The fall of us, p.18
The Fall of Us, page 18
“If you just let me make you feel good, I know you’d change your mind.”
My blood boils as my frustration rises. I’m too tired for this.
“Just please...consider it. What we had—”
“I’m in love with Oakley!” I blurt out, my voice booming against the walls. It’s the first time I’ve ever said those words aloud. Though I wrote in my letter that I’d fallen for her and that there’d always be a place for her here if she decided to come back.
It hasn’t been acknowledged.
Even after two weeks.
“She’s not here, Finn!” Aspen shouts in my face, looking around at my empty house. “If she loved you, she’d be here begging for a chance, but she’s not. I am!”
My breathing grows ragged as I attempt to calm down.
“If you’d come crawling back to me six months ago, there’s no doubt I would’ve taken you back. But not anymore.”
“What’s changed?”
“Me,” I confess. “I’ve changed. Realized I deserved so much better.”
Before she can respond, there’s a knock on the door. Fucking great.
When I whip it open and see my best friend, I shake my head. “Now’s not a good time, man.”
Aspen comes up behind me, and Levi’s eyes go wide. “Dude...no.”
I brush a hand through my hair, blowing out a stressed breath. “It’s not what it looks like.”
“Then why are you both half naked?” He eyes my bare chest, and Aspen’s lack of clothing.
“We’re in the middle of something, Levi.” Aspen scowls as she comes to my side.
“No, we’re not,” I snap.
“This isn’t good.” Levi shakes his head just as headlights shine in my eyes.
“Who’s that?” I furrow my brow.
“Jessa,” he explains.
“God. Not her again.”
I can’t catch a fucking break.
“Yeah, but she’s not alone.”
“What do you mean?”
“I was coming over to make sure you were home. If I’d known you were in the middle of something, I would’ve given her a heads-up.”
“Who?”
The passenger side door opens, and out steps Oakley.
What the hell?
“You better pray she doesn’t knee you in the nuts, man. She just flew three thousand miles to see you.”
I push my best friend to the side and walk onto the porch.
It’s really her.
She meets my eyes and smiles.
Jessa steps out and rounds her truck. She looks like she’s ready to fight. “Why the fuck is she here?”
I blink out of my trance and realize Aspen’s standing next to me.
Fuck me.
Oakley’s jaw drops as her eyes widen in horror.
“We’re back together,” Aspen happily announces.
Oakley’s face cracks as her chest rises and falls. There’s no telling what she’s thinking, given that I’m shirtless and Aspen’s in her bra and panties.
“We’re not!” I shout so everyone can hear and face Aspen. “You have lost your goddamn mind. For the hundredth time...”
Before I can finish, Levi appears next to her and grabs her arm. “Let’s go.”
“Get your hands off me!” she squeals, trying like hell to fight against him, but it’s pointless. He’s bigger and stronger than her. He pulls her down the steps and toward his truck.
“Finn! Tell them! Tell them we’re in love and getting married!” she shouts over her shoulder.
“Shut up,” Levi snaps, opening the door and making her get inside. Once he slams it shut, he points at me. “You owe me, dude. You know how much I despise being anywhere near her.”
“I’ll go with him and make sure she doesn’t kick his ass,” Jessa says, rushing over to Levi’s truck and squeezing in. Once he shifts it into gear, gravel flies up, and they speed off.
“Oakley,” I say her name in disbelief that she’s actually here.
She finally meets me on the porch.
“What...what are you doing here?”
“Apparently witnessing The Housewives of Vermont in action.”
“I swear, she was here when I got home. I didn’t invite her.”
“I know, Finn.” She says it with so much certainty that I want to pull her in for a hug for not thinking the worst of me. “Might want to change those locks when you get a chance.”
Breathing out a sigh of relief, I invite her inside. “But that doesn’t answer my question. What are you really doing here?”
She smirks. “I read your letter and wanted to respond…in person.”
“Oh.” I scratch my cheek, gazing down her body, tempted as hell to kiss her.
“But first, I have to ask...” She tilts her head at me in amusement. “Can I crash here tonight?”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
OAKLEY
TWO HOURS PRIOR
The plane rattles as it lands on the runway. The late evening view from above is just as stunning as it is in person. An immediate chill hits me as I deplane, and though it’s only been two weeks since I was here, it already feels colder than before. Good thing I packed the right clothes this time.
Jessa waves frantically at me when she finds me at baggage claim. She rushes over and hugs me tight. “I’m so glad you’re back.”
I laugh, letting her squeeze me. “Me too. Though I’m second-guessing this weather.”
“Oh shush. It grows on you, and you’ll be used to it in no time.” She waves me off, grabbing my large suitcase while I take the other.
Returning to California after being here for three weeks was a big adjustment, and not because of the weather. The time zone difference and being without Finn sucked.
“He’s going to flip out when he sees you.”
“I hope he doesn’t mind me just showing up unannounced.”
“Are you kidding? He’s been wallowing for weeks. You’re doing us all a favor, trust me.” She groans, and I chuckle.
Finn wasn’t the only miserable one.
