Learning Curve

Scottie

“I love you,” he tells me again. “I’m here. And whatever obstacles and challenges and hard times lie ahead, I’m here. It’s me and you against the world. That’s how I see it. That’s how I’ll always see it.”

He kisses me again, harder this time, more passionate, and the rain mingles with our tears and tongues.

And I kiss him back. I don’t stop kissing him until the urge to say I love you is too much.

“I love you, Finn,” I whisper against his lips. “I love you. Period. End of story,” I repeat his words, and he leans back to meet my eyes.

“Me and you?”

I nod. “Me and you.”

He kisses me again, and I wrap my arms around his shoulders to savor the feel of it.

We’ve been through hell. We’ve been through ups and downs. We’ve been through a lot of shit. But each time we face something, it makes us stronger. And even when we tried to fight against this thing between us, this all-consuming love that’s grown, it didn’t matter because we always ended up right back here.

Us. Together.

“How about I get you back inside before your nurses end up calling the cops?” he asks, leaning back again to meet my eyes.

“Pretty sure the cops wouldn’t be too fussed,” I answer with a smile. “I mean, how hard is it to find a girl in a wheelchair?”

Finn laughs and shakes his head. But he also presses another kiss to my lips before grabbing my wheelchair off the sidewalk and heading back toward the hospital. His strong frame carrying both me and my chair without any issue.

By the time we’re through the automatic doors, a question pops into my mind.

“When did you get that tattoo?”

“About a week ago.” He smirks down at me. “And don’t laugh, but Ace’s dad is the one who did it.”

“What?” I blurt out on a shocked laugh. “Ace’s dad gave you that tattoo?”

“Yeah.” Finn grins. “Not only is he the financial king of New York, but he’s also a certified tattoo artist.”

“Holy smokes.” I giggle. “That family is, hands down, the craziest bunch of people I’ve ever met.”

Finn doesn’t say anything, but he doesn’t have to. It’s facts.

Once we’re out of the elevator and Finn gives my nurse Amanda a moment to see that I’m okay, he carries me back into my room.

Once inside, he sets me on the bed and grabs a fresh pair of clothes from the small dresser that has all my belongings in it.

“I can get dressed myself,” I tell him on a laugh, slapping his hands away.

But he shakes his head. “This isn’t for you,” he says and starts to remove my socks and shoes. “This is for me.”

I stare down at him, completely incredulous.

“All I’ve wanted to do is be here for you. For days and weeks, I’ve sat in hospital waiting rooms just so I could be close to you, and now I finally am,” he answers like it makes total sense. “I need this right now. I need to help my girl get out of her wet clothes and get dressed, and because you love me, you’re going to let me.”

It’s almost reverent, the way that he removes my jeans and underwear and bra and T-shirt. And his touch is gentle and affectionate, and it urges more emotion to spill onto my cheeks.

But I don’t stop him. Instead, I lie there and let him help me.

I let him put fresh clothes on me. I let him brush my hair. And after my nurse Amanda drops off a pair of scrubs for Finn to change into, he climbs into bed with me and pulls my body close to his chest.

“I love you,” he whispers into my ear, and I don’t hesitate to respond.

“I love you too.”

We fall asleep like that. Finn’s body wrapped around mine.

And for once, my heart and mind agree.

It’s taken us forever to get here, but it’s an amazing feeling to know that nothing could ever be big enough or wrong enough to make us leave.

We’ve already been through it all, and, together, we’ve come out the other side—this is love.