If He Had Been with Me, #2
If Only I Had Told Her
by Laura Nowlin
Contents
Finn — Seventeen
Overview
Finn drives with Sylvie in the rain to end their relationship. He admits lying all summer and confesses he is choosing Autumn, framing it as a soul-deep bond. During the ensuing argument, Sylvie unbuckles, Finn speeds, and they crash. Sylvie is thrown onto the road, leaving her gravely injured as Finn races to help.
Summary
In the rain outside Sylvie’s house, Finn learns Sylvie already suspects his betrayal. She orders him to drive so she can confront him privately and pulls out a handwritten list of questions. As they head out of the city, Sylvie presses him on cheating, forcing Finn to admit he concealed his renewed closeness with Autumn all summer.
Finn insists nothing physical happened until the previous night, but concedes the emotional betrayal began weeks earlier with lies and omissions. When Sylvie asks if he ever loved her, Finn says he is in love with her, but also reveals he is choosing Autumn, describing their connection as soul-deep.
Shaken, Sylvie asks to be let out. Finn refuses to leave her in the rain and makes a U-turn toward her home. As the argument escalates, Sylvie unbuckles. On the wet road, Finn loses control; the car spins and crashes into a low median.
Dazed and bleeding, Finn realizes the airbags didn’t deploy and that Sylvie has been ejected. He spots her crumpled across the wet asphalt on the far side of the median. Shocked but mobile, Finn resolves to get to Sylvie, call for help, and get her to a hospital, then runs to her side.
Who Appears
- Finn SmithProtagonist; confesses emotional betrayal, chooses Autumn, loses control while driving, and rushes to aid injured Sylvie after the crash.
- Sylvie WhitehouseFinn’s girlfriend; confronts him with prepared questions, demands honesty, unbuckles mid-argument, and is thrown from the car in the crash.