Page 129 of Finn Rhodes Forever

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Olivia

I blinkedat the delicate pink petals.

At the top of the ridge, the creek cut into the earth, cascading down the jagged rock. Tree roots burst through the cliffs, moss grew on landings, and wherever sunlight hit the cliffs beside the waterfall, a blanket of pink flowers grew.

My heart hammered in my chest.

“Am I hallucinating?” I whispered.

I stepped forward to the edge of the ridge, staring down the waterfall. The flowers ended halfway down as sunlight became more scarce.

“Holy shit,” I repeated. “They look so sweet, like they were just sitting here waiting for me.”

Finn’s hand landed on my shoulder and I turned to him. His eyes searched mine, his Adam’s apple bobbed as he gave me a soft smile of disbelief and pride.

“You did it.” I’d never heard this tone from him, all wonder and relief. “You found it, Liv.”

I glanced between him and the flowers, shaking my head. It was like a dream, the sound of water cascading over the edge, water pooling below. So quiet and serene, and we were the only people who knew about this place. In my chest, something slipped and dislodged, falling loose, fading away.

“I think a small part of me believed them,” I told him, dazed. “I believed that it was gone.”

He squeezed the back of my neck, warm, firm, and supportive, and I forced myself to breathe. On top of the ridge, the sun was bright and unfiltered. The air was humid from the waterfall and even though it was the peak of summer, the earth beneath our feet was damp. I tested the ground, bouncing my weight on it with a little frown.

Of course.

“It’s so simple.” I peered at Finn. “They have moisture, they have sunlight, and the rock likely has a similar composition to the sand down on the beaches.”

Finn’s eyes shone with pride and a laugh burst out of my chest.

“So simple.” I shook my head. “So fucking simple.”

Holy shit. I had found the flower.

My eyes burned and a hot tear rolled down my face. I wiped it away fast but another one chased it. All this time, all this work, and I had finally found it.

I wasn’t crazy. I wasn’t a quack. No one had believed me, but I found the flower.

No one but Finn.

I smiled at him through my watery tears. “Thank you.”

His eyes welled up and he swallowed. I hadn’t seen him cry since we were eight years old. “You did this, baby. This is all you. You found it. You were right.”

All the things I had longed to hear. I wrapped my arms around him and he hugged me so tightly I could barely breathe. A sharp, sweet emotion swelled inside me.

We held each other for a long moment, hearts slamming against each other.

I stood there hugging Finn, crying into his shirt, heart beating out of my chest, and I nearly laughed at how stupid I had been.

I didn’t believe in signs, but even I wasn’t dumb enough to ignore this one. Finding the flower with Finn meant something. Of course it was him.

It had always been him.

My heart burst wide open in my chest and I knew the truth.

I was fully in love with Finn Rhodes.

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