The Scars of Anatomy

34. Everything

My heart nearly beats out of my chest when I spot Olivia outside my door, right where she said she'd be. She's still in the same clothes from this morning, a pair of jeans with a dark blue sweater, her ponytail swishing behind her as she paces in front of my door, nervously biting at the nail of her index finger.

Spinning around, she stops in her tracks as her eyes meet mine. Her shoulders drop, hands falling to her sides. She looks nervous, uncertain, but also relieved.

I take a step towards her, the feet between us feeling like miles. "Finch," I breathe, cautious.

Tears mist her remorseful brown eyes as her bottom lip quivers. "Bronx," she whispers, my name caught in her throat. "I'm sorry."

I shake my head. "Don't be sorry," I reply earnestly.

I don't need apologies. All I need is her.

By the look on her face, I know how sorry she is. How confused and hurt she was, thinking I purposefully ditched her and cheated on her. I know it was hard for her to believe me with all the evidence stacked against me, that my reputation perceived me, but I always knew beneath the surface she clung to hope that I wasn't that guy anymore. That I loved her.

But I don't want to think about that any longer. Right now, all I want to do is hold her in my arms.

I extend my hand out to her. "Come here."

More than willing, she walks towards me and I meet her halfway in three long strides, gathering her in my arms. I hold her tightly, her arms looping around my waist, holding me just as tight. Her soft vanilla scent engulfs me, soothing me, and I feel like I can breathe again.

Her body melts against mine and I press my lips to the top of her head, savoring the feeling of her touch. When I lean back to look at her, those warm brown eyes are already looking up at me, full of longing.

Dipping my head, I press my lips to hers, kissing her softly, slowly. I take my time with her, loving the way her lips and body feel against mine. She must feel the same way, her hands sliding up my torso to my chest, one landing on my cheek while the other reaches the collar of my shirt, fingers curling inside, fisting the fabric and pulling me that much closer.

I let my tongue skim across her bottom lip and dip inside her mouth to sweep across her own, tasting her. She sighs in content but pulls away from the kiss, catching her breath.

I furrow my brow, afraid I moved too fast, scaring her off, but the thumb of her hand still resting on my cheek glides back and forth, soothing.

"Let's go inside," she whispers, and I'm suddenly aware that we're out in the middle of the hallway. Not that I care, almost everyone has left for the break already, and even if there were people still lingering around, I wouldn't give a damn if they saw.

I take a deep breath, getting my head back on straight. The second I left Delilah's to the time I reached the parking lot and walked inside the dorms has all been a blur, seeing Olivia the only thought crossing my mind.

Reluctantly, I let go of her to grab my keys and unlock the door, holding it open for her. She walks in and crosses the room, standing in front of my desk as the door softly clicks shut behind us. We stand facing each other, nervous energy suddenly humming between us, neither one of us knowing who should speak first.

Clearing my throat, I shrug off my jacket and lay it over the top of my dresser, leaning back against the door. I long to touch her, but I give her space, giving her the option to come to me, not wanting to fuck this up.

She fidgets, nervously picking at the skin at the edge of her fingernail. "I'm sorry," she says softly, sincerely, her voice cutting through the silence.