Maeve paused , then smiled . She turned to Kyle . " You can go now . Go get your car ." Confused , he started to ask why , but then he saw Maeve walk briskly toward the figure under the light , cheerful . " Finn , " she called . Finnick looked down , his tone cool and detached . " Mom and Dad were worried . They asked me to pick you up . " " I know , " Maeve said , linking her arm with his . " Let's go . They must be waiting . " Finnick frowned slightly but didn't pull away . He glanced at her . Under the moonlight , her face looked almost angelic, her bright smile sweet enough to melt right through him . For a moment , it stirred something in him . Maeve didn't seem to notice . She smiled warmly . " Are Mom and Dad asleep ? " " Yes . " " Then thanks for coming , Finn . " " No problem ." They walked back side by side , their shadows merging as they moved . Finnick caught the sweet , citrusy scent of her skin , subtle like fresh milk . After a brief silence , he spoke up abruptly . " I'm sorry. " Maeve stopped walking and looked at him curiously . " Why are you saying sorry ? " Finnick stopped too . His beautiful eyes met hers , earnest and sincere . " If I hadn't asked , Marl wouldn't have said what he did . I'm apologizing for myself and for him . " Maeve pressed her lips together and stayed silent for a moment . She watched him , his calm expression barely hiding his unease , then suddenly burst out laughing . " You were so serious . I thought it was something big . It's fine , really . I didn't take it to heart . " Finnick still looked unsure . " Really ? " 06:59 Chapter 19 208 Vouchers " Of course . " When Marlon had accused her, she'd chosen not to explain right away . She wanted them to figure it out themselves . People only believed what they saw , not what they heard . She was new to this family , and any little thing could make them wary or suspicious . It was only natural that they doubted her . She wasn't angry at all . But being endlessly forgiving would only make her seem weak . So she'd pretended to be upset , to keep them from going too far in the future . It worked even better than she'd expected . Finnick , who in the original story only showed tenderness to the female lead , had already let his guard down around her . Maeve refused to believe she couldn't get through to him . Sure enough , Finnick's expression softened visibly . He still looked calm and cool , but his tone was warmer . " But don't do something like this again . You're a student , not a businessperson . Act like one . " Maeve nodded , smiling . " Got it . " That seemed to satisfy him . They walked home together . *** Maeve expected the house to be dark when they got back . But it wasn't . At twenty past twelve , the Kerrigan's house was still brightly lit. Except for Jasper , everyone was there , sitting in a row on the sofa . No one had gone to sleep . When they walked in , Boyce , Debra , and Marlon stood up almost in unison . " You're back , " they said , one after another . Maeve greeted each in turn . " Dad , Mom , Marl ... Why are you all still up ? " Debra gave Marlon a slight push , sending him stumbling toward Maeve . His stubborn face was full of reluctance . He looked down and muttered quickly , " Sorry ." It was almost too quiet to hear . Maeve decided to tease him . " What was that , Marl ? I didn't quite catch it . " His head shot up as he glared at her . Then , through gritted teeth , he almost yelled , " I 06.59 Chapter 19 said I'm sorry ! " Finnick frowned slightly . Maeve just smiled gently . " It's okay , Marl . Don't worry about it . " Debra finally spoke . " Mae , dear , what Marl did was wrong . Please don't hold it against him . He promised me he won't do anything like that again . " Maeve smiled , her eyes curving . " I believe him . The kabobs are still in my room . We can heat it for breakfast tomorrow . " Seeing that Maeve wasn't going to make a big deal out of it , Marlon relaxed a little . Then he turned to Finnick and asked bluntly , " So you went out just to pick her up ? " Finnick's lips tightened . His expression darkened instantly . Maeve blinked . " Huh ? " She looked at him curiously . Their eyes met . Before she could say anything , Finnick turned sharply and walked to his room . The door closed with a thud . Debra looked worried . She asked softly , " Mae , honey , did something happen between you and Finn ? You ran into him on the way ? " Maeve smiled warmly . " Nothing happened at all . Finn was really nice . I like him a lot . " Chapter 201 288 Mouchers Chapter 20