Chapter Thirty
I came to with a gut wrenching scream and complete, utter agony on my face. Removing duct tape from one’s face isn’t even remotely pleasant. It all came back to me clear as a bell. I had once again been immobilized by Finn’s stalker. Terror gripped me and I let out an ear piercing scream.
Then I heard that voice through the haze. “George, baby, George. It’s Finn. Please stop screaming, darling. I’ve got you, it’s ok. I’ve got you. Shhhhhh.”
I began to settle and eventually, after listening to his soothing voice and getting injected with some sweet drugs, fell back asleep and vaguely remember being lifted onto a stretcher and whisked away via ambulance, yet again.
When I came to, I was flat on my back in a hospital bed. Déjà vu. Finn was there and so was Sam. I tried to talk, but my throat was so dry it came out like a croak. They both jerked their heads up from their phones and grabbed a hand from either side of the bed.
Finn held my left hand and gently swept back my hair. “We’ve got to stop meeting like this darling.”
Sam had a hold of my other hand and turned my head to face her. “George, girl, you’re going to be fine. That bitch kicked you good, so you’re going to have some nasty bruises but you’re going to be just fine. Now, don’t you go freaking out on this guy. I know you. You’re waiting to tell me to leave so you can tell him it just won’t work, blah blah blah. Do not even think about saying those words. The bitch that took you and tied you up? She was the same bitch that shot you. They got her! Finn only has one pyscho stalker. Yeah Finn! So just stop over thinking this. You’re going to get better and you are going to work through this. Got it?”
I nodded my agreement.
“Good, ‘cause I’m going to go now. I have to be on set in twenty.” She got close and wiped a tear off my cheek. “Don’t cry, Georgie. Let us take care of you for once. Ok?” She gave me a gentle hug and then gave Finn the stink eye and left.
I reached out my hand to him and scooted over as best I could. He hopped up and gently scooped me up into his arms so we were front to front. I nestled in and felt the beginnings of another tear start to drip.
He was softly running his hand through my hair while whispering calming sounds into my ear and then I just fell apart. I was sobbing. Big, ugly crying that was gross, messy and took my fears and anxiety away as it fell from my face. We stayed like this for a long time, eventually my sobs turning to hiccups and then just silence.
“Are you leaving me?”
He sounded so defeated. It broke my heart and God knows my brain was telling me to walk away. If I could walk that is.
But instead, as was happening a lot lately, my heart won out. None of this was his fault. He didn’t ask to have a crazy stalker, who decided to stalk me instead. He was just going to work, day in and day out. Doing what he loved to do and doing what he was really good at. I knew there was the chance this would happen again. I knew I was in for a world of hurting where he was concerned. I wasn’t an actress. I didn’t have the perfect body. I had no interest in being photographed or in how big his paycheque was. This relationship was cursed.
But I believed in love. If a romance writer couldn’t believe in love, then who could? I was the #loveroflove. I so loved a good hashtag.
I shifted slightly, grimaced in agony, and looked up at him. The look of resignation showing on his face was painful. He didn’t think I would stay. I reached up with the hand that didn’t have the i.v. in it and cupped his face. He leaned into my hand and I could feel the soft stubble there. One of my favourite physical attributes he had.
“I love you Finn Lowry. No crazy assed stalker, A-list bitch, or whoever else decides I’m not good enough for you, can change that. You’re kind, talented, moody and sometimes prehistoric, but I wouldn’t change a thing about you. You’re you and I’m me and this relationship isn’t going to be easy. We’re both going to have to give up stuff but we’re going to gain a hell of a lot more. So, to answer your question, no, I’m not leaving you. You’re going to have to do a lot better at scaring me off than you have already.”
I snuggled into his amazing chest and for the first time in a long, long time, felt relief. I felt calm and peace and I knew this man would take care of me, but still let me be me. I said a silent prayer of thanks to Connor. This was his last gift to give before I let him go and be free. He would always be a part of my heart, but this man, he was going to take the burden of loving me on for as long as I would let him. And I had a feeling that was going to be a long, long time.
The End
Epilogue
Eight Months Later
Finn
I came around the corner and came to a dead stop. She had her back to me and appeared to be lost in the music coming out of her iPod. Humming and dancing and doing the dishes all at the same time. If she knew I was spying on her, I would catch shit for sure. I couldn’t help myself. I was looking at my childhood vision for my future come to life. All those days as a kid without a dad and a mom who wasn’t a mom, I knew I would get here eventually. Get out of the cycle of hate and violence and find my way to this. Home. I finally had it. Now all I had to do was convince her I was her home too.
