Page 58 of The Moment Promised

“Jack and Jill?” Finn turns to me. “Sweety, that’s exactly what we’ve been looking for!” he says, acting the part of an excited fiancé and soon-to-be dad.

We follow Shanna upstairs. I say so only Finn can hear me, “You must have a death wish.”

His shoulders rise and fall like he’s silently laughing, I want to kick him behind the knees, but I hold off.

For now.

“Hiking with you is a test of patience.” Finn stands above me, hands on his hips while I violently try to catch my breath.

Hiking is not for me…let’s just say that.

I try to blame my poor stamina on Florida’s lack of incline but I’m pretty sure a turtle could hike this trail faster than I can.

Finn casually walks this trail like it’s nothing. It’s infuriating.

My feet ache, and my skin is coated in a layer of sweat, not in a pretty, glistening way either. But nothing can beat this view.

The entire town of Authensville in a single glimpse, pocketed right before us.

It’s breathtaking.

After the humiliating open house, the one where everyone started congratulating me on my pregnancy, we checked out of the hotel and decided to head north. We came upon this small town, the population of which is less than a shopping mall in South Florida.

The sun lays low, hugging the horizon. It rests in a golden hue, making Finn’s eyes a polished shade of honey.

He has an after work out glow, his hair a darker shade of brown painted with sweat, and he somehow still smells good, I realize as he comes up behind me, loosely holding my hips. He whispers close to my ear, “I would climb a thousand mountains just to witness this again.”

I try to keep my huffing and puffing at bay, especially with his proximity. “I know, this view…I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“I wasn’t talking about the view.” He rests his chin on top of my head, letting his arms wrap all the way around my stomach. “I was talking about your smile.”

The warmth of his words caresses me. “You can’t even see my face. How do you know I’m smiling?”

“Because I can feel it,” he whispers.

There are a few other people at the top of the mountain, taking photos and admiring the colors in the sky as the sun sets further.

“Excuse me, will you take a picture of us?” Finn asks. I turn around and see him handing his phone to a woman who is probably in her early thirties.

I turn around completely, wrapping my arm around Finn and smiling at the phone, but in one swift movement, he grabs my face and presses his lips into mine in a wave of passion.

I am caught completely off guard and blink several times after he has pulled away to retrieve his phone.

Finn wanting a picture of him kissing me does strange things to my pulse. It lights me up and makes me want to take a million photos of his lips touching mine.

I breathe in the woodsy smell of a campfire nearby. The breeze carries Finn’s expensive smell, entangling my hair. I’ve never felt so alive.

Finn hums the beat ofPerfectby Ed Sheeran, and I make out the lyrics in my head.

Maybe he doesn’t realize what the lyrics say, or maybe I read too much into things. I watch him, his amber eyes, and the gentle smile on his face as he watches the sun fall. The wind blows his brown hair, the wordsI love youscratch the back of my throat, begging to be said out loud.

But I can’t, because then Finn would know how deep I’m in, and would definitely call this quits because he wouldn’t want to hurt me at the end of the summer. Because one way or another, this will end.

He goes to school hours away from me, and I can guarantee there are beautiful girls at FSU lining up to get a taste of him. The thought of him with anyone else rips me apart with jealousy.

I close my eyes and wish that in some alternate reality, Finn and I would never have to go back home. Maybe in this other world, he would fall in love with me too, and I could shout from the rooftops,I love Finn Walker!

My eyes glass over, and before I can hide it, Finn wraps my arms around his neck, and rests his on my waist. He sways us back and forth, still humming.

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