shrugged. “Sorry Finn but you forced my hand."

“I'll be fine. It was fun being reigning and defending champ of the most beautiful men you've ever known for as long as it lasted. When I meet this guy, he better be a worthy opponent of someone I'm losing my title to," Finn said.

I laughed. “You're crazy. But you might not wait that long to meet him. We're going to your game on Friday."

“Wait, like a date?" he asked.

I nodded, trying to fight back my blush.

“Okay good. I'd like to lay down the law and give him serious warnings about breaking your heart."

I laughed again. “You're sweet Finn but if push comes to shove, I don't think you can take him."

I thought about Jared and I thought about Finn. Not only was Jared, taller and bigger than Finn, he had this aura about him that told me he was the kid in high school who never lost a fight.

“Ouch Rory. Second time today you're stabbing me in the heart," Finn replied as he flopped dramatically on the bed.

“Sorry but I'm being honest," I said as I flopped beside him.

“Why would you be attracted to a guy you know I can't beat up? If he hurts you, how am I supposed to defend your honour?"

“Maybe he's not going to hurt me," I replied.

“You can never really tell with guys. Besides aren't ridiculously hot guys known to statistically be douche bags?"

“No idea where you got your statistics from but I don't think that's true. Besides, Jared seems... different."

Finn turned to look at me seriously.

“You've met him once," he deadpanned.

“We've been texting," I replied weakly knowing that didn't make my argument better.

The truth is, I didn't have a solid argument, only a gut feeling that Jared was one of the good ones and he wouldn't hurt me and my gut is almost never wrong... except all the times it's been wrong but not this time.

“Okay Rory. I won't argue this with you. I hope for your sake, you're right. Just remember, you've never really dated anyone and you should be careful."

My face flamed at that. “You haven't dated anyone before either. Why are you acting like you're so much more experienced than me? We literally grew up in the same orphanage and group home. Don't talk to me like I'm some sheltered girl who doesn't know how the world works."

“Okay okay, relax. I wasn't trying to imply anything or offend you. I just want you to be careful."

I scoffed at that, grabbed my phone and looked at the time.

“It's getting late. I should get going," I said as I began to stand from his bed.

“Woah woah woah. You're really getting mad over me asking you to be careful? I'm your friend. It's my job to protect you."

“That's the thing Finn. You're my friend not my bodyguard. It's not your job to protect me. You've protected me my whole life Finn and I appreciate you but I'm not your little sister. I'm not some inexperienced little girl who can't make the right choices. I've seen the dark side of the world just like you and I wish you'd remember that."

“You're right. You're right. I'm sorry. You're not a little girl. You're a grown woman, well a grown teenager," he said but paused to look at me.

I raised an eyebrow at that comment but couldn't help myself and I smirked.

“Sorry," he replied with a sheepish smile and continued, “the point is, I care about you. You're my best friend and yes you're not my little sister but I do see you as family Rory and I've lost all my other family, so you're all I've got and I just don't want to lose you. So I'm sorry if I come off as overprotective sometimes but it's because I care."

My eyes teared up at that and I wrapped my arms around him in a hug. No matter what my feelings for him are, Finn would always be my family too and I guess I might have overreacted a little.

Just then, the door opened and a guy who I'm assuming is Finn's roommate walked in.

“Oh I'm sorry. There was no sock on the door. I didn't know I was interrupting," he said causing my face to burn and for us to quickly pull apart.

“Oh my gosh, no, ew, Steve, this is Rory. She's a friend and like a sister to me," Finn said.

His introduction kinda stung. I know we're nothing more than that but he didn't have to go that far. I tried not to take offense and shake Steve's hand.

“Hi Steve, we didn't get to meet when I was helping Finn move in," I said, a smile on my face.

“That's too bad," he said, “I would have loved to meet you."

“Dude, not cool," Finn said as he stood up and went to the bathroom.

“God forbid a guy compliment a pretty girl," Steve replied.

He flashed me a smile that made me giggle. Steve was kinda cute. He was tall, around the same height as Finn, 5'11. He had dirty blonde hair and brown eyes.

“He's not that cute," a voice said in my head.

And not just any voice, it was the same voice I heard that first day. And it sounded, jealous?

Okay, now I know I'm not crazy. That was definitely a voice different from my own.

Steve waved his hand in front of my face, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Are you okay Rory?" he asked.

I blinked then nodded. I couldn't exactly tell him I heard a voice in my head. I had a wild thought. What if I responded?

“How do you know?" I asked.

“What?" the voice asked, sounding familiar.

I swear, I could almost point my finger on who it was.

“How do you know he's not that cute?" I repeated, “you haven't seen him?"

“Your mind paints quite the picture princess."

I furrowed my brows at that.

“Who are you?" I asked.

“You'll find out soon enough. If I tell you now, it might scare you off."

I have officially lost my mind. I'm having a conversation with the voice in my head. When most people hear voices in their head, they see a therapist, here I am conversing with mine.

“You're not crazy Rory and you don't hear voices. You're hearing one voice."

“That doesn't make me feel any better. Normal people don't hear any voices."

“Maybe you're not normal."

“Gee, thanks."

The most beautiful laugh sounded in my head and I couldn't help but smile.

“I mean that in the best way. Besides, normal's boring. Why be normal?"

He had a point, I guess.

“When will you tell me who you are and how this is possible?"

“Soon."