Page 73 of The Moment Promised

“We love you.” I giggle, and Finn shoots me a side glance. “Don’t we, Finn?”

He gives me a slight nod of confirmation, and I pinch Chloe to make sure she saw.

“Aw! You do love me after all, Finnegan.” She messes up his hair before skipping along the shoreline, stumbling with a drunken smile plastered to her face.

“She really does enjoy having you two here,” Charlie says, completely sober. Despite having a few sips of beer, I can tell he’s not much of a drinker. For some reason, my heart opens more for him because of this. “And so do I,” he says, pulling me into a side hug, and opening his free arm out to Finn.

Finn gladly accepts, and we hold on tight together for a moment before a song rips through the speaker Chloe brought.

We all turn our heads at once as Chloe displays a mischievous grin and turns the music even louder. The music echoes along the lake like a skipping stone. She walks back toward us and reaches her cold hand to mine, dragging me to the shoreline. She dances and I immediately copy her, swaying to the music on our makeshift dance floor.

I glance over at Finn and feel all the weight of loving someone. I only wish I could tell him.

The wind whistles through the trees, picking up my hair and entangling it as it blows around my head. We both shout the lyrics to the song, laughing and stumbling over one another as the crisp water engulfs my sneakers and her bare feet.

The song ends, followed by another from Chloe’s playlist. I turn to make sure Finn and Charlie are okay. They stand around the fire, enjoying Chloe and I making fools of ourselves. Tiny balls of light pop in the distance—lightning bugs.

A splash steals my attention away, water ripples in a circle, and Chloe is nowhere to be found. Her wet hair breaks the surface. She wipes the water from her eyes and lets out a chilled laugh.

“Are you crazy?” I ask, already shivering from the water on my feet. I gasp as she splashes me. “Oh, it’son.” I dive into the lake’s depths after her.

I swim until I can’t hold my breath anymore. I’m already far into the lake, my feet nowhere near the bottom. A giddiness explodes in my chest as I shiver from the cold water. I see Finn watching me from the fire.

“Come in! The water’s warm!” I lie.

“Not a chance.”

I take it as a dare, so I pull myself under the water, letting out a scream before I go. I stay there, willing myself to keep from going up too soon for air, and then I feel firm hands under my armpits, lifting me up.

“Are you hurt?” Finn asks, water dripping into his eyes from his dark brown hair.

I break into a grin. Finn’s concerned eyes shift to annoyance.

“She okay?” Charlie’s voice calls from the shore.

I laugh. “I’m fine.”

Finn’s eyes don’t leave mine as he says, “I think we should go to bed, love.” His annoyance lets up on that last note.

I excuse us from the small group. Once Finn and I are in the living room, he stops walking and turns to me. “You have no idea the hold you have on me, Ad. I thought—” his voice cracks, but he quickly nods away the emotion. “I thought something terrible happened to you in the lake. Please, never do that to me again.” He steps close enough to cup my jaw, then rests his forehead against mine.

I nod. I didn’t realize I had scared him that much.

All my fears and inhibitions die when I gaze into those eyes. “Finn,” I say gently. “How come you did that? On your birthday,” I ask, remembering tasting his lips for the first time. Feeling so shocked and confused.

“What, exactly?”

“You kissed me that night, but then acted like you didn’t the next day,” I whisper the last part. I felt so…broken. Like the kiss had been a punishment for embarrassing him, or something.

He sighs. “I know, love. I didn’t know how to approach it. So, I just?—”

“Didn’t,” I finish.

“I wanted to touch you, to hold you, that whole day.” He shakes his head. “You were so beautiful singing in my car, and your mannerisms were driving me crazy. I needed an excuse to kiss you and took it the first chance I got. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be… I wanted you, too.” My voice drops to a whisper, “I still do.”

I think back to that day, it feels like ages ago.

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