Heartbreaker(68)

“New York!” Lottie bounces with excitement, and Kit coos in agreement in her arms. “Are you excited? I’m excited. This is going to be so awesome!”

“Calm down,” I laugh. “We’re not even there yet.”

“I know, but it’s perfect.” Lottie sighs happily. “Finn finishing up the record, you going back to drama school. You’re going to have the best time.”

“That’s the plan.” I throw another stack of books into a box, then pause. My old room here is looking even emptier now, and I give Lottie a worried look. “Are you sure you guys are going to be okay on your own? Mom and Dad are closer in Savannah, I know, but it won’t be the same.”

“Relax!” Lottie rolls her eyes. “I’m a big girl now. Me and this little dude will get along fine without you. Not that we won’t miss the babysitting,” she adds.

“Is that all I’m good for?” I tease, and she grins.

“Okay, okay, we’ll miss the Friday night pizza, too.”

I smile and look around. I feel a fizz of excitement in my stomach just thinking about the adventure ahead. Finn and I went over a dozen places we could call home, but something inside of me kept pulling back to New York. Last time around, I barely got started discovering everything the city had to offer, or what I could achieve following my dreams. Part of me is nervous, going back to face all the mistakes I made, but another, stronger part of me knows it’s the right choice. Things are different now. I’m different.

And I won’t be alone this time.

On cue, Finn saunters in, bearing more packing tape and boxes. “Just how many books do you have, woman?” he mock-scolds me, taking in the stacks.

“You can never have too many books,” I say, passing him another half full crate. “And you’re the one who said to bring everything!”

I offered to leave stuff here in the attic, packed away in storage like the last time I left, but Finn insisted. We’re building a new life together, a home, and that means taking everything I could possibly want.

“You’re lucky I love you so much,” he jokes, hoisting a couple of boxes like they weigh nothing.

“Yeah, yeah.” I give him a quick kiss and push him back towards the door, even as my heart sings to hear him say it. Although we haven’t spent a moment apart since I went to Nashville, I still can’t quite believe that everything worked out this way.

He’s mine.

Finn leaves with another load for the truck, and I turn back to find Lottie watching me with an unreadable expression. “What?” I ask, then flush. “Sorry about all the PDA,”

“It’s not that.” She shakes her head slowly. “I was just thinking, that’s all. I’m glad you guys found each other again. Watching you.” She gives a sigh. “I guess it reminds me what that kind of love is like, that’s all.”

She turns back to Kit, bouncing him gently in his arms, but I can see the moment of wistfulness on her face. I don’t know whether she’s remembering the past, or hoping for the future, but I feel a pang for her.

“You’ll find it, too.” I cross the room and hug her. “I promise. You’ll know what it’s like to feel this way, one day.”

Lottie looks self conscious. She shakes it off, and gives me a big smile. “For now, you need to live it for the both of us. Promise me you’ll go crazy, stay out all night on romantic dates, and have sex all day, every day.”

I laugh. “That won’t leave much time for eating, or sleeping.”

“Who needs sleep?” She grins. “When you’ve got a superstar in your bed.”



After the last box is stashed away in the back of the moving truck, I slide my arms around Finn’s waist and smile. “Almost done,” he says.

“There’s just a goodbye party, three days’ drive, and all the unpacking to do.” I sigh, leaning in for a kiss. “Although I still don’t know why we can’t drive straight through. It wouldn’t take longer than a day.”

Finn brushes his thumb across my lower lip. “I wasn’t thinking so much about the days as the nights,” he says, moving closer to murmur in my ear. “I want to f*ck you in every state between here and New York City.”

My blood races. “Well, in that case, why don’t we take the long way around?” I grin. “California’s on the way, right?”

He laughs, and yanks the doors down. “What time is everyone coming over?”

I check my phone. “Not for another hour. It’ll be pretty casual,” I add. “Just Delilah, Edith, some people from town. Everyone wants to say goodbye.”

Finn pauses. “If we’ve got the time, will you do something with me?”

“Of course. What’s up?”

He gives me a shadowed smile. “There’s someplace I need to go.”

I squeeze his hand. “Whatever you want. I’m here.”

I borrow the keys to the minivan from Lottie, and Finn gets behind the wheel. We drive through town, past the stores and houses. I wonder where Finn’s taking me, until he pulls up outside the church that stands on a patch of land bordering the woods

Beside it sits the graveyard, quiet and shaded with old oak trees.

Finn turns off the engine, but doesn’t move. He exhales with a sigh. “I’ve been putting it off since the day he died,” he says quietly. “Bill said it was a good service. Proper, at least.”