"Hiding from my family already?" I was startled by a roug male voice that came from behind me.
"Oh God." My hand flew to my chest.
"Sorry." Killian laughed and walked over to me. "Can I sit down?" He pointed to the seat next to me.
"You know this is your house, right?" I moved to give him more room on the steps that led to his garden, which was mostly covered by night.
"Right." He sat down next to me. "So? Are you hiding from my family? Are they too loud?"
"No, that's..." I looked behind us at the villa, from which laughter and loud conversations could be heard. "I'm used to that. I have five best..." I stopped myself, my smile falling. "My friends are the same. I just needed some air. What's your excuse?"
"They're too loud." He shrugged but couldn't hide his smile. "And I also wanted to thank you without anyone looking over my shoulder."
"For what?" I frowned.
As far as I know, since I've been here, I haven't done anything to deserve his gratitude.
After I met Finn's brothers, Odin and Lucy, I met two more people, Theo and Luna. Everyone was incredibly nice. Later, Finn gave me a small tour and then we all sat down in the living room, where I left a while ago.
"You saved my brother." The corner of his mouth lifted and I had no words to describe what his eyes were saying. "When he went to Portland, I thought we lost him, but somehow you brought him back to us."
"Well, he saved me too, so we're even."
"No, Lexi, we'll never be even." He shook his head. "I owe you the whole fucking world for what you did for my family."
"Oh, I'm sure..."
"Just accept my thanks." He cut me off. "This and a thousand more."
He's exaggerating, obviously, but he looks like he means it.
"If there's anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to contact me. Anything."
"I don't want anything for loving your brother." I put my hand on his, which was on his knee. "It's quite enough for me to have him in my life, I don't need anything else."
He smiled. "Finn is lucky to have you."
"And he's lucky to have a family that cares about him."
Someone coughed behind us and we both turned. "Am I interrupting some secret meeting?" Finn narrowed his eyes and walked over to us.
"Oh yeah, Killian was just telling me your embarrassing stories." I pulled my hand back to me.
"Ha! And now I know you're lying. I don't have any embarrassing stories."
"Three weeks after your twentieth birthday," Killian said something that didn't make much sense to me, but to Finn it obviously did, as he looked terrified.
"Sunshine, whatever he told you, it's not true. I've never slept in a gay bar, and you know it." He pointed at Killian. "Someone hit me in the head, and when I woke up, suddenly there were guys everywhere."
Oh. My. God.
"What?!" My eyes almost fell out of my head. I definitely need to find out more about this. Zack won't believe this.
"Traitor." He glared at Killian who was laughing.
He stood up and patted him on the shoulder as he walked past him back inside. "You dug that hole yourself."
"What else did he tell you?" Finn sat down next to me.
"Doesn't matter." I waved my hand over it. "Gay bar. Talk."
"Oh, no, that's not going to happen, sunshine, no way."
"But..."
"No buts." He cut me off. "Forget you ever heard such a thing."
"It's not fair." I crossed my arms over my chest. "The twins told you everything about me and I had no say in it."
"Oh, and I'm so glad they told me about the evenings when you all wore one-piece pajamas." He put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer. "You were the most adorable dinosaur." He kissed my hair, but I tried to pull away from him.
"No, I'm mad at you, leave me alone." I dug my hands into his chest, but in vain, he was like a rock.
"Come on, sunshine, how can you be mad at this face, huh?" He smiled.
"You're spending too much time with Sebastian."
"I'll let him know." He threw his head back laughing and my god I melted from that sound.
Why was I fake angry again?
*****
I quietly returned to Finn's bed after slipping away a few minutes ago to go to the bathroom. He held me so tightly that it was almost impossible to stand up.
I slowly sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to wake him.
I yelped as I felt his hands on my hips and he pulled me to bed.
"You're not very good at sneaking up." He said in a sleepy voice.
"I thought you were sleeping." I laughed before Finn pulled me closer to his chest and threw the blanket around me.
"I woke up when I didn't feel you sleeping next to me." I buried my head in his chest and he started running his hand over my back.
My heart can't take this.
"Are you sure it wasn't because I hit my little finger on the corner of the bed?" I giggled.
"Maybe that too."
After a moment of comfortable silence, I spoke. "Finn?"
"Yes, sunshine?"
"Can you promise me something?"
"Anything, you know that." I pulled my head away from his chest and looked at him. My eyes got used to the darkness in the room, so I could see right into his face.
"Can you promise me that no matter what happens, no matter how much we argue, we will always find our way back together? That we will work on this relationship and..."
"I promise." He cut me off.
I rolled my eyes. "You didn't even let me finish."
"I don't need to hear what you had to say next. Lexi, I'm not going anywhere." His hand strayed to my cheek. "You're it for me. If you ever decide in the future that I'm not what you want, I'll be right where you leave me, waiting for you to come back."
"Why me?" Those two words escaped my mouth before I could stop them.
"Because my world revolves around you. I'm so head over heels in love with you it's not even funny anymore." The corner of his mouth lifted. "When I'm not around you, I can't breathe. I don't care how desperate it all sounds, but it's true. So yeah, we're going to work on this relationship, we're going to make up after every fight and be stronger. We're going to get married, have kids, if you want, a beautiful house with a huge garden and annoying neighbors, whom I will certainly hate, but you will love."
"That sounds like a really good future."
A future I never thought I'd have, but I couldn't be happier to spend it with him.
"I never expected to have a future, sunshine. But because of you, I want everything. I want a future, kids, family nights, the whole world and the fucking sky. I can have it all when I'm with you."
