Page 70 of Ravenous

Returning the hug, Ollie sighed into Finn’s shoulder, his breath warming the fabric. “Maybe I should call some therapists while I’m on a roll.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard, okay?” Finn wanted to tuck a curl behind Ollie’s ear but stopped himself, settling on stroking Ollie’s cheek instead.

Ollie leaned into the caress, blinking up at Finn with so much trust and affection that Finn’s pulse sped up. Slowly, he leaned down, wanting nothing more than to press their lips together.

When the doorbell rang.

Letting out a sigh, Finn dropped his head as Ollie snorted. “I guess I should answer that.”

“Youcouldleave it out there and finish what you started?” Ollie raised his eyebrows, tilting his head and Finn couldn’t resist, placing a few quick kisses on those pouty lips before fetching their meal.

Rekindling some of the levity from the deck, Finn kept breakfast light. Although it was clear that Ollie was struggling with his toast and fruit, he cleared sixty percent of it as well as a bite of Finn’s veggie omelet. It took over an hour but Finn patiently sat by his side, telling him various stories from how he met Owen to the day Uncle Joe gave him the Gibson, and once they were done with their meal, Ollie insisted on contacting at least three therapists.

“Are you sure about this, Sunshine?” Finn could feel the concern on his face but Ollie nodded, still determined, and Finn’s pride grew even larger, filling the room.

“Oh, I thought this was plugged in…” Frowning down at his phone, Ollie pushed the cable further in and the screen lit up, the battery flashing at twelve percent.

Finn reached into his pocket. “Here, use mine.”

“Thanks.” The two of them settled back on the couch as Ollie grabbed the laptop again, making a few selections.

Unlike the doctors’ offices, the first two therapists didn’t have receptionists, only voicemails that Ollie left hesitant messages on. The third place did have someone answering the phones but it turned out that his health insurance was no longer accepted. Gritting his teeth, Ollie went to dial a fourth but Finn called a time-out.

“You’ve gone above and beyond today.” Pulling Ollie closer, Finn nuzzled his cheek. “I’m incredibly impressed.”

“Thank you.” Something in Finn’s words helped Ollie unwind and he visibly relaxed, his shoulders dropping. “I want you to see that I’m taking this seriously.” He swallowed, quickly looking away and then meeting Finn’s gaze again. “That I’m takingusseriously.”

Finn grasped both of Ollie’s hands. “Icansee it.”

“Yay!” Ollie gave him a genuine smile, doing a little dance in his seat. “It’s scary but I feel sort of…relieved?”

“That makes sense. You’re taking action to solve a problem. It should make you feel more secure and confident.” The doorbell rang again and this time Finn didn’t rise to get it; instead, he gestured toward the door. “Right on time. Why don’t you answer that?”

Ollie bit his lip, looking at Finn quizzically but getting up nonetheless. Moving to the door, he peered through the front window, then from side to side, but it wasn’t until he glanced down that he gasped, covering his mouth.

“Finn!” Tearing the door open, Ollie crouched, picking up a clear vase filled with sunflowers and donned with a matching yellow bow. “When did you-”

“After my shower. I wanted you to know how proud I am of you.” The surprise and genuine delight on Ollie’s face would feed Finn’s soul for years.

Returning to the couch, Ollie placed the flowers on the table and straddled Finn’s lap, pressing a soft but meaningful kiss to his lips. “Thank you. Your help makes everything a lot easier.”

“You’re more than welcome, Sunshine.” They rubbed noses and then Ollie was gone, pulling his phone from the charging cable and pocketing it, then walking around the room while holding the vase aloft in different lights. With a shake of his head, he went into the kitchen, placing them on the granite counter and shifting a few flowers, studying the white backsplash and nodding.

Pulling out his cell, Ollie bent and hovered, getting the bouquet from various angles as Finn watched in fascination.

Flipping through the photos, Ollie selected one, typed out something, and posted. “How about we do something fun?”

“Sure. What do you have in mind?” Finn shifted over to make room as Ollie came back, showing Finn his phone. On it was a gorgeous photo of the flowers with a dancing heart next to it and ‘This man goes above and beyond too!’placedacross the top. “Isn’t that a self-portrait?” Finn winked, grabbing Ollie and kissing his cheek.

“Maybe,” Ollie giggled, ending on a smirk as mischief washed across his face. “Are you still up for that makeover?”

19

OLLIE

“Thisisn’tgoingtobe a Live, where we broadcast on my phone like last time.” Ollie started opening bags, going through the things they’d bought yesterday. Not only had Finn handled him like a pro throughout his meltdown but he’d also remembered to bring their purchases inside, supported Ollie while he ate and made difficult phone calls,andhe had flowers delivered. Why was this man so perfect? He’d been knocking down Ollie’s walls since the moment they met and was easily scaling the last few, especially after the mind-blowing sex and gentle care.

Although dread still lurked in his peripheral vision, Ollie was beginning to believe that he could beat this, that bad things might not catch up to him, or that he could be shielded from them by Finn’s love.

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