She was so damn stubborn and resistant to letting me take over. I still hadn’t convinced her to move in with me, how in the world was my next step going to work? The last 8 months had been the best of my life. My career was on fire, the home renos were done and I had George. I wasn’t sure how she was going to react to what I had to say today. She had been acting very strange the past week. I figured she was just up against a deadline, but was slightly worried. She had taken to crying and throwing shit around and I had been avoiding her a lot lately.
I felt the heat coming from my pocket. It was now or never, I guess.
I silently crept over to come up behind her. I had to smother my laugh as her singing got louder and more off key. She was going to kill me for not telling her I was watching her. I came right up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist and she let out a huge scream.
“Finn! Jesus Christ, you scared the shit out of me.” She had never looked more beautiful. She had thrown her hands up and a pile of soap suds had landed on her head and were proceeding to drip down her face.
I laughed. I couldn’t help myself. I reached out and lightly swept away some of the suds and tucked her hair back behind her ear.
“Oh God, my hair is wrecked, isn’t it? I’m going to get you for this.”
Belatedly, I realized she had reached behind her to grab some more suds and flung them in my face. I grabbed her and then she made a grave error in tactics. I hauled her up in the air by her hips, ran with her, cleared the counter and threw her onto the sofa in front of the fireplace. I pinned her down, all the while dodging her crazed attempts to get me off of her.
I held both her hands in mine and she suddenly stilled. “Finn, don’t you dare. I can see it in your eyes. If so much as come near me with those evil fingers, I will cut you off. No more sex. Done.”
I slowly lowered myself and my evil fingers towards her body. “I don’t think so George. After I thoroughly punish you via death by tickle for the soap in my hair, I’m going to have you right here on the sofa.” My voice had dropped to barely a whisper and the vibe in the air had changed to one of heat and desire.
“You wouldn’t dare. I can beat you in a tickle fight. “
Having waited long enough, I sprung on her and tickled her mercilessly. She writhed and screamed and laughed until we were close enough to share a breath.
“Marry me.” I anxiously waited and watched her.
“Pardon?”
“You heard me.”
“Finn.” She was breathing heavily and obviously struggling. It was time to pull out the big guns.
“George, you know growing up I had shit. No parents, no friends, no life. No home. You’re my home, darling. Please let me be yours. I love you. Since I met you, I’ve realized I probably never knew what love really was. You blindsided me that day in the restaurant. Sneak attack.” I kissed her lightly. “Marry me and give me the family we both deserve.”
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the ring. I’d been carrying it for weeks now, waiting for the perfect moment. I had designed it and Marin worked with the jeweller to bring it to life. It wasn’t huge and ostentatious like most rings these days. It was simple and stunning, just like the woman who would wear it and become my wife.
She reached up and stroked my jaw and smiled through the steady stream of tears trickling down her face. “Yes, Finn Lowry. I will marry you.”
We both started laughing and crying and in all the commotion, I almost forgot to put the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly. Marin was pretty much the best assistant ever.
I kissed her tenderly and tried to convey how much I loved her with that one kiss, but she surprised me by pulling back.
“Finn, I need to tell you something.”
I was busy exploring her neck and replied as best I could. “K, babe.” I continued my exploration of her body, trying to get her to spit it out so we could move on to the celebration phase of the evening.
“I’m pregnant.” I immediately stopped what I was doing and looked up at her.
“Pardon.”
“You heard me.” She threw my words back at me.
“How?”
“I don’t know. I guess I must have missed my pill a while back, cause I’m 12 weeks already. I went to the doctor today to confirm it.”
I felt like laughing. All this time I thought she was just moody and mad at me for something I had done, that I couldn’t figure out. She was pregnant. My soon to be wife, was going to have my baby. I got an instant family in the span of ten minutes.
“Say something, Finn. You’re scaring me.”
“Darling, don’t be scared. I was just filing this day away in my brain as the best day of life, so far. You just surpassed any gift you could ever give me. Baby, you just gave me a family. A wife and child all at once. It was just a little overwhelming.”
We were smiling at each other like lunatics. A tear had escaped my eye and she gently brushed it away. I grabbed her hand with my ring on it and placed it on top of her belly, underneath mine. I softly kissed her and then kissed her belly and shifted so I could lay my head down over our joined hands.
“Love you little man, or little lady,” I whispered into her belly. “I’m going to be the best dad you could have ever hoped for.” I crawled upwards to meet my future bride and mother of my child in a passionate kiss. “And I love you Georgina Marie Windsor.”
“Love you too Finn Lowry.”
This book is dedicated to my husband, Mike for teaching me what it means to really love and be loved.
Follow Frankie and Hardy’s story coming summer of 2015.
By: Holly Mortimer
Blindsided
Coming Soon:
Flowing Within – Book 2 in the George, Sam & Frankie Series