I bit my lip. "Who would have thought Finn Acker was such a romantic."
"Only for you." He bent his head towards me and kissed me on the lips. "Always."
"And forever?" I laughed quietly into the kiss.
"Forever."
I didn't care how cheesy that sounded. And I wouldn't mind hearing that repeatedly for the rest of my life.
"Why do you look like you just won the lottery?" I turned from the stove to Killian standing in the kitchen doorway.
"Why? Can't I just be happy?" I asked with a smile I hadn't been able to get rid of since I woke up.
"You know I'm glad you're happy." He walked over to the counter in the middle of the room and leaned his elbows on it. "It's nice to see you smile." I didn't miss the hint of sadness in his voice.
What more could I want? I woke up next to Lexi and I'm in New York with my siblings. I couldn't be happier. I mean, I could if Val showed up here too.
"Where's Kai and Sebastian?"
"Kai woke up a few hours ago and went to work. Something about some problem at the port. And Sebastian sleeping off a hangover from yesterday."
"So nothing changed while I was gone?" I laughed and loaded the scrambled eggs into two plates before leaving the rest in the pan. Plates in hand, I walked up to him and placed one on the counter in front of him.
"Thanks." I also handed him some bread and a fork. "And yes, everything is the same. Funny how the two youngest siblings have their life most together. I'm waiting for Sebastian to finally grow up and Kai to start living for more than work."
"Sebastian needs a slap in the face from life, that should help. As for Kai, he's just trying to take some of the weight off your shoulders. He's just trying to help."
"I know." He exhaled heavily. "But I'd like him to think about himself."
"One day, don't worry."
Killian looked thoughtful for a moment while we both ate. "Maybe Sebastian needs to get out of the house. Go somewhere like you."
"You'd have to physically pull him out if you wanted to get rid of him, but it's a good idea." I said with my mouth half full.
"I'll think about that later." He waved his hand over it. "When are you going back to Portland?"
"Tomorrow. I promised Lexi we wouldn't be long because of her mother."
"Next time she can come too. There's plenty of room." He pointed around.
"That would make Lexi happy." I smiled. "Thank you."
"She still sleeping?" He raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't have the heart to wake her up." I didn't mention that I was glad she was sleeping peacefully. When I imagine how she had a problem with it a while ago, it breaks my heart.
"I don't know who is luckier that you found each other." He said with humor.
Me. I wanted to scream. Definitely me.
"Thank you all for welcoming her without a problem." It sounded silly but I was glad Lexi felt safe and comfortable with them, it means more to me than they can ever imagine.
"There was no reason not to. She's a good person."
"The best I've ever met." I put the dishes in the dishwasher. "See you later." I patted Killian on the back as I walked past him.
"Hey, Finn?" I turned to him as I stood at the door. "You deserve it."
"What are you talking about?"
"You deserve to be happy." He smiled.
Before he went back to his plate, I spoke up. "You too, Killian. One day, you'll be happy again, I promise." I smiled at him and left the kitchen, going back to Lexi's room.
I found her already awake with her phone in her hand. When she noticed me, she put it down and smiled at me. "Good morning."
"Something important?" I nodded my head to her phone before laying back on the bed next to her.
"Zack asked if it was normal for Sunny to have liquid poops."
"His boyfriend is a vet." I frowned. "Why didn't he just ask him?"
"Um, I don't know." She shrugged and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Lexi." I said warningly. She's hiding something. "What was it really about?"
"Nothing." She bit her lip.
"Lexi..." And then it hit me. "You did not."
"I had to." She tried to hide her smile.
"Ugh." I tilted my head back, lying on the pillows. She told him about the gay bar. I will not live this down from Zack. "He won't let me forget it."
"Sorry." She laughed.
"No, you're not sorry." I looked at her. "Just wait, I'll also give him some material to embarrass you."
"You wouldn't." Her smile immediately dropped while I had a serious look on my face. "Finn!" She hit my shoulder with her palm. "You won't do that."
"We will see." The corner of my mouth lifted.
"If you do that, I'll never let you touch me ag..." Before she could finish her sentence, I rolled over from my back onto her, trapping her between my chest and the bed.
"Don't threaten me, sunshine. It won't turn out well for you."
"Oh really?" She smiled at me seductively. "And what exactly are you going to do?" Her hand slid down my neck, past my collarbone, until it rested on my chest.
"Don't tempt me, sunshine."
"Then later." She laughed.
"When I have you all to myself." I kissed the tip of her nose.
"I love you." She raised her head from the bed and kissed me on the lips.
"I love you more." I couldn't stop smiling for the rest of the weekend. And how could I, when I had this woman by my side the whole time?
In the past, I wanted the world to stop for the wrong reasons.
Now I want the world to stop so I can stay like this with Lexi forever. Young and in love.
I wish the same for my siblings. I wish they found someone like Lexi. Someone who will save them from themselves.
And truth to be told, I wish that for all the people in the world. Especially to those who think it's impossible for someone to love them. Who thinks they're unlovable.
Everyone is lovable, you just have to find the right person.
Lexi is that person for me.
For that I am forever grateful.
So this is the end. Once again I don't understand how it is possible that I finished another book.
I won't lie, it hurts a little to finish this book. I liked them all so much that I will miss them. But I'll make sure to come back to them in some bonus chapters ;)
I hope you all enjoyed reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Thank you all for all the comments, support and for reading my work. THANK YOU!!!
It's Kai's turn and I hope you're looking forward to his own story. However, I don't know when I will start writing it or publishing it.
This is goodbye for now and I look forward to seeing you in the next book. <3333