From the first moment I walked into my apartment, it felt wrong. The loud city noises and my neighbors yelling at each other in the middle of the night drove me nuts. Not to mention how cold and lonely my bed was. I felt like a stranger in my own home. But I figured it was because I’d been gone so long.
I’d convinced myself that once I got on schedule and unpacked my stuff, my life would return to normal.
However, days later, it didn’t. My boxes from Vermont arrived, and I had no desire to unload them. I told my landlord I wasn’t renewing my lease and would be out by the fifteenth.
For days, I packed, with no place to go other than Florida. Tatum was excited and so was I, but the hole in my heart was nagging at me. In just a few short weeks, I’d somehow gotten used to the farm and, surprisingly, found myself missing it.
Missing him more than anything.
One night while I was chatting with Tatum, I remembered my favorite palette was in one of the boxes Finn shipped back. We were talking about baby stuff as I unpacked it, and I found an envelope with my name on the front. It was in Finn’s handwriting. I hadn’t realized he’d written a letter, and tears welled in my eyes as soon as I opened it.
I’d read it aloud to my sister, and by the end of it, she demanded I go to him. We were both in tears, and I could no longer contain my emotions. I told her it was crazy to just drop everything without a plan, so she helped me make one.
Step one: sell everything I didn’t need, then put what was left in storage.
Step two: book a one-way ticket to Vermont.
Step three: ask Jessa to pick me up at the airport so I can surprise Finn at his house.
That was a week ago.
I needed time to get rid of my furniture and pack my art supplies. Jessa kept me updated and kept an eye on Finn for me. As did Levi. Both of them were on board.
A part of me wanted to reach out and make sure it was okay to just show up, but I wanted to talk face-to-face about what he wrote in that letter. It wasn’t something to nonchalantly discuss over the phone.
“Levi’s on his way to Finn’s house now to make sure he’s home. I tried like hell to get him to take the day off to rest, but he wouldn’t budge. He’s been a grumpy ass,” Jessa tells me.
I snort. “Sounds like him.”
We continue making small talk as we drive closer to the farm. Nervous butterflies swarm my stomach, and I mentally rehearse what I want to say to Finn.
“Grandma’s gonna be excited to see you too,” she says, then adds, “The whole family, actually.”
“You don’t think I’m crazy for doing this, do you?” I ask warily.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“I put my entire life—that I had no intention of leaving—in boxes and flew across the country for a man because he wrote me a love letter. Doesn’t that make me lose my feminist card or something?”
She bellows a laugh. “Sweetie, if someone poured their heart out to me and actually meant it without expecting sex afterward, I’d do whatever it took to be with them. I love the orchard, but I’d never pass up a chance for happiness with my soul mate. You’re too talented to worry about finding work, anyway. Plus, you have a social media expert at your disposal, so I’ll help you market yourself online. I have no doubt you’ll find a way to be successful wherever you live. But finding a love like you have with Finn again? Not likely. You’d search for that for the rest of your life.”
Deep down, I know she’s right. I truly believed I had to be in California to be successful when my career really allows me to live anywhere in the world. I might not get huge commissions or be asked to create something for an A-list actor, but that’s not why I paint. I do it because it’s like oxygen—I need it to survive. And no matter what, I’ll never stop painting regardless of whether I’m getting paid for it.
So when Finn confessed he’d fallen in love with me, I knew I had to tell him in person that I’d fallen for him too. I didn’t want to just tell him. I needed to show him how much he meant to me with action.
Being with the man I love is more important than a career in a big city.
I should’ve realized that earlier and am kicking myself for not, but I didn’t know how he felt until I read his letter. Once I flew home, I assumed it was over.
Turns out it wasn’t, and I couldn’t be more excited to see him again.
I just hadn’t anticipated him having company.
But I knew not only by his letter but also by witnessing how much he hated being around his ex and the times he stated he’d never take her back. If I know one thing about Finn—he’s not a liar.
“Come inside,” Finn says. Once the door is shut, he continues, “But that doesn’t answer my question. What are you really doing here?”
I smirk, admiring his handsome face. “I read your letter and wanted to respond...in person.”
“Oh.” He scratches his cheek, and I notice how scruffy his jawline is from not shaving. He gazes down my body like he’s ready to eat me alive.
“But first, I have to ask...” I tilt my head in anticipation, gazing at his inked biceps and wanting to lick over his tattoos. “Can I crash here tonight?”
He puffs out a laugh of disbelief. “Sure, but I should warn you, the couch isn’t that comfortable.”
“Damn.” I bite down on my lower lip and step closer. “Guess I’ll have to find other arrangements elsewhere.”
“Like hell you will.” Finn closes the gap between us, cups my face, then crashes his mouth to mine. I melt into him, never wanting him to let me go, and slide my tongue against his.
“Fuck, I’ve missed you so goddamn much,” he mutters against my lips. Before I can respond, he grabs under my thighs and lifts me. My legs instinctively wrap around his waist. Our mouths stay fused together as he carefully walks upstairs.
As soon as he gets to the bed, he lays me down and hovers above me but then stops and sits on the edge of the mattress. “Shit, Aspen was up here. I should strip the bed.”
