14. Lucie
Three days dragged on like watching fresh paint dry. Now her date was finally here, and she couldn’t stop staring at the clock like it was a bomb about to go off. Finn said midnight. And it was?—
What if he was going to be late? What if he forgot? What if he changed his mind and didn’t want to go? What if he died in a car accident on the way over, and it was all her fault because he was driving to her? What if she never got to tell him she was starting to . . .
No, she couldn’t afford to think like that; she’d put too much time into preparing for tonight.
Right now, her dad was drinking at the bar.
She didn’t know what was so terrible about his life that he had to get drunk every night.
He always stumbled into bed after a night out, especially if his team won.
She had been watching the scores for the last hour.
They were winning. He would be in a good mood.
When he got back, she knew he wouldn’t come looking for her.
And to make it better, she had made his favorite meal and left it in the fridge for him to eat when he got back.
A peace offering.
A bribe.
To stay away, enjoy his meal, and go to bed.
She brushed her hand along the edge of her bed, feeling the soft, worn fabric beneath her fingertips, and tapped her braided sandals to a rhythm only she knew.
The second hand on the clock ticked again.
Ugh.
She jumped off the bed.
Should she message him?
This was hopeless. I am hopeless.
She glanced at herself in the mirror for the dozenth time.
Nerves twisting in her stomach. What was she doing?
This was ridiculous! Sneaking away with a boy in the middle of the night.
This was how people ended up in murder documentaries.
Maybe she should turn off all the lights and pretend she wasn’t home.
But she would be okay. She would be safe. Finn made her feel safe.
The clock ticked. The sound was becoming her natural-born enemy.
Her fingers brushed her cheek, across where the makeup she had painstakingly applied over the last couple of hours to blend, conceal, contour, and hide every bruise, every reminder of her reality.
Maybe she should go out by herself if he didn’t come? She said this was the day she was going to explore the beach. If he didn’t show up in the next ten minutes, she resigned herself to going alone. She was going to enjoy this day, no matter what, even if she had to walk there.
12:00.
She chewed on her fingernail.
Maybe it was for the best that he wasn’t there.
Maybe this was all a joke? A casual invite he hadn’t meant to follow through on. What if she’d misread everything?
But the note seemed pretty specific . . .
12:01.
Lucie looked at the red bikini she had bought years ago on a whim.
The tags were still on it when she went to put it on.
The yellow-capped sundress she wore over it had a sweetheart neckline with a ruffle detail at the bottom, and it flowed like a wave with every step she took.
She looked silly. Like she was playing dress-up in someone else’s life.
She had been trying too hard to seem cute, but sexy.
Playful, but not easy. Spontaneous, but not overbearing.
Maybe her outfit didn’t say any of that, but she didn’t have a phone-a-friend option.
12:02.
She checked her beach bag for the third time.
They were going at night, so she didn’t need to worry about sunscreen or sunglasses.
She’d packed a towel, a romance novel a tourist left behind, an old sketchbook, three pencils (in case she lost the first one), the pepper spray from under the counter, and a million other things the internet assured her were essential for her first trip at the beach.
12:03.
She bit her nail.
Lucie fiddled with her braided hair-headband. It had taken her an hour to perfect, with the red waves going down her back, and she refused to let a good hair day die in vain.
12:04.
He wasn’t coming.
Fine.
She would go herself. She’d squirreled away enough money to call a taxi.
But then—tap, tap.
A small, hesitant knock against the glass. Like he was unsure of himself.
Lucie’s breath caught as she turned, her eyes landing on Finn’s shadowy figure framed against the moonlight.
No. Way.
Finn gave her a small wave, a lopsided grin spreading across his face as she opened the balcony door. His dark shirt strained against his muscles.
Her heart screamed at her, He didn’t forget! He’s here. He kept his promise. Let’s have his babies. She told the last part of her heart to shut up.
“You’re late,” Lucie whispered.
“Sorry, I had a couple of things to take care of.” Then he really looked at her, and his eyes softened. “Wow. You look beautiful,” Finn breathed.
