Chapter 25

Twenty-Five

Aria

F inn braced a hand over my head and leaned into me. He wanted answers, and he wasn’t going to let me leave until he had them.

I licked my suddenly dry lips. “I wanted to do something special. Something to prove to you how I feel. I was working on it with Ireland. She said I needed to come up with something big.”

He cocked a brow. “And did you?”

I slowly shook my head. “I’m not ready yet. It was supposed to be a surprise.”

He dropped his hand to his side and took a step back.

I was losing him. “I wasn’t prepared to talk to you about this so soon.”

A shadow dropped over his eyes.

“This isn’t coming out right.” I felt slightly panicked, as if this moment held more weight than any we’d shared before.

He crossed his arms over his chest. “Just say it.”

I wanted him in my space like he had been a few seconds earlier. I wanted his scent surrounding me. He made me feel safe. But his stance was cold and standoffish. He was protecting himself, and I couldn’t blame him. I was the one to break things off. I was the one who fell back into old patterns that didn’t serve me anymore.

“I’m sorry that I overreacted when Gia and Ireland found out about us. I thought the worst of everyone—that Gia would fire me, that Ireland wouldn’t want to be friends and roommates anymore—and the worst part was that I didn’t trust that you would stand by me. That was my biggest mistake.”

His entire body tensed. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that I should have talked to you after it happened. We could have come up with a plan together.” I wasn’t even sure he was breathing. “I know you said I had some things to figure out. So I made a list of what I wanted out of life. The first is: I love my job. I love our friends and coworkers, but I want to be more than an assistant wedding planner. I signed up to take some college courses. Then I talked to Gia about my future with her company. I told her I wanted more responsibility.”

“And?” His jaw was still tight, but he dropped his hands to his sides.

“She wants me to lead a wedding from start to finish. So, I’ll meet with the couple and plan the wedding. Ireland will assist, but otherwise, it will be my responsibility. I’m sure it won’t be one of the high-profile weddings, but it’s a start.”

“That’s amazing, Aria. I’m proud of you.” His voice was gruff.

“I thought I always wanted to be a teacher, and I admire everything you do, but I really like this job. I love creating beautiful things and planning the perfect day.”

“It’s a worthy profession, for sure,” he said, his voice deep and encouraging.

“I worked things out with Ireland, and I can still live with her.”

“That’s good.” His stance stiffened.

“I know you’d said you’d wait, and I’m sure I’ll have relapses in the future, where things will trigger me, and I’ll fall back into my old ways, assuming the worst, but I hope you’ll be by my side.”

“What are you saying?” He seemed poised to move at any second, depending on my answer.

“I’m in love with you, and I hope you still want me. I know you—”

He was moving before I’d finished my sentence, his mouth slamming down on mine. In between kisses, he said, “You should have led with that.”

I eased back. “You’re the one who said I should work on things before we got back together.”

Finn shook his head. “I was an idiot. I didn’t know what I was talking about.”

I held on to his biceps. “You were right to say what you did.”

I dropped my forehead to his. “I love you, and I don’t want to be apart again. It just about killed me. I want you in my life and in Paisley’s life.”

“I want that too. I should have trusted you. I should have talked to you.” There were so many ways I could have handled that situation better.

“I don’t blame you for reacting the way you did. It will take a while for you to know you can trust me. And I’ll be with you every step of the way.

I smiled, everything settling inside me. “That’s all I can ask for.”

“Are you two lovebirds planning on joining us?” Harrison asked with a smirk as he passed us on the way to the bathroom.

“What do you say? Should we get back to our friends?” Finn asked.

“I don’t want to stay too long,” I said, hoping he understood what I was saying. “I missed you.”

He kissed me softly. “We’ll stay long enough to be polite, then we’ll get out of here.”

He took my hand and led me to the bar, where our friends were laughing and talking. I took the first sip of my drink and relaxed, knowing everything was right in my world. I knew I needed to take care of myself before stepping in to help my sister and my parents. That I needed to stop and think before I reacted to a situation that triggered my fight-or-flight mode.

Finn stood behind me, his arms around my waist as I leaned into him. I rested my head on his shoulder, content and happy. I had Finn and Paisley, Ireland, and my friends at Happily Ever Afters.

Harrison returned the gesture of throwing an arm around Everly. They were enjoying a child-free weekend since his daughter, Wren, was with her mother. Gia talked animatedly to Harper and Ireland about some mother of a bride who’d passed out at the reception. “Apparently, she hadn’t eaten or drunk anything all day.”

