FULL NOVELXO Finn Rhodes Forever: Chapter 20
THE SHIRT WORKED.
I couldn’t fucking believe it. Emmett’s stupid dorky shirt idea worked. The second I stepped into the bar, her eyes did that sexy, hazy thing like she wanted to drag me back upstairs.
That was the look she gave me on grad night, right before I slid the strap of her dress off. Pure fucking yearning.
Poor Liv, all horny and worked up. I smiled, sending her a quick glance before turning back to the road. I knew she was getting the sticky notes. I’d left one on a coffee this morning outside her door and a couple hours later, it was gone. The one of her car window had disappeared, too.
I thought back to the diner, how she admitted those things to me. My heart had twisted in half, seeing her vulnerable like that around me. It was almost like we used to be, like she knew I wouldn’t hurt her. My chest twinged but I shook it off.
I was so close.
Until she trusted me, no messing around. No sex stuff. Getting into bed with Liv was significant—I’d been thinking about it for years. A third of my life, I’d been dreaming about us back together. It meant something. If we slept together and things didn’t work out, it would destroy me. The idea loomed in the back of my mind, big, dark, and unwelcome, and tension bled into my shoulders.
In her seat, she shifted, crossing and uncrossing her legs, and I bit back a smile.
We weren’t having sex, but I could still tease her.
“Where are we going?” Liv asked, pulling my attention back to the present.
I smiled. “It’s a surprise.” I winked at her. “We’ll be there in ten minutes. You want to pick some music?”
She nodded and pulled out her phone to cue a playlist up before cracking her window as I drove. Her hair fluttered in the wind and my stomach dipped.
Fucking hell, she was pretty.
“You went to Dot’s doily workshop,” she said, her gaze on the passing trees.
I huffed a laugh. “Yeah, I did.”
Her eyebrows pinched. “Why?”
“Because she seems kind of bored.” I shrugged. “And she’s interesting to chat with once she moves on from doilies. She tell you that she used to be a nun?”
She laughed. “Yeah. She did.”
“She and her husband hiked all over the Rockies after they got married. And they did the same hikes when they were in their eighties. She said he was her best friend.”
Liv’s gaze was on the passing trees. Was she was wondering the same thing I was—would we ever be best friends again? Would we have adventures in our eighties, hiking around the mountains and teasing each other?
I fucking hoped so. I’d fight like hell to get that. I couldn’t picture my life with anyone but her. Even when I was twenty-two and stupid, when I told myself I wasn’t destined for anything long-term, my mind would wander back to Liv.
When I pulled up to the park, half the town was there. Anticipation curled in my chest, and my heart rate picked up speed.
Our date tonight was about showing Liv that we were meant to be, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t have a little fun with her. I knew she was lying through her teeth about wanting us to be a couple again, and seeing her keep the charade up was becoming an addiction. The flare of her nostrils, her twitching nose, the amused glare she shot me—it felt like we were us again.
“What’s this?” Liv asked, stepping out of the car, gaze sweeping over everyone sitting on picnic blankets.
“Movie in the park. They’re playing Superbad.” I opened the trunk and handed her a blanket. “We have a couple hours until sunset, though. Can you carry that?”
She took it from me and a little smile curled up on her mouth. “I love that movie.”
“I know.” I smiled at her and hauled out the cooler.
We wandered through the people on the grass, saying hello to Emmett and Avery seated on their own blanket, waving to Miri Yang and her husband Scott, who shared a blanket with Miri’s best friend, Don, who ran the town news blog, and his wife. I recognized some people from our high school, some with their own families, some on dates or with friends. Liv waved at Hannah’s dad, Frank Nielsen, sitting with his partner, Veena, who owned the bakery. I spotted the elementary school principal, and even some of the brats who had skewered me in front of Jen and Liv the day of my class presentation.
Everyone was here. Exactly what I wanted.
When we found a spot on the grass, we laid out the blanket and I unpacked our dinner. I had received a confirmation text earlier this afternoon, and now all I had to do was wait. I tapped my thumb against my leg, scanning the sky.
“What’s up with you?” Liv asked as we ate dinner. I’d brought pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw. Emmett had shown me the recipe the other day.
I froze, trying not to grin. “What do you mean? Nothing.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re twitchy.”
“No, I’m not.” Yes, I was. I was listening hard for the low sound of the motor.
“You keep looking up at the sky.” She glanced around. “What are you looking for?”
I shrugged and made a face like I had no clue what she was talking about. “It’s such a nice evening, don’t you think?”
“I guess.” She studied me, skeptical, and I bit back a smile.
Then, I heard it. The low, buzzing sound of a plane. I sucked in a breath, tongue tapping my upper lip as I watched the horizon from the south, where Mark said he’d be flying in from. The drone of the plane got louder but Liv didn’t notice it.
There. My stomach flipped as the plane appeared.
