Page 34 of Cross the Line
I nod, eyes tracing the line of his arm where it disappears behind Finley’s back. It takes a second to clear the wreckage in my head before I finally meet her gaze.
“Hey, Hotshot,” she says with a small wave.
I don’t know what to do now. How we’re meant to proceed. What’s okay and what’s not. This is new to me, and when there’s already so much going on, it’s overwhelming.
Every second we hold eye contact, the burn aches deeper. As much as she reminds me of Presley on the surface, beneath it, she is the onlywoman I’ve ever needed with every fiber of my being. Like her heartbeat is the one in my chest.
Her heartbeat.
The same one that echoed in Eli’s chest for years.
The same pulse that kept him living for me.
What kind of bastard am I to tarnish her with her brother’s crimes? What kind of asshole looks at her and sees anything but hope and love and beauty… andforever?
Shame swallows me. The pit I’ve been clawing out of caves deeper. I can’t find a steady point to fix on.
The last twenty-four hours crash over me, and holding it together feels like tearing at the seams.
I don’t know how to do this in silence. I was raised to speak and fight no matter what.
So how do I carry on like I’m not one breath away from burning down the world?
My gaze snaps to Eli, searching for the billion-dollar answer:How is he strong enough that this atrocity isn’t eating him alive?
With a gentle push, he nudges Finley toward me. Offering me the answer. His smile when I look at him knocks out the last of my restraint.
I catch Finley’s hand and tug her into me. The second her warmth hits my chest, I wrap her up, tuck her face under my chin, and bury my own in her hair.
That gorgeous scent of hers brings me home. To her. To Eli.
Fuck, I can finally breathe again.
Her arms loop tight around me, and when I lean back to look at her, she beams up, eyes wet, smile bright. Finley rises on her toes and kisses the corner of my mouth, just missing my lips.
I wish we were anywhere but here right now.
“You look kinda like how I feel,” Finley says, palm warm against my cheek. She swipes lightly, then lifts her finger between us with an eyelash perched at the tip. “You have to blow and make a wish. Don’t tell me what it is, or it won’t come true. Okay?”
“Can I tell Eli?” I tease, trying to match her light.
She scrunches her nose. “Do you want it to come true or not?”
“Fuck, yeah, I do,” I say, leaning in to peck the tip of her nose without disturbing her finger.
“Well,” she swallows, eyes on mine, “you can’t tell anyone, then.”
“All right. Blow, wish, secret. Got it.”
She turns the pad of her finger toward me. I meet her eyes and blow, making my wish.
I wish I could kiss you anytime, anywhere.
Finley bites her lip like she heard the wish anyway, rolling it between her teeth before sucking it in. Her chin tips back just enough, her mouth perfectly aligned with mine.
My gaze flicks to Eli at her back. He’s watching us closely. When he licks his lips, I know he wants me to kiss her.
He wants it. I want it. She wants it.
