Chapter 45
Chapter Forty-Five
Finch
As I fell through the air, my first thought was: I can’t believe I was so love drunk I stepped off the wharf. And my second louder thought was: she loves me .
I didn’t care if I was making an ass of myself falling into the ocean like a cartoon animal. She loved me. And I loved her. And I’d been almost too scared to tell her. I’d been so close to losing this feeling, but it was real. We could be real.
The summertime water didn’t bite with cold as I hit the cresting wave below, barely feeling the smack as I toppled sideways under the churning foam. I kicked upward, and as I was about to breach the surface, I heard the splash of another body hitting the water.
I came up for air, slicking my hair back in disbelief as Frankie popped up beside me, a laugh on her lips. Moonlight streaked her wet hair, glinting off the gently rolling waves that pushed us toward the slick steps that led up to the retaining wall. I beamed at Frankie like an idiot.
“You jumped in after me,” I said, grinning ear to ear.
“It was my turn to be the knight in shining armor,” she said as she treaded water with a newfound ease. “Maybe we can take turns saving each other.”
“Deal.” I grabbed her, pulling her into the shallows and spinning her against the steps. I grabbed the rail to anchor myself as I dragged my body into hers.
She’d jumped for me. Something I knew was probably terrifying for her and she did it without a second thought— for me . Because to her, I was someone worth jumping for. And I vowed to myself right then that I was never letting her go, that I’d do everything in my power to be the kind of person she deserved. Someone brave. Someone honest. Someone who wanted nothing more than to spend all day getting lost in her softness and falling even deeper in love with her.
I was all over Frankie before we could even climb the first step, kissing her in a way that I hoped would say everything: I’m sorry. I love you. You are everything to me.
She kissed me back, heat and relief flooding my veins in equal measure. I’d thought I’d lost her. I’d thought my foolishness had pushed away the one bright and beautiful thing in my life. But now I knew it wasn’t too late. My tongue dipped into her mouth, tasting margarita and rock salt. I hummed against her full mouth, my hands kneading into her ass and pulling her hips flush with mine.
I heard Frankie’s phone ringing overhead, her purse discarded on the rickety wharf above us. She pulled away from me with a chuckle, looking up at the beams of light peeking through the splintering wood slats overhead.
“Ignore it,” I said with a laugh. I pulled her lips back to mine, my tongue trailing over her bottom lip, and I wondered if we might spend all night in the ocean because I didn’t want to be separated from her long enough to get out.
The boards overhead groaned with the creaking of footsteps, and then a familiar voice sounded. “Hey, Frankie, it’s Hannah, I’m just checking that you’re okay?”
I laughed as I held a finger up to Frankie’s swollen lips. She yanked my wrist away and kissed me again.
“Anyway,” Hannah continued. “I thought I saw you guys come out to the wharf and—oh god, you’re kissing. Oh. Okay. You’re, uh, currently making out under the wharf . . . This is going to be a really weird message. I’m glad you two worked things out though! Oh god, okay. I’m going to stop talking now.”
Hannah fled back off the wharf, shouting behind her, “Congrats, you two!”
Frankie and I laughed harder as another wave rose and splashed us, rocking us forward. “We should probably get out of the water now,” I murmured against her mouth. “But I can’t seem to stop kissing you.”
“Let’s go back to your apartment,” she said, looking deep in my eyes as she threaded her fingers in my hair.
“Our apartment?” I suggested, kissing her nose, then I suddenly had that nervous stomach drop as I pulled back. “Unless that’s too soon and?—”
“Our apartment,” she said, cutting off my worried thoughts. “I really don’t want to sleep under that fucking tarp at the Salty Dog another night.” She pulled me tighter against her, keeping us from toppling over at the next strong wave. “And I can’t sleep without you beside me either.”
I smiled, barely able to contain it to kiss her one last time before helping her out of the water. We slipped and glided our way up the steps, bear-crawling to the top step and swaying on giddily gelatinous legs. My cheeks hurt from smiling so wide and I didn’t care.
I shook my head in disbelief as I grabbed Frankie to kiss her again. Our wet bodies pressed together and water dripped in a circle all around us. I hadn’t thought I would ever feel this way, and now I couldn’t believe I hadn’t felt this way all along. Nothing had felt more right than Frankie’s lips on mine.
I threaded my fingers with hers. “Let’s go home.”
Frankie let out a little, pleased hum and followed. I kissed the top of her wet hair.
“What are you doing tomorrow?” I asked.
“Why?”
“Want to get brunch with me on the mainland? There’s this great, little café I want to show you.”
The gravel beneath our feet crunched as she paused. “But . . . don’t you have to work tomorrow?”
I squeezed her hand and shrugged. “I’m taking the day off.”
A smile brushed across her lips. “It’s a date.”