Page 65 of Innocent Until Proven Witch

"Of course I am," he replies.

The crowd falls silent. So do I. Finn glances toward me, then back at them. "I love her."

The words strike tougher than the shackles ever did. The entire street freezes. Nobody breathes. Nobody moves. Even the officer looks stunned.

Finn continues before anyone can recover. "I know her." His voice remains steady, certain. "I know her character. If she were responsible, I would know."

The statement settles heavily, because they trust him, whether they want to admit it or not. Finn spreads his hands. "If you don't trust her..." He pauses. The silence stretches. . "Trust me."

Nobody responds, not immediately. The crowd begins whispering again. This time the conversations sound different. Less certain. More conflicted. Questions replace accusations. Doubt replaces confidence.

One by one, people begin walking away. Still talking, still gossiping, still watching. But leaving. The storm of public outrage slowly disperses.

Finn waits until the crowd thins, then turns toward me. For a while, we stay quiet. Because what exactly do you say after that?

I watch him and he looks surprisingly calm.

"Finn."

His eyebrows rise. "Yeah?"

"You are unbelievable."

A grin appears. "Have you met me?”

A broken laugh leaves me despite everything..

Finn offers his hand. I take it, without hesitation, without thinking. The remaining townspeople notice. Of course they do. By evening the entire harbor will know. By tomorrow the entire coastline.

The thought should embarrass me. Instead, standing beside him after everything that happened, I find I don't particularly care.

Finn squeezes my hand gently. "Come on."

I glance once more toward the crowd, then toward the lighthouse waiting above the cliffs. Home. For now.

Together we start walking. And behind us, the whispers begin all over again.

24

FINN

The archive door creaks open. Iris doesn't bother looking up.

"Go away."

I pause. "That's not very welcoming."

"Good." She flips another page. "I'm aiming for discouraging."

I shut the door behind me. "Unfortunately, I'm stubborn."

"I've noticed."

Iris finally raises her head. The moment she sees me, she sighs. Not an ordinary sigh. The kind reserved for people who routinely complicate her life.

"I was having a peaceful afternoon."

"I can leave."