American Honey

Finn wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me into him. The sensation of him touching me is welcoming and all so inviting, but in the same instance, a slight twinge of awkwardness pulls at me, and I instantly feel uncomfortable with his hands on me in front of my family. I pull away and climb up into his truck.

“Well, let’s go,” I say with everyone staring back at me.

“We’ll follow you, Finn,” Will announces.

With the engine roaring to life, Finn begins to pull out of the parking lot.

“What was that all about?” He asks.

“What?” I feign innocence.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Tessa.”

“I don’t know…”

Finn’s phone goes off, saving me from answering him. My heart sinks a little knowing he noticed me pull away from him. It’s like my heart knows what and who it wants, but my brain is fucking everything else up for me. I notice Finn’s conversation is all about the farm, irrigation and some other shit I have no clue about. His voice is tense.

Grabbing his hand, I stretch up and place a kiss on his cheek and then whisper, “I’m sorry, Finn.”

“You promised a week. I want one full week of Tessa. Not the Tessa everyone thinks she should be, but the one she is. I want her.”

“I’ll try,” I whisper.

We pull into the dock, with Will behind us, and secretly I hope Finn and I can sneak off in his boat by ourselves. Scarlett and Wes hop out the back of the truck and look as if they’ve been a couple for years. The girl can always fit in so easily, but there’s definitely something different with her and Wes.

“I think my brother has it bad for that girl,” Finn says, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Well, if I was a betting woman I think Scarlett has fallen for him.”

We both watch the two unload the truck as they set up a little camp on the shore. There are a lot of things you can dream about and wish for in life, but the one simple thing I want is Scarlett’s easy carefree attitude.

Finn backs his boat down into the dock, hops out to unload it, and I just sit frozen wondering how this will all work out. He’s the man I’ve been dreaming about for days. His scent, his tone of voice and his eyes, have consumed all my thoughts, and now here I sit with him. He’s asked for one week with me and has demanded all of me for that week. Deep down, I want that time with him to be whomever I want and act impulsively whenever I want. I want to live life with Finn.

The driver door opens, sending in a gush of hot air rolling over my skin, and I remember all the posters that have been plastered around town advertising the county fair.

“Until the county fair,” I say.

“What?” Finn asks, looking up.

“I want to be with you until the county fair.”

“That’s all summer,” he replies looking shocked as hell.

“And that’s what I want.”

I watch as Finn jumps up into the driver’s seat with a huge grin plastered on his face. His hands grab my hips and he pulls me onto him. Every single emotion possible races through me: excitement, happiness, fear, dread, shame, but most of all joy. I can sit here and worry about all my insecurities of being abandoned and self-worth or focus on my missing leg, the wreck and the color red. Yes, I can sit here and focus on all that shit or I can choose to take a chance with Finn. The man who has brought out every single emotion in me in just a few short weeks. I want the adventure.

Grabbing both sides of his face, I let him know, “ Finn, I choose the adventure with you. Our one night together at the bar was amazing. I’ve never felt so alive. Let’s do this.”

“Tessa, I never thought I’d hear you speak those words.”

Bending down to touch his lips with mine, I whisper, “Don’t break my heart, Finn, it’s already been crushed too many times.”

I don’t give Finn a chance to talk or defend himself before my lips finally touch his. They feel exactly like I remember and that’s probably because I’ve fantasized about them every night since our first kiss. His hands roam up and down my back as we kiss.

“I want you again,” I whisper into his mouth.

Again, I don’t wait for an answer or reply, instead I keep devouring his lips. Finn’s hands move low down to my ass and pull me in harder