Page 99 of Where We Belong

“Yeah.” I don’t think I could find the words for it even if I searched for days. Already, I’m craving more. If Lexie was addictive before, she’s suddenly topped the strongest drug in the world.

“You feeling okay?” I ask, rubbing her shoulder. Her skin is so soft, I want to bury myself against her forever.

“Yeah.” She looks up, sparkles dancing in her eyes. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

I grin like a fool, then dip to kiss her, and when I feel like she’s going to drag me down again, I push myself away and say, “All right, let’s go.”

Her forehead creases. “Go where?”

“Living room. You owe me another set of reps.”

Her bottom jaw drops. “Are you actually kicking me out of your bed after hooking up with me?”

“Yep,” I say, getting up to discard the condom in my trash can, then putting on a clean pair of boxers. “But I’m kicking myself out too, so it doesn’t count.”

She still hasn’t moved from her spot on the bed, so I kneel next to her and take her chin between my fingers. “As much as I’d like to keep you here and fuck you mindless for hours, you have dreams to reach, and I sure as hell ain’t holding you back.” I drop a kiss to her lips, then go grab a white T-shirt from my drawer and throw it at her. There’s nothing I like more than seeing her wear my clothes, save maybe for watching her with no clothes on.

She catches the shirt, a shocked smile on her lips.

“Now come on, Crabby. We’ve got work to do.”

Chapter 36

Lexie

Thedaycouldn’tbemore perfect.

With Finn’s official birthday in three days, Shelli asked me if I’d help her throw a last-minute surprise party for him, to which I of course gave an enthusiastic yes. And with an August birthday, we have the perfect weather on our side.

It’s almost 4:00 p.m., so Finn should be here in a minute. Shelli pretended to invite him over for dinner, and I asked all the guests to arrive before then.

“Everyone, get ready,” I shout to the small crowd gathered in the Olsens’ backyard, the pool glinting in the sunlight behind everyone.

People’s voices go down as we wait for Finn’s arrival. Meanwhile, I walk toward the barbeque and ask Gil, Finn’s dad, “Do you need anything?”

I’ve met him a few times before, but today’s the first time I noticed just how much he and Finn look alike. Similar close-cropped light-brown hair, with sharp noses and forest green eyes—the prettiest shade there is.

“I’m good, thanks,” he says while flipping a beef patty, then another. “Go sit down, will you? Don’t want to put too much strain on that foot.” He smiles, and it has the same warmth as Finn’s. Even without knowing him much, it feels as if I do.

“I’m also good,” I answer, not even lying. It’s been a hard couple of weeks—months, if I’m being honest—but I got through it, and it finally feels like I’m getting to the other side of this thing. I’m able to tumble again, and even though I’m in pain all the time, I’ll take it. My doctor wasn’t sure starting high-impact training this rapidly was a good idea, but I couldn’t care less at this point. Otherwise, he said my foot has healed surprisingly well considering how I broke it and how short my off-period was, so it’s almost a miracle I’m here. I’m never going to take feeling like this for granted.

With the injury, though, I’ve had to skip a big portion of the competitions this season, and since I don’t want to get back to it until I’m sure I’m as good as can be, I won’t be participating in any other competition before the selection camp for the World Championships—if I even get an invite based on my previous performances. It’s nerve-racking to think my big return will be during one of the most important moments of my life, but at this point, it’s not like I have much of a choice.

When I hear tires roll down the driveway, I gesture at everyone to stay silent. Then, we wait in a crouched position until Shelli brings Finn out the back door and everyone screams, “Surprise!”

Finn stands still for a second before exploding in the most magnificent smile. Looking at the pure glee written across his face, so honest and open, it feels like my heart isthisclose to bursting. I never knew someone else’s happiness could be so closely tied to mine.

Finn’s immediate reaction is to go hug everyone he can get his hands on, starting with his best friend, Aaron, and his wife, Wren. Then, he moves on to a few of his high school friends Shelli took care of inviting, followed by Lilianne—minus her asshole boyfriend—and then to my personal favorite: Josie.

After weeks of reflection, I finally came to the conclusion that if going back to Phoenix made me feel sick, then I shouldn’t do it. Actually, Finn made me come to that conclusion, and I’m so thankful he did. However, I still wanted to be able to celebrate my sister’s birthday with her, which is coincidentally next week, so I decided to get her plane tickets and make her come to us instead. I think she was even happier with that plan. She’s going to be spending the week with me, getting all the time in the world to visit the town I’ve been living in for close to a year now.

Once he steps away from the bear hug he gave my sister, Finn finally meets my eyes, and the emotion I see in them is palpable. He’s the kind of person who doesn’t need much to be happy, and when he is, everyone around him can feel it. He emanates this joy that can only brighten the days of those he comes in contact with. I know it firsthand. Sometimes, when I have a tough practice or a shitty conversation with my mom on the phone, I go to him, and it’s as if I get plugged in and have my batteries recharged. I don’t know how I’d live without it anymore, which is what makes the feelings I have for him so damn scary. Losing him would be one of the worst things that could happen to me, and while I wish I could tell him everything I’m feeling, I can’t find it in me to do so. Not when there’s a risk it could fuck everything we currently have.

“You did this?” he says once he arrives close to me, his hands buried in the front pockets of his jeans.

“Most of it’s your mom.”

“She just told me the opposite,” he says with a raised brow. Then, without preamble, he picks me up and hugs me so tight it steals all the air from my lungs. “Thank you, Crabby,” he says before pressing a subtle kiss to my head. We haven’t told anyone about whatever’s going on between us, and while I’d love to shout from the rooftops what he means to me, I also love that it’s him and me against the world.

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