“I thought it was the bride who was supposed to do that?” Ireland asked.

“You have to be on the lookout for the groom and the parents too. There’s the risk of groomsmen or bridesmaids being hungover as well.”

The talk continued around us about upcoming weddings and potential venues.

“What about the Christmas tree farm? Have we heard anything from the family?” Harrison asked.

“I think we need to try to talk to them one more time. I suggested a sit-down at the farm. If they agree, I want everyone present: Harper, Ireland, Aria, and even Harrison. I want an answer for any possible scenario they throw at us.”

“You mean that Emmett throws at us,” Ireland said.

“He seems to be the issue,” Gia said.

“We’re not here to talk shop. Instead, let’s do a toast.”

We all raised our glasses.

Harrison looked down at Everly as he said, “To more happily ever afters in our future.”

Everyone clinked glasses, and Finn leaned down to whisper into my ear. “I’ll drink to that.”

“Who wants more drinks?” Harrison asked the group.

“You ready to get out of here?” Finn asked me softly.

I grinned. “I thought you’d never ask.”

We said our good-byes, taking some ribbing from Harrison and love from Ireland before we finally made our escape.

Finn closed the hotel door behind us. On the drive over, I had visions of reconnecting that had nothing to do with talking, but I needed to show him something first.

I sat on the bed and pulled my sketchbook out of my bag. “You said you were interested, and I wanted to show you some of my drawings.”

He sat next to me. “I’d love to see them.”

I opened the book, rifling through the pages of drawings. Some focused on expressions, and in others, I’d drawn the square cartoon boxes, complete with word bubbles and short storylines. Finn leaned over my shoulder. “These are incredible.”

“When I interviewed for the assistant wedding planner position, my binder had drawings of my ideas. Gia loved that during a consultation with a bride and groom, I could draw their vision right in front of them.”

“It’s your superpower.”

I smiled at his characterization. “Yeah, I guess it is.”

“I’m so happy you showed this to me.”

“These drawings are personal to me, and I wanted to share them with you. Also, I was thinking of writing a graphic novel. Maybe about a girl who’s poor and takes care of her family, but at night, she acts as a superhero, helping others who need it.” I flipped to the back of the book, where I’d drafted some options.

“I think that’s a great idea. I love that storyline. Besides, it’s about you. You’re the superhero in your story.”

“I may not have helped others.”

“You help everyone you encounter. You make them a better person.”

I shrugged. “I have no idea how to write a graphic novel or how to get it published.”

Finn touched my chin and then kissed me. “But you’ll figure it out.”

“For the first time, I feel like I’m doing what I’m passionate about.” I could draw as part of my job and do this on the side. Even if only Paisley and our friends read it, I’d be happy.

Finn hugged me into his side. “That’s why it’s perfect.”

“You don’t think it’s too much? A job as a wedding planner, taking classes, and writing a graphic novel?”

“You don’t have to do it all at once. But I think you should pursue this story idea. It’s so you. I’d love to see your life on the page, and Paisley would too.”

“You think other people will want to read it?”

“If you come out with the same passion you just showed me and when you taught Paisley to draw, you’ll have a following. You could visit schools and teach them about drawing expressions and how you come up with your stories. There are so many things you can do.”

“I want to do it by your side,” I said, setting my sketchbook to the side.

Finn kissed me, pushing me down onto the bed, pressing his body against mine.

We took our time, kissing and touching and slowly removing each other’s clothes until Finn was sliding inside me, his fingers interlaced with mine on either side of my head. He kept his thrusts slow and measured. I got the impression he wanted to make this last but also wanted to savor the moment.

We kissed the entire time, as if neither one of us could bear to stop. When we crested, we did it together, and it was the most connected I’d ever felt to someone. I’d bared myself to him, in more ways than one.

Afterward, he rolled to his side, his hand playing with my hair as he said, “I loved seeing all of you. You let me in; you gave flight to your dreams. Our lives won’t be perfect. We’ll run into roadblocks and stumble here and there, but we’ll have each other to pull us back on course.

“I love you,” Finn murmured to me.

“I love you too.”

“I never thought love could be the answer, but it was. I just had to meet the right person, and you changed everything. I’m not my parents. I choose my own path, and I’ll never stop fighting for you.”