Page 6 of Say You Love Me

I shake my head and pull my feet out of the water. Drawing my knees to my chest, I tuck my toes over the edge of the dock and wrap my arms around myself, resting my chin on my kneecaps.

“I just come back here to remember.”

He opens his mouth and looks as though he wants to ask me what I come to remember, but then he shakes his head, discarding the thought.

“Tell me your last name,” he demands.

“Why?”

“Does there have to be a reason?”

I frown. “Yes. For all I know you could be a serial killer or something.”

He gets to his feet and holds out his hand, inviting me to stand. “And knowing your last name would help me kill you?”

I place my hand in his cautiously. His skin is warm and rough. He tugs me to my feet.

“It’s nothing special,” I say. “It’s Jones. Finity Jones.”

He’s still holding my hand and he lifts it to his lips, placing a soft kiss across my knuckles. “I wanted to know because I think I’m meant to fall in love with you, Finity Jones.”

Even though I laugh, I can’t deny the tumble of wings that take flight inside my chest. I go to pull my hand away, but he holds it tight, tugging me closer to him. I’m pressed to his chest and even though my brain is sending warning bells at the closeness of this stranger, I don’t move away. He looks at me intently, his eyes clear and purposeful. The air grows thick. My breath gets caught in my chest. Above us, the sky cracks with thunder and lightning and the heavens open, pouring down rain. It breaks the connection between me and this stranger, and he tips his head to the sky, grinning as he opens his mouth and catches the drops on his tongue.

“Come on,” he says, still holding my hand. “I know somewhere we can go.”

He pulls me after him and we run down the alleys of the marina, the world around us intermittently flashing with white only to plunge into darkness again. One of the lamps on the jetty crackles and explodes as we run beneath, spraying us with sparks.

“Hudson! Hudson!” The voice reaches us through the heavy rain. It is high-pitched and sweet but tinged with urgency. In the distance we see a silhouette waving from under cover. Hudson’s shoulders slump just the slightest bit but he turns, running to the shelter.

“You’re all wet.” Ava walks between us and our hands fall apart. She gives me a cursory glance before placing her hands on his chest, looking up at him with concern in her eyes. Her fingers dance over him protectively, and her glance keeps sliding to me as though she’s declaring her intentions. “We need to get you home and dried off.”

Hudson peels her hands from him and takes a step back, shaking his head and sending droplets of water over us all.

“Eww.” Ava wipes her face.

Hudson runs his hands over his face and through his hair before grinning at me. His white shirt is plastered to his chest, and his jeans are hanging dangerously low on his hips due to the weight of the rain.

“Finity, this is my best mate, Liam.” It’s only then that I notice the other man leaning against the wall, an amused smirk on his face. “And this is his little sister, Ava.”

I give a small smile and a wave as Ava looks me up and down with disgust.

“Infinity?” she says.

“Just call me Fin.”

She narrows her eyes, deeming me unworthy of any further conversation before turning back to Hudson. “We should get going.”

Suddenly there’s something inside me that doesn’t want him to leave, that wants to cling onto this stranger that declared he was going to fall in love with me.I take a step forward.

“He can’t.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. “He’s coming with me.”

Hudson looks over, eyebrows raised, then turns to Ava, digging his hands into his pockets and shrugging his shoulders. “I can’t. I’m going with her.” He holds out his hand, expecting me to take it.

Ava’s eyes narrow even further and she folds her arms across her chest. “And who even are you?”

“She’s the woman who I’m going to fall in love with.” Hudson extends his hand closer, waiting for my response.

Ava snorts and suddenly I see her as a little girl, looking up to the boy she’s always loved. For a few seconds I feel pity. Then she opens her mouth. “How much do you even know about this person? She could be a serial killer.”

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