Mark flew for us as part of Search and Rescue, and ran a small airline company on the side with flights to and from Victoria and Vancouver. He’d been on board immediately with my idea.
“Oh my god,” Miri hollered, jumping to her feet, pointing at the plane. The banner behind it was visible but not yet legible. “It’s a message in the sky! I’ve always wanted to see one of these!”
Everyone started murmuring and watched as the plane approached. Delight unfurled in my chest, light and sparking, and out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at Liv.
She gave me a strange look. “What have you done?”
“What does it say?” Don called, standing and peering at the sign.
“It’s getting closer!” Miri yelled uselessly. “It’s approaching.”
Everyone watched in rapt attention as the plane flew toward the park, and my gaze flicked between Liv’s wary expression and the plane.
My mouth was an inch from her ear. “This is payback for the haircut, the doily museum, the pants, and the ugly poo shirt,” I murmured.
Her jaw dropped when she read what the banner said. “Are you fucking serious?”
One by one, people turned to us, smiling as they read the banner. A few awws rose up. Emmett slow-clapped.
OLIVIA MORGAN LOVES FINN RHODES FOREVER
Liv glared at me and my chest squeezed with excitement.
“I’m going to kill you in your sleep,” she hissed, and I thought my chest might burst. “What the actual fuck.” Her voice was a low growl, for my ears only, but she wore a strained smile.
“Olivia,” I said loudly so everyone could hear. “That’s so sweet. I love you, too, baby, and I can’t wait to be with you forever.”
She gave a tight smile to the people around us, and I held back a laugh.
I lowered my voice. “I wanted to make it clear to everyone that you’ve only got eyes for me.” I put my arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. There was the nostril flare I liked so much. “I didn’t want any of the single guys in town to get the wrong idea.”
Her gaze shot to mine before going back to the banner. “I can’t believe you.” The corner of her mouth twitched but she closed her eyes and shook her head. “A banner in the sky. How much did you spend on it?”
“Doesn’t matter. I thought about hiring a skywriter but I thought he’d get too nauseous.”
She snorted, burying her face in her hands. “Oh my god. You are so relentless.”
I leaned in so my mouth brushed her ear. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”
Miri approached with tears streaming down her face. “You two are meant to be.” She started clapping and everyone followed.
Across the park, Avery and Emmett watched with big grins. I gave Emmett a thumbs-up and he laughed and shook his head.
“Kiss, kiss, kiss,” I started chanting, head whipping around like someone else had said it. “Oh my god? What’s that?”
Liv snorted. “Finn—”
It was too late.
“Kiss, kiss, kiss,” fifty people chanted, clapping.
I beamed at her. “Well? I think it’s time for our first real kiss, don’t you?”
Her eyes narrowed and the corner of her mouth kicked up. She cocked her head. “Yes, I do.”
I hesitated. This felt like a trap. “Okay, great.” People were still chanting kiss! around us. “Let’s do it.”
“Great.” She watched me, eyes dancing. “Ready when you are.”
“I’m ready now.” My hands came to her jaw and I tilted her face up to me, leaning forward. “Want to count us in?”
Her eyes were bright, like she was entertained. “Three.”
My gaze dropped to her lips and need rushed in my blood. Her lips were the prettiest shade of pink and all I wanted to do was suck on her bottom lip until she moaned.
“Two,” she murmured, biting it.
The crowd of people around us fell away from my consciousness, leaving only her. My skin was tingling.
“One,” she whispered before she tipped her mouth up to mine.
The world stilled, narrowing down to the connection between us, and it was like no time had passed. My body remembered Liv, her soft lips, the flutter of her dark lashes against her cheekbones, the brush of her skin against mine. In my chest, my heart thumped hard, and with my hands on her face, I stroked the side of her jaw.
She shuddered under my touch. I was vaguely aware of applause around us.
A sharp pinch on my lower lip made me jerk back. A cat-like smile spread over her mouth as I rubbed the sting on my lower lip, blinking in surprise.
I snorted. “You bit me.”
“Mhm.” She wiggled her eyebrows.
My gaze lingered on her mouth. Was it wrong that I still found that insanely hot? Our eyes met again and heat and amusement rose in her eyes. I grinned at her.
She shook her head and rolled her eyes, but her smile lingered. “You’re unbelievable.”
I held her gaze. “You like me.”
“Whatever.”
“Say it.” I poked her side and she batted me away. “Say you like me, or I’ll tickle you.” My fingers dug into her ribs and she let out a sharp laugh, wiggling to get away. I tucked one arm around her so she couldn’t escape, and I caught a whiff of her scent—sweet and spicy. My laugh died out as she met my gaze.
Her eyes were warm as she studied my face.
“Fine,” she said, and I watched the way her lips moved. “I like you.”
My heart tripped like a clumsy teenager.