Stick Your Landing (All In #3)

29. Zach

29

Zach

The smell of delicious baking coaxes me awake.

My hand reaches across the bed, seeking Finley, but lands on cool sheets. I bolt up, needing to put my eyes on her, to confirm last night happened and she didn’t run away. My feet hit the floor at the same moment Finley nudges the bedroom door open with her ass because she’s carrying a tray with two mugs and a plate full of brownies.

“You ruined the surprise,” she says when her gaze lands on me. I’m beside her, reaching for the tray when she pulls it away. Some liquid from the mugs splashes with the movement. “Uh, no, I don’t think so, Zach. You’re going to have to get back in my good graces first.”

I wrap my arms around her waist, leaning into her back and pressing my lips to the crook of her neck. “That can be arranged.”

She sighs, and fuck, I can’t get enough of the sound. My arms tighten around her while my lips roam her neck.

“You’re going to make me drop this.” She says the words through a shaky breath.

And that’s all it takes for me to harden against her, dick pressing into her back. There won’t ever be a moment when I won’t want Finley, but with an hour until we head to Kennedy and Volk’s house for Christmas dinner, we need to talk. She eases the tray onto the bed, turning until she faces me.

I slip an envelope out of a dresser drawer and hold it out to her. “Merry Christmas, High-flyer.”

Her eyes go soft. “You got me a present?”

“It shouldn’t be surprising. I mean, obviously, it’s fine if you didn’t buy me anything since we never talked about it. I won’t hold it against you… at least not for long.”

Finley grins, snatching the envelope out of my hands. “Of course I got you a gift, O ye of little faith. It’s at the house since I didn’t know I’d be spending most of the day here.”

I tilt my head. “ Didn’t you?” She shoves me playfully, but I grip her hand, holding it above my heart. “Finley, you own this. You know that, right? No matter what happens between us, it won’t change.”

She collapses against me, enveloping me in a tight hug. “I love you, Zach. God, I want to keep saying it to you, over and over. You’re going to get sick of it.”

“Trust me, I don’t mind.”

“I love you,” Finley says again, and there’s a desperate quality to her voice.

She spins in my arms again, her unbelievable ass connecting with my hardness, ripping a groan from deep in my throat.

“ Someone’s happy to see me.”

“Fucking always,” I whisper, my chin resting on top of her head.

Finley tears open the envelope to reveal the card I painstakingly searched for. After reading no fewer than thirty cards, I ultimately landed on a winter wonderland picture on the front with a blank inside to write words no other card could sufficiently convey.

Finley clears her throat. “ Finley, I’m shit with words ,” she reads aloud. “ I always say the wrong thing or say too much. So I’m going to keep this simple. The best thing to ever happen to me was stumbling into that closet and finding you .”

Her eyes quickly dart to mine, and the force knocks me sideways.

“ Thank you for giving me the privilege of being around you, for loving me and my wild mind. I love you more than I know how to say. I hope this is the first Christmas together of many. Yours, Zach. ”

I don’t know how singers can stand hearing their intimate private words out loud, being stripped bare, hoping for acceptance. Each second that ticks by without a word is excruciating.

“ For loving you, ” she paraphrases as she turns to face me again. She cocks an eyebrow, trying to joke, but I recognize the shakiness in her voice. “A bit presumptuous writing that before I said it, don’t you think?”

A finger taps my chin. “I think it’s what we call manifesting .”

“No.” Her blue eyes snag mine with such determination and sincerity, my breath catches. “You know me. You can read me, unlike anyone else.”

My girl diverts her attention to the gift inside the card, away from her emotions. She looks up, her eyes shiny. “What’s this? Plane tickets?”

I pull her toward me until she stands flush against me, her head tipped back to hold my gaze. “I can’t think of anything I want more than to have you meet my family and friends, to walk through town holding your hand, to show you where I grew up. For my new home to meet my old one.”

“Zach,” she hums, eyes fluttering shut.

“It’s not until after the playoffs. We can change the date if we need to. And if it’s not something you’re ready for, we d—”

Her eyes open, the shimmering sky blue watching me closely. “This is the best, most thoughtful gift anyone has ever given me.”

“But…”

She sighs. “There’s something I didn’t tell you last night.” I hold my breath, bracing for the blow. “Matt found out about the gymnastics, and he told my parents about it… and about you . He’s sending me home with them tomorrow.”

The idea of being separated from her feels like a jagged knife to the chest. “For how long?”

“Until next semester. I’m coming back, even if my parents don’t want me to. I don’t care if I need to live under an abandoned bridge.”

I snort. “And people say I’m dramatic.”

Finley’s eyes narrow in suspicion. “Wait—aren’t you worried about seeing my parents today after what Matt told them?”

“I won’t let anyone make me feel bad for being in love with you, Finley.”

She groans. “Stop being so perfect.” When I laugh, she adds, “I’m serious. Because you’re making it hard for me to say this next part.”

My stomach hits the floor, metaphorically squashed in anticipation of her next words.

“While I’m gone, I want you to think about what I said. A relationship with me will never be easy, Zach. I’ll understand if you don’t want your future to include an unpredictable partner.”

I shake my head violently. “Finley, I’m not going to change my mind.”

Her fingers tighten on my shirt, pulling the fabric near my chest taut. “Please… think about it.”

“Are you trying to get rid of me?”

“Did it seem like I was trying to get rid of you this morning?”

I shrug in an exaggerated way, falling back on my age-old practice of cracking jokes when I can’t handle a situation. “Could’ve been a bang for the road.”

“You’re an idiot.” Finley balls her hand into a fist, then rears back to jab me in the gut. My abs tighten to absorb the blow as if it were nothing.

“So I’ve been told.”

“I want you to be my idiot.”

My mouth stretches into an enormous grin, the kind that’ll tire my cheeks if I hold it too long. As if I care about that right now. Finley’s hand lands on the nape of my neck, fingers running through my hair, overdue for a cut. I nearly moan at the sensation.

“But I need you to be sure—about me, about us . So please, will you think about it while I’m gone?”

There’s nothing to think about. Even if there were, it’s not like my mind can rule over my heart. My love for Finley Harris is too strong to succumb to something as stupid as logic. Finley’s expression remains unchanged though. It’s important to her, to know I’ve made an informed decision.

“Fine,” I grumble, relenting because she needs it, despite it being the opposite of what I want. “But only if you don’t disappear, High-flyer. We’ll talk while you’re gone, right?”

“We’ll talk,” she agrees, rising on her tiptoes to plant a chaste kiss on my mouth before collecting her clothes scattered throughout the room.

“You’re not going to enjoy the brownies with me?”

She glances at me over her shoulder as she bends to grab her pants. What an evil flirt .

“If I do that, we’re going to end up being late for Christmas dinner or miss it altogether.”

I chuckle. “I’m more than okay with that.”

“You know they’ll send a SWAT team for us.”

She lets my shorts fall to the floor, pooling around her ankles. Jesus Christ . Finley makes quick work of pulling on her jeans and stopping my fantasies from running too wild.

“I’ll see you there?” I ask.

“You better.” Her hand brushes mine as she walks past me to exit the room. “It won’t be Christmas without you, Calder.”