Chapter 55

CHAPTER 55

Skye

N ine a.m. I trudge to the kitchen to make myself some coffee, discarding the stale coffee pod left in the Keurig. An empty mug sits beside it. The Boss. The words printed on it in red. His mug. Where is he? Why did he leave me?

Last night was one of the most intense and unforgettable nights of my life. One of soul-blazing confessions and passionate lovemaking. Rediscovery and reconnection. Our bodies and hearts reunited after close to five long, painful years apart.

Then, I woke up this morning alone. Finn gone. Nowhere to be found. Bereft, I checked the entire house, my bungalow, and his studio. There wasn't even a note.

The light of my life—Maddie—is still sleeping. Saturday, Rosita has the day off. Too wound up to heat up some milk, I sip the strong black brew, hoping for some clarity. It's complicated . It all comes back to that. My stomach twists. Insecurity kicks in. Gloom looms over me. Did he go back to her?

I weigh my options. If Finn marries Kayla, I don't think I can stay here. After last night, the pain would be too great. Unbearable. But the thought of never seeing him again—and my beloved daughter—is equally unbearable. In fact, unfathomable. I feel like I'm standing on a fault line, the earth about to cave in. My body quakes; my hands shake. As I lift my coffee mug to my lips, I lose my grip and it tumbles to the terracotta floor. Shattering. At least a dozen jagged ceramic pieces swim in the pool of dark liquid surrounding my feet. Grabbing a wad of paper towels from the nearby dispenser, I squat down to clean up the mess. Still shaking, I blot up the coffee and gather the shards. Tears blur my vision. Suddenly, a sharp pain rips through my finger. I yelp. A river of blood starts pouring down my digit, forming crimson tributaries on my palm. Shit. I've cut myself badly. I hold the soaked towel to my wound and as a fire engine-red stain permeates the paper, I begin to sob uncontrollably. Fraught with emotion, I stare down at the floor, my hot ugly tears coming down like raindrops. I'm sobbing so loudly I don't even hear footsteps.

"Skye, what's the matter? What happened?"

Without brushing away my torrent of tears, I look over my shoulder.

Finn. Worry etched deep on his beautiful face. He jogs over to me and squats down beside me, eyeing the bloodstained paper towel wrapped around my finger.

"I cut myself," I splutter.

"Let me see." His voice as tender as his touch, he takes hold of my trembling hand. I watch as he removes the towel. Blood gushes from the deep gash.

"Sheesh. You really did a number." On my next shaky breath, he slips his T-shirt over his head and presses it against my finger.

"Hold this. Don't move. I'll be right back."

"But what about the mess?" Doing as he asks, I cast my eyes down at the scattered mug fragments and coffee puddle saturating the floor.

"It can wait." Leaping up, he hurries to one of the kitchen cabinets. My eyes stay on him as he jogs back with a box of Band-Aids and a tube of ointment in his hands. Squatting back down, he sets the bandages on the floor and then unscrews the cap of the ointment. Neosporin. Holding it in his hand, he removes his shirt from my finger. There's a huge splotch of blood on the fabric.

"I ruined your T-shirt." I sniffle, thinking back to our first encounter at Christie's when I ruined his scarf with my bloody mess of a hand. It was then when I fell in love with him. And knew that this man would take care of me forever.

He laughs lightly. "This is nothing compared to all the paint stains I've gotten. It'll wash out." He squirts a dollop of the antiseptic ointment on my still bleeding finger. "This cut is nasty, but I don't think you need stitches."

Inwardly, I sigh with relief. I've had enough stitches to last a lifetime. But what's one more scar?

He flips open the box of Band-Aids and pulls one out. He peels it open. "Baby, I leave you for a couple of hours and you turn into a hot bloody mess."

I can't help but smile through my tears. I am a hot mess. My life feels like an open wound. But as he gently but securely wraps the adhesive strip around my finger, the hole in my heart begins to close.

"How does your finger feel?"

"Better." I give it a little wiggle. Truthfully, it does.

"Why are you still crying?"

I shrug a shoulder and blink back tears. A jumble of emotions clouds my thinking. "I don't know."

He tenderly brushes away my tears and then traces my lips with a glistening finger. At his touch, my tears subside. A cocky smile glides across his face. His jewel-like orbs glint with mischief.

"Maybe I need to kiss the boo-boo."

I glance down at my bandaged finger. The next thing I know, he's lifted my hand to his mouth and with a kiss, is helping me to my feet.

Letting go of my hand, he grows serious. The smile fades as his fingertips trace my jawline. "Skye, I didn't come back here to put a Band-Aid on your finger."

My pulse quickening with anticipation, my gaze stays on him as he digs his hand into a pocket and retrieves a small red velvet pouch. Loosening the silky drawstring, he empties the contents into his right palm. My eyes grow wide and my breath hitches in my throat.

