SWNOVELS Finn Rhodes Forever: Chapter 48
I BLINKED at the delicate pink petals.
At the top of the ridge, the creek cut into the earth, cascading down the jagged rock. Tree roots burst through the cliffs, moss grew on landings, and wherever sunlight hit the cliffs beside the waterfall, a blanket of pink flowers grew.
My heart hammered in my chest.
“Am I hallucinating?” I whispered.
I stepped forward to the edge of the ridge, staring down the waterfall. The flowers ended halfway down as sunlight became more scarce.
“Holy shit,” I repeated. “They look so sweet, like they were just sitting here waiting for me.”
Finn’s hand landed on my shoulder and I turned to him. His eyes searched mine, his Adam’s apple bobbed as he gave me a soft smile of disbelief and pride.
“You did it.” I’d never heard this tone from him, all wonder and relief. “You found it, Liv.”
I glanced between him and the flowers, shaking my head. It was like a dream, the sound of water cascading over the edge, water pooling below. So quiet and serene, and we were the only people who knew about this place. In my chest, something slipped and dislodged, falling loose, fading away.
“I think a small part of me believed them,” I told him, dazed. “I believed that it was gone.”
He squeezed the back of my neck, warm, firm, and supportive, and I forced myself to breathe. On top of the ridge, the sun was bright and unfiltered. The air was humid from the waterfall and even though it was the peak of summer, the earth beneath our feet was damp. I tested the ground, bouncing my weight on it with a little frown.
Of course.
“It’s so simple.” I peered at Finn. “They have moisture, they have sunlight, and the rock likely has a similar composition to the sand down on the beaches.”
Finn’s eyes shone with pride and a laugh burst out of my chest.
“So simple.” I shook my head. “So fucking simple.”
Holy shit. I had found the flower.
My eyes burned and a hot tear rolled down my face. I wiped it away fast but another one chased it. All this time, all this work, and I had finally found it.
I wasn’t crazy. I wasn’t a quack. No one had believed me, but I found the flower.
No one but Finn.
I smiled at him through my watery tears. “Thank you.”
His eyes welled up and he swallowed. I hadn’t seen him cry since we were eight years old. “You did this, baby. This is all you. You found it. You were right.”
All the things I had longed to hear. I wrapped my arms around him and he hugged me so tightly I could barely breathe. A sharp, sweet emotion swelled inside me.
We held each other for a long moment, hearts slamming against each other.
I stood there hugging Finn, crying into his shirt, heart beating out of my chest, and I nearly laughed at how stupid I had been.
I didn’t believe in signs, but even I wasn’t dumb enough to ignore this one. Finding the flower with Finn meant something. Of course it was him.
It had always been him.
My heart burst wide open in my chest and I knew the truth.
I was fully in love with Finn Rhodes.
All the big moments in life, we had shared. Birthdays, trips, graduation. He was woven into so many of the experiences that had made me who I was.
And now this.
“Sharing this with you,” I whispered into his chest, “it’s the only way I wanted to do this.”
He scooped me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist.
“We’re going to have so many firsts together, aren’t we?” I asked him, smiling down at him.
His eyes were velvet soft. “Mhm.”
I leaned down to kiss him.
AT THE BOTTOM of the creek, we left our shoes on the shore while we waded in, letting the cool water run over us. Finn’s hand slipped into mine and I leaned against him, quiet and content.
“That’s a tough flower,” Finn commented, and I smiled.
“Yeah. Everyone underestimated it.”
He gave my hand a squeeze.
We returned to the ski lodge with a ton of photos. We’d left my kit here and would return tomorrow to collect samples.
While Finn cooked dinner, I flicked through the photos. He had made me crouch on the ridge, the flowers in the background, while he snapped pictures. In the images, my smile stretched ear to ear.
I glanced at him cooking over the stove, his broad back to me, the muscles dancing as he moved.
I wished I could say it. The emotion simmered under my skin. On the ridge earlier, when we stood together with shining eyes, it had burst and bloomed in my chest.
I really, really wanted to say it.
We ate dinner outside, watching the sun go down as we sat on a log listening to the sounds of the forest.
“Even this dried pasta crap tastes okay tonight,” Finn commented, and I laughed.
My nose wrinkled. “Is it bad that I’m relieved we won’t have to eat it for a while?”
“Fuck, no. I can never eat this or trail mix ever again.” He shrugged, bumping my shoulder with his. “Still worth it, though.”
I nodded, meeting his eyes. “Still worth it.”
When the light was too dim to see, we headed back inside. I added more wood to the fire in the stove to keep the cabin warm while Finn climbed up to the loft, laying out our sleeping bags. I heard the rustle of him against the slippery fabric, and my pulse picked up as I climbed the ladder.
“It’s too early to sleep,” I told him.
He was shirtless and my gaze dropped to the pictures across his arms and chest. His eyes followed me, shining in the golden light from the stove and lantern downstairs. “I know.”
Sparks shot through me and I crawled into the sleeping bag. He had connected ours together, one on top and one below. Propped up on my elbow, I leaned down to kiss him. His hand came to my jaw, tilting me open to deepen the kiss.
He sighed into me and the next second, I was on my back, watching him hover over me with a devilish smile that was different than usual.
Sweeter. More affectionate. Trusting. Like this was everything to him.
It was everything to me, too.
“You’re so beautiful, Olivia.” His eyes roamed my face before meeting my gaze. “I look at you and I can’t breathe. I can’t think. I just want to be with you.”
I nodded quickly, feeling like he’d pulled the words from me. My mouth opened and closed but again, the words I wanted to say tangled and snagged. Instead, I nodded again, putting my hands on his shoulders, his warm skin, his muscles.
“Kiss me,” I said, and he did.