She tried not to shrink into herself. Maybe she shouldn’t have worn the bikini. Too daring. Maybe she could change before they left? He smiled at her, a smile just for her. Okay, nope—time to go now.
She shouldered her overpacked beach bag. Without a word, Finn reached his hand as if asking to take it. She gripped the handles. He still hadn’t come in. If she didn’t give him permission, she knew he would walk away.
Last chance to ask him to turn around and leave.
She looked back at the oil painting she was working on. The sky was still unfinished. She wanted to memorize the colors of the sunrise with Finn and paint them to immortalize this one perfect day.
“I’m ready.” She grinned.
She gave him her bag. He looked a little silly holding her pink tote bag, but it made her so unbelievably happy.
When he reached out, offering his hand, Lucie hesitated only for a moment, looking back at her painting. She was finishing this painting. No matter what. She was going to be brave and do this for her mom.
And more importantly, do something for hers. Besides her art, this was the first thing in her life that she had just done for herself.
For her own enjoyment.
Happiness.
Peace.
Finn’s grip was warm and steady, and it made her feel like this wasn’t a mistake. She could almost hear her mom cheering her on, and that helped her take her first step toward Finn.
“As big a fan as I am of that dress, sweetheart, it might be difficult to climb down the tree,” Finn suggested, nodding his head toward the steps to the shop.
Straight away, she shook her head. “There are cameras in the front of the store, but not in the back.”
Lucie stepped onto the balcony, looking over the railing to the overgrown forest, goosebumps running down her arm from the rush of the night air. It wasn’t too far. But she couldn’t understand how he had been going back and forth this whole time. Was he secretly a ninja?
As if sensing her nerves, he said, “You’ve got this.” His voice was low and warm, like the softest shade of dusk. “I won’t let you fall.”
Lucie nodded, but her hands trembled slightly as she climbed over the ledge.
The wood was rough beneath her fingers, and her feet dangled precariously over the side.
Oblivion called to her. But then Finn’s hand found hers, strong and certain.
The callouses that spoke of a life lived to the fullest, but to her, they were like anchors—secure, unbreakable.
Slowly, she eased herself down to a solid tree branch. Finn guided her, his touch firm yet gentle, his other hand bracing her back, fingers splayed wide as if to catch her at the slightest misstep.
“Good girl. Just a little bit further. You’re almost there,” he praised in her ear. She shivered.
The world around them seemed to fade into nothing but the rustle of leaves, the whisper of night, and Finn’s steady presence beside her.
Branch by branch, they climbed down. Finn took his time, making sure every step she took was secure. Safe. And that a single branch wouldn’t scratch her skin. What took him seconds took them minutes. But he never pushed. Only encouraged. With each foot she placed, she grew more confident.
He jumped the last couple of feet, where Finn positioned himself directly beneath her, arms outstretched, ready to catch her.
“I’ve got you,” he said, looking up, his gaze unwavering. She glanced down, meeting his eyes, and something in her chest unclenched. She let go, falling the last few feet, but there was no fear, just the sudden embrace of his strong arms.
Finn caught her effortlessly, his grip like a lifeline. She could feel the strength in him, the muscles that tightened around her to keep her steady. His chest was solid against her side, the beat of his heart a rhythmic, calming presence.
“You okay?” he asked, his voice close to her ear, vibrating through her as if echoing in a hollow room.
Lucie nodded, leaning into him just a little more, testing the space between them, feeling the undeniable safety of his hold.
“Yeah,” she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath. This man wouldn’t let anything bad happen to her, and for the first time, she genuinely believed that.
Finn smiled, the corners of his mouth lifting softly as he set her down.
Lucie found her footing, but the imprint of his touch lingered, steadying her in a way she hadn’t felt in a long time.
And she wished that he had held her longer.
Maybe she needed to throw herself off more trees?
But she got the feeling that if she asked Finn, he would do whatever she wanted.
A new paintbrush? He would whittle one with the wood from the tree they just climbed down.
Dinner? Where to honey?
The shirt off his back? Done.
This time, when Finn held out his hand, Lucie took it without hesitating.