The door eases open as my feet land on the porch steps. Finley pokes her head out, mouth moving but she's speaking so softly, I can’t hear anything until I’m beside her.
“Don’t make a sound,” she whispers directly in my ear as her hand grasps mine and tugs me inside.
The contact sets my skin aflame. I’ve missed being close to her and so desperately wish we were headed to my apartment to be alone.
“Follow my path exactly so we don’t make noise.”
I nod, entirely focusing on Finley despite my curiosity about her childhood home. She sucks in a tiny breath when we reach the second floor and tiptoe past a couple of closed doors. I follow her lead, holding my breath until she releases hers after her bedroom door closes.
She looks more gorgeous than I remember in black sweatpants rolled twice at her hips, a thin strip of bare skin showing below a thin white tank. Nothing exists beneath her shirt, giving me a full view of her pointed nipples. My gaze shoots to the ceiling, ripping away from Finley before my brain malfunctions, and I lose sight of what we need to discuss.
“Can you… would you mind putting on a sweatshirt?” I stutter.
“You’re good now,” she says a moment later, her tone emotionless. No teasing. No laughing. I can’t detect one ounce of amusement on her face. I flashback to Christmas, her bright smile at the sight of me awake, gazing at her.
Finley is sitting cross-legged on her bed when my eyes find her again.
“You’re here.”
“I missed you,” I say, stuffing my hands into my jeans pockets. She fidgets in her seat, looking at her lap. “I guess you feel differently because you haven’t been answering texts.”
She sighs. “I haven’t had my phone since the last message I sent you.”
I sit on the bed across from her, keeping my hands at my sides.
Her chest rises and falls rapidly, visible beneath a baggy gray Harper Cove Elite Gymnastics sweatshirt. She shakes her head, hair swaying into her face, keeping her expression concealed. “You deserve better than my mess. You shouldn’t have to deal with this.”
“Deal with what?”
Her head lifts, my heart caving in when her watery gaze lands on my face. I hate seeing her like this.
“Acrazygirlfriend.”
I grip her chin lightly with my fingertips, pulling her face to mine. “Never call yourself crazy. You’re not crazy.”
She swallows hard. “Okay.”
“You can’t scare me off, High-flyer.” I release her chin but keep my eyes trained on hers. “I will never not want you. Any version of you. If you don’t want to leave your bed, I’ll crawl in beside you. I want to be with you wherever and however you are.”
Finley’s stare lingers. I nod, silently confirming she heard me correctly. She launches toward me, and I catch her, wrapping my arms around her back, breathing in her comforting scent. Finley takes a staggering breath and tightens her arms around my neck.
“I’ve missed you too,” she says, voice thick with emotion. “But I want what’s best for you.”
I nudge her back by her shoulders until we’re eye to eye again. She needs to see the truth as much as she needs to hear it. “You are what’s best for me. I love you, Finley. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten.”
Her fingertips land on my lips, silencing me.
“I could never forget,” she whispers before replacing her fingers with her mouth, sucking ever so softly on my lips. I let her do what she wants, remaining still as she moves against me.
All restraint goes to hell when her teeth gently scrape my bottom lip, sending a tingle up my spine.
My hands land on her ass, boosting her into my lap. She lets out a sigh, then kisses her way down my neck while I move her against me, back and forth. The people who rush to the main event seriously miss out. The tease can feel like torture, but it’s not something I’d ever turn down.
The thought of people brings me back to myself, to this moment.
“Wait,” I say, pulling back from her. I hate myself a little when I see those red swollen lips. “We can’t do this here. I don’t want your parents to meet me for the first time as your boyfriend like this. They’ve always been kind to me.”
Finley clicks her mouth. “I hate to break it to you, but…”
