Holding out for a hero

Message from the author:

If you enjoy this story, please give the chapter a like and help others find it, too. You are important to its success. And if you want me to write more chapters, please help me easily and quickly on Ko-Fi so I can do that. Thanks a lot.

Only good news today. I've made it to chapter 59. I'm writing this chapter from Bella's perspective for now. Later, Finn's POV will come into play. So, there will be regular content for you again over the next few days. And, if everything goes well, which I expect, then it will continue like this. The date with Bella is over, and soon the family orgy with the new Freedom Score will begin. And guys... We have some really interesting results.

First, the decision not to tell Bella about the MCD. I can understand that, and the opportunity to introduce her to the family and the situation in a fresh way is, of course, particularly exciting for me.

And now to the Lynchwood family.

Let's start with Tammy. That surprised me, to say the least. A narrow majority, after a whopping 170 (!!!) votes, voted for Tammy to focus entirely on our protagonist and see him as the center of her cute, soft, pink world. I'll be careful not to overdo it, of course, but to be honest, I think readers trust me enough with Tammy to continue accompanying her on her journey as Finn's little baby girl. As always, I'm here if there's anything to discuss. :)

But fuck, Jasmine really wore me out. What the hell happened there? I would have bet money that you'd choose "barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen." I've rarely been so sure about something. You're a really nice, caring bunch. Hot wife, it is. I can hardly wait until she takes Finn to work for the first and (certainly) last time.

Michelle was a 50/50 decision for me, and I couldn't really decide. I'm all the more pleased that she'll be the one with the clear majority vote for a trained puppy. We had previously decided that she would be the focus of the family orgy, and I think if I can fit it in appropriately, I'll be able to include the first extra chapter, "Water Sports," afterward. Optional and without impact on the story, but hot and steamy, if you can put it that way.

Now, please enjoy...

Chapter 56

"Didn't we want to talk about you?" I ask Finn, nervously brushing a strand of hair from my face.

What is this boy doing to me?

This should really be about him. He was the one who asked me for help in the middle of the evening, to help him with a dilemma that was bothering him. I was glad to be appreciated.

And I was relieved to be able to maintain control. Control over the situation...

Don't kid yourself, Bella. It's not a situation. Not a situationship with this boy. You have the hots for him, and now everything's slipping out of your hands.

The sun has already sunk low behind the horizon of skyscrapers, and a chilling breeze blows across the wide green expanses of grass and water of Central Park NY, under the stone bridges, around the scattered statues, and the many swaying trees, making me shiver.

"Right." Finn gives me a crooked grin and shrugs. Then he pulls his olive-colored jacket off his shoulders and places it over my back. I can barely suppress a blissful groan at so much tender masculinity. "But it seems you need me today, too." With that, he gently places his jacket over my shoulders, his gaze first monitoring his work, then fixing on my eyes and...

And I pull the jacket off my shoulders, show my sweatshirt again, and place his jacket on top of my jeans, correcting his attempt to help me and ruining everything.

I can't stand his gaze any longer and lower my head as I dig my fingers into the sturdy fabric of his jacket.

This is exactly what I want! What Finn wants to give me! He cares for me, protects me, makes sure I'm okay. And I...

I don't trust him.

"Bella. Hey Bella."

Actually, I don't even need his jacket anymore. My body is heating up with the anger and shame I feel towards myself. Trust is so difficult. After everything I've been through. But it wasn't even that bad. And it was my own responsibility. I was responsible for it, and now I have to deal with the consequences of a life lived too carelessly and resolved too late.

Here sits a nice young man next to me, streetwise and clever, fighting the rising odds of my messed-up life. The man I look to when I'm tossing and turning at night and can't sleep with worry. So far, no one has been able to live up to my demands, excessive and unjustified as they are. But Finn...

"Bella!" His hand on my thigh jolts me out of my nighttime dreams about a white knight reaching out to me and freeing me from the salt marsh, the quicksand I've turned my life into.

"I'm sorry," is all I can say to him. It's so clear in my head, so obvious. How I lean against him, cling to his body and his words.

But that's not the reality I live in. Of course I want this life, a life I'm sure Finn would give me. He would build it for me, our little kingdom, and put up a wall around it to protect me. But I know that requires something I can't offer him. Something I can't name, but I'm quite certain I can't offer him.

And so all I can give him is a weak apology.

"It was stupid," I tell him, at least managing to look into his eyes and do him the honor of not blaming it on the chemistry or the situation, like I did with the other boys I wanted to let close to me. "It's my fault. We shouldn't have let it get this far." His face is completely calm, motionless, but tender. He looks at me, watches me as I try to find what I've lost in my heart.

Trust.

"I trust you, Finn," I confess, and in doing so, I've done at least one thing right this evening. "You're doing everything right... but..."

"You don't trust yourself," he sums up in one sentence what I'm so afraid of. And I'm also afraid to continue.

"It's not you. It's..." But that's too corny and, even if true, not what Finn deserves. I know he'll take it to heart. "It's only our second..." But is it our second date? Then it would have ended in disaster, and I know that would make him just as responsible as me. "The kiss was..." But the kiss was incredible. I was happy, and I won't lie to him by telling him the kiss meant nothing. "Finn, I... I don't... know..."

This is the end. I can feel it.

And if that's the end, then I accept that it's my fault, not his.

Message from the author:

For the family orgy, I'll reread all the comments and choose pairings and situations that readers have requested. Feel free to take this opportunity to tell me what you'd like for the orgy. Tammy will probably already be in bed. As for Jasmine and Rose, I'll base it on my favorite animated series and base the first chapter on the theme song. Yes, I do things like that. ;) And then we'll take good care of our puppy.

Regarding Tammy and her girly behavior, I'm thinking about posting a poll in the next few days where you can specify exactly which of her behaviors you want to see and which you don't. I'll need more time to think about that.

And finally, the end of the first phase of the story "The Mind Control Device" gives us the opportunity to add more models. I'm seriously considering Tammy having a friend at school, and Jasmine also needs a workmate. This would give me the opportunity to introduce two new paths. I already know one of them, but not the one for Tammy's friend yet. Your thoughts on this? I'm thinking about using the mirror trait for Tammy's friends and turning her into a second daughter. I already have an idea of ​​which model I could use.

Her name is Juniper Ren.

And Diana Rider could be Jasmine's work colleague.

Have a good weekend, my friends.