Later that evening, Hanna found herself sitting in the passenger seat of Finn’s car, the streetlights casting golden streaks across the windshield. They hadn’t planned to spend more time together after the library, but Finn had insisted on driving her home, saying it was too cold to walk.
“Do you still listen to this?” Hanna asked, gesturing toward the soft music playing from the speakers. The song was familiar—a track he used to play all the time when they’d first started spending time together.
“Every now and then,” Finn replied, his tone light but tinged with something deeper. “It reminds me of you.”
Hanna glanced at him, her heart skipping a beat. “You never told me that.”
“There’s a lot I never told you,” Finn said, his hands gripping the steering wheel. “But I want to change that.”
The car slowed as they reached her house, and Finn pulled into the driveway. Neither of them moved to get out, the warmth of the car creating a small bubble of comfort that Hanna wasn’t ready to leave just yet.
“Can I ask you something?” Finn said, breaking the silence.
Hanna nodded, her fingers playing with the hem of her coat.
“Why did you agree to give this a chance?” he asked, his voice quiet. “After everything I’ve done, after how badly I hurt you… why didn’t you just walk away?”
She thought about his question for a long moment, the answer surprising even her. “Because,” she said finally, “I think a part of me never stopped wanting this. Wanting… us.”
Finn’s eyes softened, his gaze locking with hers in the dim light of the car. The weight of her words hung between them, heavy yet comforting. Slowly, tentatively, he reached across the console and took her hand in his.
“Hanna,” he murmured, his voice low and filled with emotion. “I’m not going to mess this up. Not again.”
Her lips parted, but no words came. Instead, she leaned closer, the space between them shrinking until their breaths mingled. Finn tilted his head slightly, his free hand brushing a strand of hair from her face before cupping her cheek.
Their lips met, soft and hesitant at first, as though testing the fragile connection between them. But as the kiss deepened, the world outside the car seemed to disappear. The warmth of his touch, the way his thumb traced her cheek, the emotion in every movement—it all made her feel alive in a way she hadn’t in so long.
When they finally pulled apart, Finn rested his forehead against hers, his eyes closed and his breathing uneven.
“Is this okay?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Hanna smiled softly, her hand still in his. “It’s a start,” she said.
They stayed like that for a moment longer, the air between them filled with the quiet promise of something new.