Page 128 of The Nicest Thing
"What?" I asked.
"Extra-large," he said, looking up at me with a cocksure grin."Not sure how they knew, but good guess."
"But with the cherry, there are so many choices."
"This says made for her pleasure.I'd go with this one."
I blinked."You would?"
"Yeah—if we were going to have sex."He tossed the box, so it landed perfectly back into my bag."Which is absolutely not going to happen."
Trying to hide my disappointment, I said, "It's not?"
Finn gave me a strange look then turned back to his case."'Course not.Besides us being strictly best friends"—I could've sworn there was a little frustration in his voice—"you're the one who put that in the original contract.No sex, remember?"
I watched him.
"No unnecessary intimate acts," he added.
"I remember."
Finn was rummaging around in his things, presumably searching for a shirt.Watching his back muscles tense and release was the last straw.I couldn't take it anymore and finally found my voice.
"Did you mean it?" I asked.
"Mean what?" Finn said.
"What you said the other night."
His back tensed."You'll have to be more specific.I say a lot of things, so—"
"I'm in love with you.I love you, Rose," I recited from memory.
Once I'd started, I couldn't stop.
"I want to keep you forever."
Finn turned and met my eyes.His were burning.
"You and me"—I swallowed—"we're that hit-it-out-of-the-park kind of love."
"You heard," he said.Not a question, a statement.
"I did," I said.
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"I wasn't sure what to say."
Finn stared at me.
"So, did you mean it?" I repeated.
For a moment, he didn't respond; it didn't even look like he was breathing.Then Finn shrugged.
"Yeah, I meant it," he said.
His words made me feel like flying.
