Page 126 of When The Rain Falls

Finn takes my head with both hands. “And who gets to love like this twice?” His fingertips brush against my ears, his thumbs caressing my cheeks.

My heart flies out of my chest at his words and I wonder how my feet are still touching the ground. I squeeze him tight. If only to prove to myself that this moment is real. I run my hands along the curves and plains of his strong back as that word swirls around in my brain.

Love.

“You really love me?” I ask, hoping the question doesn’t sound as pathetic in his ears as it sounds in mine.

Men have told me they love the way I make them feel. That they love the way I touch them. But no one has ever told me they loveme.

“Fuck, yes,” he murmurs, his soft voice overflowing with something warm. “So fucking much.”

I think I love him, too. But I’m not certain I know what love is supposed to feel like. And every time I think I’m certain about something, the rug gets pulled out from under me.

“How do you know?” I fall into his soft grey eyes. I look for my answers there. Because if anyone knows love, it’s this man. This man who’s pined away for his wife for nine years. If that’s not love, then what is?

What’s the difference between a fling and forever?

He tips my chin up, his eyes falling intently on mine. “I know because for the first time in nine years, I can imagine a future, Aimee. And the only future I can imagine is one with you in it.” He pauses as he considers his next words. “You make me want to fight for something. And you give me areasonto do it.”

My heart isn’t fluttering. Not the way it usually does when he’s near. Instead, it feels liquified into something warm, serene, and full. I trace his jaw, admiring how strong it makes him look.

“What are you fighting for, Finn?” I whisper up to his face.

“For you, Aimee. For us. And for me. I’ll do all the fucking anger management in the world. Whatever it takes to be better. To be someone you deserve. Someone worthy of you.”

“You’re already that person,” I assure him.

Finn shakes his head and lets out a deep sigh. “Not yet. But I will be. I want to be everything for you.”

“I’ll help you,” I assure him. “I’ll always be here for you. No matter how hard it is. For the longest time, I just wanted love–"

“Baby, thatislove,” Finn assures me quickly. “Wanting to hold someone through their darkness. Choosing to stay.” Finn brushes his thumbs across my cheeks again.

“Then,” I whisper through the well of tears in my throat, “then I’ve been loving you for weeks.” I confess. “And I don’t ever want to stop.”

Finn pulls away just far enough to roam his gaze over my face. “Thank you, darling,” he says softly. He presses the tip of his nose to mine as I feel out the familiar grooves of his dimples and rest the pads of my thumb in them. Then he kisses me. It’s a sweet, gentle kiss. A kiss that heals something deep within me. A kiss that tells me I finally found what I was looking for. A kiss that tells me he’s holding something back for later. When we’re alone.

“What happened to your head?” I finally ask, running my fingers over the butterfly bandages above his eyebrows.

Finn pulls back and touches his forehead. Then his eyebrows crinkle together. “I crashed the van,” he explains. “On the way here. It’s wrecked.” Then he gives me a sly raise of the eyebrows. “Also, you should see the other guy.”

A smile curls my lips as I begin to chuckle.

“I’m serious,” he says solemnly. “I had a concussion and, I punched the EMT trying to keep me for observation. I did that for you, babe.”

“Romantic,” I say dryly, trying to hold back laughter.

“I’m actually kind of worried about it.” Finn turns slightly and scans the parking lot. “Law enforcement might be after me.”

“Jail’s not so bad,” I tell him as I pat his shoulder.

“Excuse me?” Finn turns his attention back to me and gives me a shocked look.

“I never told you about the night I spent in jail?” I say casually. The way his face turns murderous nearly has me doubling over in laughter. It wasn’t actually a full night. Alicia’s bail money came through pretty quickly. But I feel like it gives me some street cred. I feel like taking credit for the whole night.

“Fucking hell. I should have insisted on that background check,” he grumbles. He hoists me off the ground and I curl my legs around his waist.

“Would it have mattered?” I ask. He considers, then one side of his mouth shoots upward.

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