Page 75 of Study You

“Perfect.” Finn got to work, the first touch eliciting a moan from Gillian. She blocked out the sound, determined to have an ordinary conversation with her. “So, I spoke to my mum before I came here. We’ve decided on a care agency together, and she wants me to call them in the morning about availability.”

Gillian’s brows rose. “That’s great news.”

“She seems really excited about it. The company we’ve chosen can take clients to appointments and, if we pay for it, days out too. I think she’s already making a list in her head of places to visit.”

“Oh, Finn. That’s brilliant. And it’s going to take a huge weight off your shoulders.”

Finn couldn’t agree more. Just thinking about it all made her emotional.

“Oh, God. That feels amazing.” Gillian laid her head back, but Finn could see the smile she wore. “Why didn’t we do this sooner?”

“I believe you had your reasons,” Finn said, fisting her hand and slowly rolling her knuckles around the arch of Gillian’s foot. “You should wear flats more often. Your feet wouldn’t hurt then.”

“Oh, no. There’s no backing out now. I’m going to wear heels more because I know how good your foot massage is.” Gillian lifted her head and eyed Finn. “Is there anything you can’t do?”

“Plenty of things.” Finn lifted a shoulder. She wasn’t perfect. Not by a long stretch. “But…we’re getting off topic.”

“We are?”

“Gillian, I just wanted to thank you for taking a chance on me. These last few days have been quite crazy for me. I’m here with you, my mum has agreed to the agency, and I don’t know. This doesn’t happen to me. My life never falls into place like this.” Finn squeezed her eyes shut when she felt tears threatening. Her voice shook, but she swallowed the emotion down. “It just all feels really good all of a sudden.”

Gillian sat up and crawled towards Finn. She got comfortable in her lap, stroking her fingers through Finn’s hair. “My hesitation was never about you, Finn. You’ve never done a single thing to make me doubt just how good we could be together. It’s just everything else around us. But…I owe it to myself to try. If this all comes out one day, I’ll deal with the backlash then. So long as I know that I’ll still have you at the end of it all, I’ll face everything head-on.”

“I know you’ll make the best decision for you.” Finn leaned in and kissed Gillian, smiling against her lips. “That’s all I care about. What’s best for you.”

“I think we can get this right. You said it yourself in the park the other night. How can something be wrong when it feels as though it was meant to be?”

Finn wrapped Gillian up and shifted down the couch until they were lying with one another. “And there was me thinking you didn’t listen to a word I said.”

Gillian kissed the tip of Finn’s nose, sending her heart soaring. “I see and hear everything you do and say, Finn. I always did.”

Finn sighed, staring up at the ceiling as she stroked her fingers through Gillian’s hair. They may not know what was coming, but Finn would fight tooth and nail for this very woman in her arms.

Today, tomorrow, and in ten years’ time.

Chapter 25

One month later…

Finn sat on the bench she’d spent the last hour standing on and took a breath. It was almost five in the evening, and she’d been at Gillian’s new place since nine this morning. The house was really taking shape and much quicker than Finn thought it would. Okay, she had called in a few favours from friends within the industry—people she had helped out in a rush in the past—and now Gillian had a mostly functioning home. As of two hours ago, the kitchen was finished. And as of two minutes ago, Finn had applied the last stroke of paint to the main bedroom walls.

Honestly, she was proud of how much she had exceeded her own expectations. And Finn knew Gillian appreciated how hard she’d been working here lately. So much so that Finn’s dinner had been prepared and cooked for her on four occasions this week alone.

She turned her watch towards herself, deciding she would give her mum a quick call before Gillian got here. Finn had told her to go straight to the apartment, but Gillian had insisted on seeing Finn’s handiwork today.

She just wants to see you in the fucking tool belt.

Pushing those particular thoughts from her mind, Finn took her phone from the dust sheet covering the new furniture Gillian had piled up in boxes, and called her mum.

“Finley! Hi, love.”

Finn smiled. Her mum was far more chipper these days. “Hi, Mum. How was your day out with Monica?”

“Oh, it was fantastic! She took me along the prom, and we had fish and chips.”

Finn’s brows drew together as she looked out of the window. “Hasn’t it piddled down all day?”

“Oh, Finn. A little rain never hurt anyone.”

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