“No.” Her blue eyes snag mine with such determination and sincerity, my breath catches. “You know me. You can read me, unlike anyone else.”
My girl diverts her attention to the gift inside the card, away from her emotions. She looks up, her eyes shiny. “What’s this? Plane tickets?”
I pull her toward me until she stands flush against me, her head tipped back to hold my gaze. “I can’t think of anything I want more than to have you meet my family and friends, to walk through town holding your hand, to show you where I grew up. For my new home to meet my old one.”
“Zach,” she hums, eyes fluttering shut.
“It’s not until after the playoffs. We can change the date if we need to. And if it’s not something you’re ready for, we d—”
Her eyes open, the shimmering sky blue watching me closely. “This is the best, most thoughtful gift anyone has ever given me.”
“But…”
She sighs. “There’s something I didn’t tell you last night.” I hold my breath, bracing for the blow. “Matt found out about the gymnastics, and he told my parents about it… and aboutyou. He’s sending me home with them tomorrow.”
The idea of being separated from her feels like a jagged knife to the chest. “For how long?”
“Until next semester. I’m coming back, even if my parents don’t want me to. I don’t care if I need to live under an abandoned bridge.”
I snort. “And people sayI’mdramatic.”
Finley’s eyes narrow in suspicion. “Wait—aren’t you worried about seeing my parents today after what Matt told them?”
“I won’t let anyone make me feel bad for being in love with you, Finley.”
She groans. “Stop being so perfect.” When I laugh, she adds, “I’m serious. Because you’re making it hard for me to say this next part.”
My stomach hits the floor, metaphorically squashed in anticipation of her next words.
“While I’m gone, I want you to think about what I said. A relationship with me will never be easy, Zach. I’ll understand if you don’t want your future to include an unpredictable partner.”
I shake my head violently. “Finley, I’m not going to change my mind.”
Her fingers tighten on my shirt, pulling the fabric near my chest taut. “Please… think about it.”
“Are you trying to get rid of me?”
“Did itseemlike I was trying to get rid of you this morning?”
I shrug in an exaggerated way, falling back on my age-old practice of cracking jokes when I can’t handle a situation. “Could’ve been a bang for the road.”
“You’re an idiot.” Finley balls her hand into a fist, then rears back to jab me in the gut. My abs tighten to absorb the blow as if it were nothing.
“So I’ve been told.”
“I want you to be my idiot.”
My mouth stretches into an enormous grin, the kind that’ll tire my cheeks if I hold it too long. As if I care about that right now. Finley’s hand lands on the nape of my neck, fingers running through my hair, overdue for a cut. I nearly moan at the sensation.
“But I need you to be sure—about me, aboutus. So please, will you think about it while I’m gone?”
There’s nothing to think about. Even if there were, it’s not like my mind can rule over my heart. My love for Finley Harris is too strong to succumb to something as stupid as logic. Finley’s expression remains unchanged though. It’s important to her, to know I’ve made an informed decision.
“Fine,” I grumble, relenting because she needs it, despite it being the opposite of what I want. “But only if you don’t disappear, High-flyer. We’ll talk while you’re gone, right?”
“We’ll talk,” she agrees, rising on her tiptoes to plant a chaste kiss on my mouth before collecting her clothes scattered throughout the room.
“You’re not going to enjoy the brownies with me?”