I bolt up and arch a brow. “Excuse me?”
“I found her here, I swear!”
I shouldn’t laugh, but I can’t help it. She’s probably been giving him hell since I left, and tonight, she finally lost it. Finn looks so conflicted between tearing off my clothes or the sheets.
“Finn, I trust you and don’t care that her naked ass was probably on every inch of this bed waiting for you because I know you love me. Not her.”
He meets my eyes, and I turn so we’re face-to-face. “I should’ve told you everything I wrote in that letter in person.”
“Well...I’m here now.”
The corner of his lips tilts up as he takes my hand and cups my cheek. “Oakley, when you first came here, I was determined to push you and every dirty thought I had about you away. But you wouldn’t let me. You made me face my feelings, and it wasn’t until I really allowed myself to open up to the idea of being in a relationship again that I realized I’d fallen deeply in love with you. And if you didn’t feel the same, then at least you knew, and I wouldn’t have had to wonder about the what-ifs for the rest of my life.”
“And what if I was in love with you too?” I ask.
He brushes loose strands of my hair behind my ear and drags his thumb over my bottom lip. “Then I’d hope you tell me so I could stop being a miserable bastard.”
Chuckling, I crawl onto his lap and straddle him. He quickly grabs my ass and settles me between his thighs. “I came all the way here to tell you that I choose you. I can pursue my career dreams in Vermont and would very much like to be with you because I’m so deeply in love with you, too.”
For the first time, Finn’s eyes gloss over. He tries so hard to protect himself and not be vulnerable, but it’s something he’ll have to get used to with me. I wear my heart on my sleeve and want us to be open about everything.
“Wait. Does that mean you’re moving here?”
I chuckle with a nod. “I moved out of my apartment. I’m here to stay.”
He grabs my face, and our mouths crash together. “Thank God. You were my downfall, Oakley. I couldn’t breathe without you.”
“That makes two of us.”
We scramble to remove our clothing, and when Finn slides inside me, I see stars. His soft touches are a contrast to the roughness of his cock pounding into me.
“Fuck, Sunshine. I missed this so goddamn much.” He buries his face in my hair. “You were made for me.”
“Yes, yes. All yours.” I arch my back as he slams into me. “Fuck. Harder. Just like that.”
“Goddamn, baby. You’re addictive in the best way possible.” He cups my breast, licking over my nipple, and then reaches between us to play with my clit.
“It feels so right with you,” I confess.
“We’re a perfect fit.” He kisses me so damn softly before he leans his forehead against mine. “I’m so in love with you, Oakley.”
An overwhelming amount of emotions take over, and tears fill my eyes. I’ve never had a man say those words and mean them as deeply as he does.
And he’s the only man I ever want to hear those words from.
“I love you too. More than I thought possible, considering you did everything to grate on my nerves.”
“Was just returning the favor for you getting under my skin.”
I chuckle as the tension between my legs builds. “Come with me,” I beg.
“If you think I’m even close to being done with you...” He peppers kisses along my jawline. “You have another thing coming. We have two weeks to make up for.”
And for the next several hours, we do.
“So there’s something else I wanted to ask,” I say as we eat a frozen pizza in bed. It’s all that was left in his house since he neglected to go grocery shopping while I was gone.
“What’s that?”
“How’d your grandma find out about us fake dating?”
He arches a brow. “You knew about that, huh? I didn’t find out until after you left, and she gave me a whole-ass speech about letting you leave.”
“Aw...” I smirk. “Willa loves me.”
“She’s gonna lose her mind when she finds out you’re here.”
“She told me you were smitten with me,” I singsong.
He snorts. “I don’t know how she knew, but I’m guessing it’s because she hears everything.”
“Or she just knows you better than you realize.”
“Probably. That little sneak.”
He leans in to brush sauce off my lip. “What’d your sister say when you told her you were coming here?”
“She’s the one who pushed for it. I read the letter to her. She said I’d forever regret not seeing where this leads, and the thought had me in tears. I didn’t want to live without knowing, so I booked a one-way ticket, and voilà, here I am.”
“Can’t wait to thank her someday.” He grins.
“I was thinking we should fly down there next summer after the baby is born. Then we can do formal introductions.”
“Sounds perfect.”
After we finish eating, we snuggle in bed, and as he holds me, I stare into his beautiful brown eyes. “So we’re really doing this, right? No temporary fling or fake labels. We’re together?”
I hate how insecure my voice sounds, but the last time we made an arrangement, we were left heartbroken, so I need to be one-hundred-percent certain this is for real.
“Sunshine.” He strokes his thumb over my cheek. “You’re mine, and I’m yours. I lost you once, and I don’t ever want to lose you again.”
I pull him in for a kiss. “Good. Because I’m not letting you go.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
FINN
ONE MONTH LATER
When Oakley told me she had a lot of art supplies in storage, I thought she was joking until it all showed up on a shipping truck. What she’d sent for her project was only a small fraction of what she actually had. Never knew a person could own so many easels in different sizes, colors, or materials. Large, small, cherry wood, or metal—the options seem unlimited.
