46. Lucie
Finn was bringing her back to his place to break up with her. She was sure of it.
Some place where she could cry in private, where he could let her down gently.
Ugh.
He was perfect and so considerate, even as he was planning to break up with her. She had only recently said she loved him. Now she was proposing to him? Oof. She would break up with herself, too.
Her dad was right. Guys like him only wanted someone who wasn’t broken. They didn’t want someone with the scar on her face. They didn’t want commitment, and she just threw the biggest version of commitment in his face in front of his two best friends.
He. Was. Breaking. Up. With. Her.
Then why had he just kissed her hands and batted his stupid, beautiful puppy-dog eyes at her? Why was he holding her hand? People who were going to break up with someone didn’t hold hands . . . do they? Ugh. Speak, Vega!
Why wasn’t he speaking?
Finn nodded to a few people as they passed, keeping her close as they walked. The silence hung heavy, as if he were gathering the right words but couldn’t quite find them. Her heart thudded with each step, and she fought the rising panic.
Maybe she should break up with him first to spare herself the embarrassment? Get it over with right away, then pack.
Maybe her dad would let her have her room back until she made enough money.
No.
Some people’s money was too expensive.
Maybe she could get a job and finish her degree. Or stalk Finn until he decided to run away with her. Or marry her. Oof. He would look so fine in a tux. But she would never get to see it because he was going to break up with her.
When they finally reached his house, Finn waved his arm over the keypad, and the door swung open.
He stepped aside, holding the door for her as she hesitated, feeling the weight of what was about to happen.
The interior was warm and inviting, but all she could think about was that it would be the last time she would be there.
“Luzita,” Finn said softly, his voice cutting through the heavy silence. She turned to face him, her heart pounding, waiting for him to say the words that would change everything. “I think we should?—”
“Are you breaking up with me?” she stammered.
“What?” he questioned. “I want to?—”
“If you can, just get it over with,” Lucie said, bracing her hands on her knees. “I feel like I’m going to throw up.”
“No,” he blurted. “Why? Do you want to break up?” Terror flared in his eyes.
He . . . didn’t want to break up?
“Oh, my goodness.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “I thought you brought me here to break up with me,” she half-laughed, half-sobbed. “You’re not breaking up with me?”
If he didn’t hold her that second, she was convinced a black hole would open beneath her and swallow her whole. She leaped into his waiting arms.
“Baby, no,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “I want to be with you forever.” He gulped. “But I can’t help wondering whether you want this . . . whatever it is . . . we might be doing.”
Her stomach twisted at his words. “Finn, I—” she began, but he cut her off.
“I’ll leave with you,” he said firmly, holding her gaze. “If that’s what you want, I’ll go. We can figure it out together. I’m sorry if Sabrina and Charlie roped you into something. They are idiots who don’t know what they’re saying half the time.”
Her heart sank at the thought of him leaving the Way Station, the place that had become a sanctuary for them both.
“But your life is here,” she replied, her voice trembling. “This is where you belong.”
Finn shook his head, stepping even closer. “My life is with you, Lucie. I belong with you. I love you.” He rubbed her arms up and down, comforting her. She closed her eyes, sinking into his warmth.
“I love you, Finn,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
Her free hand settled against his jaw. He turned his face into it, kissing her palm.
She grinned. “I love this place too. I want to stay here. After Isla—I feel like I’m supposed to be here, like I was always meant to find myself here. ”
Finn furrowed his brow, a thoughtful look crossing his face. “So . . . do you want to get married?” he asked.
Heat rushed to her cheeks as she avoided his gaze, biting her lip. “Finn, I . . .” She didn’t know how to answer that. Instead, she glanced around the room.
She was just glad he wasn’t breaking up with her, and the thought of marrying him, of him belonging to her—she tried not to swoon and scream, “Yes, a thousand times yes.” She looked at his left hand and imagined a thin gold band on his ring finger.
She hadn’t been at the Way Station long, but she had seen how some of the women watched Finn—and it made her feral.
Every time she caught one of them watching, she held onto him tighter.
Finn, annoyingly, had noticed her jealousy and enjoyed it, kissing her whenever someone started staring.
No wonder Mr. Williams had caught onto them. They weren’t exactly subtle.
“We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” Lucie stammered, tucking her hair back behind her ears.
“Do you?” Finn asked, peering at her through his dark eyelashes. Wow. He was so handsome. Her knees quivered like jelly.
“I—I, um, asked you first,” Lucie stuttered.
Finn chuckled and reached into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet and a folded piece of paper.
“Here.”
He held it out, wanting it to be her choice, but wanting her to know his answer. With him, it was always her choice first, what she needed, at her own speed, and when she was ready.
Her heart raced as she read the words, shock coursing through her.
Her tears welled up as the nerves melted away when she saw how sure he was, how deeply he meant every word. She thought back to her own bucket list, pages upon pages of dreams. And here was Finn, with just one—her.
“I wrote this while you were sleeping, after you showed me yours. You make me want a future. And that future, for me, has you in it. I’ll leave with you if I have to.” He dropped to one knee. “We can go anywhere—together. Start working on your bucket list.”
