Sienna just stared at him, watching the sweat bead on Finn's forehead from pure nerves. Her brain was a total static mess; logic had officially left the building.
Finn was practically vibrating with anxiety. He let go of her shoulders and started pacing like a lunatic, rambling. "Sienna, please—don't shut me out. I think about you when I'm eating, I dream about you when I'm asleep. I took a job at the damn Ritz just to see you every day, letting some floor manager treat me like garbage. I know I'm a Vanderbilt, I know I grew up in a bubble, but I'd crawl through the dirt for you. Just... have a heart. Don't tell me this was all for nothing. Don't reject me, okay?"
Sienna bit her lip so hard she tasted iron.
"I can't."
"Sienna! I'm serious!"
"You say you like me—what, you want to rip your heart out and show me?" Her voice shook. she forced herself to go cold. "You're not my type, Finn. Thanks, but we're not a match."
She cut him off clean, her nails digging into her palms. The sharp sting was the only thing keeping her grounded. She looked pale, but her eyes held that "New York tough" defiance.
Finn's face went through a whole cinematic cycle—from hope to total shock, finally landing on pure, unfiltered frustration.
"Why? Give me a reason, Sienna! Give me something!"
He was losing it. He could feel her pulse; he saw the way her eyes lit up whenever he walked into a room.
"You like me. I know you do. Why are you lying to my face?"
"I'm not! I don't like you like that!"
Finn took a predatory step forward, grabbing her shoulders again. "Then explain it! At the hotel, you're always the first one to find me on break. When something's too heavy to carry, I'm the first person you call. When there are leftover pastries, I'm the first person you want to share them with! If you didn't give me those looks—those 'maybe' looks—do you think I'd have the guts to stand here? Sienna, admit it. You're into me!"
Sienna was getting dizzy from the shaking. She struggled, trying to shove him off. "Let go, Finn! You're acting like a psycho! Get off me!"
Finn didn't budge. Fueled by adrenaline—and maybe a little too much liquid courage—he did something he didn't even know he had in him. He cupped her face and crashed his lips onto hers, silencing her protests.
Sienna's eyes snapped wide. Her brain hit a total system failure.
Finn's kiss was clumsy, desperate. He pulled back just an inch, hovering over her, looking like he wanted to pick a fight. "How about now? Still 'not your type'?"
Sienna was frozen, just staring at him like he'd grown a second head.
Finn took a ragged breath. He was frustrated, he was frantic—he leaned back in and kissed her again, deeper this time.
That finally snapped her out of it. Flushed with shame and rage, Sienna reached up and raked her nails down Finn's neck. He winced, forced to let go. He stumbled back two steps, his eyes actually rimmed with red.
He didn't care who was watching. He shouted right there on the Manhattan sidewalk, "Sienna! If you don't say yes, I'm gonna kiss you every single time I see you until you give in!"
Sienna's face was on fire. She glared at him like a cornered kitten—angry, embarrassed, and totally overwhelmed.
"What are you, a creep?"
Finn squared his shoulders and lifted his chin, going full 'all-in.' "Fine! If that's what it takes, then yeah, I'm a creep!"
Sienna was speechless.
Finn looked at her—the way her anger only made her look more stunning—and he actually started to laugh. "I've never broken the rules for anyone in my life, but for you? I'll be the bad guy as many times as I have to. Come on, Sienna. Be my girlfriend. If you say no, I'm staying right here on this sidewalk and making a scene until you change your mind!"
"Finn Vanderbilt, you are literally insane!" she yelled, ignoring the side-eyes from passing New Yorkers. But despite the screaming, a tiny, traitorous spark of sweetness bubbled up in her chest.
"I'm a nutjob, I admit it! So? Is that a yes?" Finn put his hands on his hips, looking smug and punchable all at once.
Sienna stomped her foot. "Finn!"
"Careful, don't say my name like that. I might lose my mind and kiss you again," he teased, grinning.
Sienna suddenly dropped, crouching on the pavement and hiding her face in her hands. Her voice came out muffled. "You're blindsiding me. I'm not ready for this. Even if I said yes right now, I wouldn't mean it. What happens when I clear my head and regret it? Will you let me break up with you then?"
Finn paced a circle around the crouching girl, then dropped into a squat in front of her. He reached out and poked her shoulder.
"Sienna, look at me. I know you don't feel 'nothing.' You're turning me down for a reason, and it's not that 'not my type' crap. Stop dodging me."
His voice dropped, turning softer than she'd ever heard it. "Tell me. Are you in trouble? Is it money? School? Family stuff? Just give me the word. The Vanderbilts can fix 90% of the problems on this planet. Just try trusting me for once, okay?"
Sienna went quiet.
Finn sighed. God, this girl is stubborn. He gave up on his dignity and sat right down on the dirty concrete, ignoring the curious stares of people walking by.
"Look, I'm literally throwing my reputation in the trash for you today. You're really gonna let people see a Vanderbilt looking this pathetic? Have a heart, Sienna." His voice was smooth now, like a dark love poem.
Sienna didn't look up. She knew Julian Blackwood was the Sword of Damocles hanging over her head. She shouldn't drag Finn into her mess.
But right now, in this moment, she couldn't bring herself to push the light away.
"Sienna, is it the age gap? I'm only five years older. And the job? I can go back to the family firm tomorrow. I can take care of you. If you're miserable at the Thompsons', I'll move you out tomorrow. We can get an apartment on the Upper West Side, I'll get the best housekeeper—"
"I'm not an invalid," Sienna interrupted. "Why would I need someone to 'take care' of me?"
Finn froze, then his eyes exploded with pure joy. "Wait—is that a yes?"
Sienna looked up, her clear eyes searching his.
Finn was floored by the look in her eyes. He held his breath, locked in her gaze. In the middle of the noisy Manhattan streets, the world seemed to go quiet, shrinking down until there was nothing left but the two of them.
"Sienna..." he whispered, her name sounding like a prayer.