Chapter 8
Finn
What is that god-awful sound? My head is pounding. Maybe I took one too many painkillers because there’s a dull ache in my head when the only pain I should be feeling is my ankle.
Alone in the bunkroom, I push myself up in bed and look around.
Nope. There’s still that noise. Is that someone singing? Over the PA system?
Wow. Whoever that is should really—
“Finn, can you hear me? Are you awake now?” The singing stops momentarily and inserts a question.
Shit. That’s Kenzie singing and talking over the system.
“Just in case you’re not awake yet, I have one more chorus for you. Because I really, really need you to hear this.”
And then she busts out the lyrics of how she wants to dance with somebody that loves her.
Okay. I got the message. Loud and clear. I’m pushing the blanket off my body and racing down (with a slight limp) to where I know she’s singing.
She’s just about to belt out another line with all the guys cheering her on when she spots me.
I’m panting. Just a little. From the run? From seeing her face some of her worst fears? All of the above.
“Finn,” she blurts out with a small gasp, as if she’s surprised to see me. As if she wasn’t just serenading me.
“I’m here.”
“I see that.” Nimbly, she slides a lock of hair behind her ears. “You heard me?”
“Loud and clear, baby.”
“Oh.”
“It’s me. I’m the one.” I take a few steps toward her as the guys holler at me. Hunter is the loudest because he had his moment earlier this summer.
“I’m the one who wants to be the one who wants to dance with you.” Okay. That was a jumbled mess. I have to try that again. “It’s me, Kenzie. I’m the only one who’s going to dance with you like he loves you.”
I pull her out from behind the microphone she was singing into.
“I can’t believe you did that,” I whisper into her ear as I drag her into a hug.
Her words are muffled in my neck, but I can still make out what she says, “For you, Finn. I’d do anything.”
All the boys are singing the love song now. Hunter, Graham (surprisingly), and Nolan are singing the loudest while Eli’s just trying to remember most of the words. Doesn’t matter. I’m swaying to the beat with Kenzie in my arms.
“Life’s not perfect, Finn. But being with you is what I want. I was so anxious when I realized I wouldn’t get the job—”
“About tha—”
“No. Let me finish. Maybe I need to develop some skills before I take on that job. That’s okay.”
“I think you just developed that skill, baby.”
She flashes me a giant smile, warm enough to melt the arctic. “I was so scared when I heard you were injured. It was like all my worst fears were coming to life. But on my way to see you, I realized that those aren’t my worst fears. My absolute worst fear is not having you. So I want you. For however long I can get you.”
“Same.”
I know. Pithy, right? Simple but powerful. Okay, JK, I’m not done. Don’t worry. “You’re it for me Kenzie. I should have asked you out right away, but I thought it was better to separate work and love. But I can’t. I can’t even do that for work because I do what I love. So it only makes sense that I found my one perfect love at work. You. I love you, Kenzie.”
“I love you, too, Finn.”
The boys are still cooing a chorus of the song while we dance. So of course I kiss her, and then together we join in the song.