Our matching wedding bands!

"Put mine on me, baby."

My hands trembling, I do as he asks. Staring at the sparkling gold ring on his finger, my eyes start welling up again with tears.

His expression grows intense, filled with emotion. "Now, give me your hand."

Slowly and silently, I lift my left hand. My heart swells with love for this man as he takes it in his. Without as much as a blink, I watch as he slides the gold band over my ring finger, my mind flashing back to that night in Vegas when we exchanged our forever vows.

"Skye, I love you so much." His voice is a soft rasp, borderline tearful. "Not even death will keep us apart."

At his last words, my heart cracks and I totally lose it. The dam behind my eyes breaks loose, and the reservoir of tears I've been holding back storms down my face.

"Finn, my love," I choke out, "I'm never going to leave you again." True to the inscription on the back of my locket, I silently vow once again to be his forever.

He cradles my face. The intense shimmer in his gem-set eyes is blinding. "Skye baby, I'm never going to let you go. Ever."

My lips quiver at his words. They part with my need for him. My hunger. His eyes burn into mine.

"I think I need to kiss more than your finger."

I think so too. My skin prickles. My knees grow weak. I'm overwhelmed with love and longing.

Reading my mind, he draws me into him and crushes his lips onto mine. The kiss is deep and fiery. Long and passionate. A kiss that says you're mine. Fireworks explode behind my eyelids, the electrifying sparks lighting up every cell of my body. Any trace of doubt and insecurity evaporates as I become lost in him.

"Holy guacamole!"

As I tangle my tongue with his, those two words bounce into my ears.

A startled Finn releases my lips as quickly as he claimed them. He spins around and we both face her.

Maddie!

Clad in her pajamas and clinging Kangy, she stares at us sheepishly. Then, a priceless smile lights up her face like a Christmas tree.

"Are you guys being romantical ?"

My heart stuttering, my cheeks flushing, I wait for Finn to respond. He waits for me. Dead silence.

Finally, Finn's lips part. "Sunshine, come here. I need to tell you something."

My heart thuds; my stomach bunches. Is he going to tell her the truth about me? I'm not sure if I'm ready.

My joyous little girl skips up to her father. He lifts her into his arms and smacks a kiss on her forehead as she wraps her arms around his neck.

"What, Daddy?"

"It's about me and Kayla."

Just the mention of her name sickens me. A shiver spirals down my back, turning my spinal cord into an iced-over river. She's still in the mix.

The smile on my little girl's face falls off. She knits her brows as Finn strokes her hair.

"Baby girl, Kayla and I broke up this morning."

My eyes stay on my wide-eyed daughter as I register the news. They broke up? Is that where Finn disappeared to earlier?

"Daddy, does that mean you're not going to marry her?"

Finn nods. "Yup."

"Hooray!" shouts an ecstatic Maddie. "And does that mean you're marrying Scarlet because you kissed her?"

I feel myself blush. I gulp a breath waiting for Finn to answer.

Finn winks at her. "Can you keep a secret?"

Our little girl bobs her head. "Uh-huh."

"Promise?"

She gives him a pinky-up. "I promise, Daddy."

"I already married her."

Maddie's eyes pop. "You did?"

Finn's sapphire eyes twinkle. "Uh-huh."

"No way!"

"Way! I'll prove it to you. Sk... Scarlet, tell her."

"It's true, my sweetness." I lift my left hand, showing her my ring. Finn follows suit, able to hold her up with one arm. "We have matching wedding bands."

Maddie's jaw drops. Her eyes grow wider, then challenging. She gazes up at Finn. "Why doesn't Scarlet have a diamond ring like Kayla's?"

Finn grins. "Because I want to buy her a bigger one! One with three diamonds—one for each of us. And I want you to help me pick it out."

"Coolio! I have excellent taste!" She strokes his stubble "Are you guys having a wedding?"

"Yes. But after my show. And you're going to be the flower girl."

"Yay!" shouts Maddie. "I'm gonna get to wear a fancy dress!"

Then, she looks my way with a smile as wide as the sky, her face as bright as sunshine. "Scarlet, does this mean I can call you Mommy?"

Mommy . The word spins around my head like a pinwheel in the wind. How long I've waited to hear it! Many times thinking I never would. Tears of pure joy brim in my eyes. "Yes, my sweet girl. I'd like that."

She stretches her arms toward me and I take her from Finn. Curling herself around me, she gives me a delicious hug. My heart is melting like a candle, dripping with love.

She tugs at the locket around my neck. For a moment, I wonder if my curious little girl's going to question why it's back in my possession, but to my relief, she doesn't.

"Mommy, can I tell you a secret?"

"Of course."

"Guess what I wished for on my birthday!"

She whispers in my ear. "That you would marry my daddy."

My heart is about to burst with happiness.

My unicorn!