Tears threatened to spill from Lucie’s eyes as she processed his words. He had thought about their future, even when she was too afraid to consider it.
“I want you. This,” she said, taking a deep breath and shaking out her hands. “Us. I want to be with you. I want to get married.” Finn grinned at her. “Like yesterday.”
He shifted closer, his hand grazing hers. “Looks like you beat me to the punch again,” he said, his voice a low, affectionate rumble. “Saying the first ‘I love you’ and now this.” He blew a curl from his forehead.
“Lucie, I want you to be happy,” he said.
He cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing her skin as he gazed at her with that warmth that made her feel like the only person in the world.
“I want us to be happy. If that means staying here, we’ll stay.
But if you want to leave—if there’s a place you’ve been dreaming of or a life you’d rather have—I’ll follow you anywhere.
I’ve got enough saved up—our kids’ kids could live comfortably, without worry. ”
“This is . . . it’s everything I want. It’s something I’ve wanted desperately.
Something I was too afraid even to voice.
” Her lips quivered as she tried to speak, emotions tumbling over each other in her chest like waves.
Even if she left, she’d be looking for a place exactly like this, where she could help.
“Finn, I . . . I want this. I want us. I thought you might . . . I thought you might think I was being selfish.”
He shook his head, smiling, and pressed his forehead to hers.
“Selfish? Lucie, loving you is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
And you saying you wanted us to stay together—that’s all I’ve ever wanted.
But I want you to know that I’m serious about this, not because of Henry or his stupid made-up rules, but because I want you and I want to marry you.
“My parents showed me a pretty shitty idea of what love and marriage were,” Finn continued.
“So I spent a lot of time convincing myself I didn’t want it.
But ever since you walked into my life, it’s all I can think about.
” He kissed her on the forehead, and she melted into his warmth.
“I want long road trips with you. Snow days. Beach days. Rainy days. I want to sit next to you and watch you create art to fill our walls. I want endless days of saying ‘Good night’ instead of ‘See you tomorrow.’ I want to wake up to you humming around the house. I need your laughter to lighten my days. I have never been sure about things in my life, but I am so sure about you, about us.”
“Then ask me. Ask for what you want, and I’ll give you everything,” Lucie whispered. “Anything.”
“All I want is you,” Finn vowed. “So let’s make it official, sweetheart,” he said with a wink. “Lucie Nightingale, will you please marry me?”
Tears pricked her eyes as a smile broke through her shock, and she couldn’t help but laugh, a mix of joy and disbelief bubbling in her chest. He was a dream come true.
Lucie swallowed hard, her heart feeling as if it might burst. She nodded, her smile widening as she whispered, “Yes.”
Finn rose to his feet, pulling her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around him, breathing him in, the scent of him grounding her as she clung to him—mint, eucalyptus, and leather.
They stayed like that, wrapped up in each other, savoring the quiet and the fact that nobody in the whole world knew but them. The thought made her giggle with happiness. Finn squeezed her tighter at the sound of her joy escaping her lips.
As she pulled back to look up at him, he leaned down and captured her lips, sealing their future. Lucie realized that the next time she kissed him, he would be her husband. Husband. She bit back another giggle.
“Are we doing this?” he asked her.
She enthusiastically nodded.
He kissed her again.
Lucie let out a shaky breath, excitement and nerves swirling inside her. “Well . . . we only have twenty-four hours to do this. What should we do?”
Finn’s lips curled into a mischievous grin. “I know just the people.” He tapped his wrist communicator to call Charlie.
Within milliseconds, Charlie’s voice crackled through the device. “What’s up, man?”
“We’re getting married,” Finn announced, his voice steady and brimming with pride. He brought her hands to his lips, right where a ring would rest.
The unmistakable sound of Charlie’s whoop of excitement came through . . .
. . . that sounded remarkably close.
“We’ll be right over!” Sabrina cheered.
Before Lucie could blink, a rapid knock came at the door. She exchanged a stunned look with Finn, who raised an eyebrow as he opened the door to reveal Charlie and Sabrina, both practically buzzing with excitement.
“Were you two listening?” Finn asked, cocking a thick eyebrow at the couple.
Sabrina, who had been following behind, put her hands over her mouth, feigning innocence. “No, who do you take us for?” Finn raised an eyebrow. “Well . . .”
“Maybe a little,” Charlie confessed.
Sabrina stepped between them, making a shooing motion at Finn. “It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding! Charlie, take Finn and get him ready.”
Charlie nudged him. “Come on, man. Let’s get you suited up.”
“I love you, Lu.” She would never get tired of hearing him say that. Then he gave her his card. “Go buy the prettiest dress you can find. I’ll be the handsome guy at the end of the aisle. See you tomorrow,” Finn promised, interlocking his pinky with hers and kissing the top of her head. She melted.
“I can’t wait,” Lucie admitted, biting her bottom lip.
“Let’s go, lovebirds,” Charlie teased.
As Charlie swept Finn away, he shot Lucie one last, tender glance that made her heart flutter.
She waved at him, feeling a wave of emotions flood over her as Sabrina looped an arm through hers and led her out of the house.
“Alright, first things first,” Sabrina said, clapping her hands together. “We need to get you a dress.”