Finding Life | Finders Keepers #2 ✔️

40. I Love You

Blythe

It was finally my last night in the hospital right before getting discharged. I was so sick of staying in here for two weeks that I actually thought I might go crazy from doing nothing at all. Dean managed to get me some notes which he has never really told me how he did it, he just said he's got magic powers and I decided to let it go.

Antonio visited whenever he could but that would just be once in three days given that he's busy. Nickson and Castillo visited often as they could as long as they're not needed back at the house. It would just end up with Castillo and I talking and we actually got Nickson to take up some lessons just so he didn't feel left out. I finally told Chloe and Rosalie since I've been MIA for one call and they went berserk. They wanted to come to me but I managed to persuade them that they didn't need to do it.

Next up was the Hemmingways and—oh my God, I am going crazy—first off, Jessica has been coddling me and though I know that it has something to do with Charlie still not waking up, I can't help but feel a little suffocated with them. Dale did whatever he could to stop Jessica and it wasn't enough so I just let her. Jamie visited often and talked to Doctor Ronald more often since he's an aspiring doctor.

And Dean, well, let's say that if Jessica is overbearing, Dean surpasses it. The man has made sure after training, he comes back to me and will stay with me. He's even got his own duffel bag in the room filled with his clothes. When I talked to him to go home, he gave me a sneer and I gave it up.

I'm just ready to go back to normal. Which is most likely college, being a girlfriend, and a gang member.

The door opens and I already know that it's Dean, coming back from training. He smiles and opens the door wider. "Hey, look who's here."

As soon as he steps in, so do his friends. Rhett, Phoenix, Harvey, Dave, and lastly, Caleb who's holding a bouquet of flowers. "Hey guys. What are you doing here?"

"Came to see you, of course," Harvey answers, a smile on his face. "You're Dean and Caleb's friend which makes you our friend by default."

Rhett, his twin, nods. "You don't really have a choice in the matter."

We all chuckle. Dean walks up to me and lands a kiss on my forehead. "Hi, baby."

Baby. He's been calling me that ever since I had gotten the rattle from Antonio. It seems weird but I don't know—it felt right for him to call me that. "Hi."

"Ew, too much PDA. I can't handle it." Dave scrunches his nose as do Phoenix.

I give a short laugh as Dean walks back to let Caleb go to my side, handing me the bouquet of red flowers. He grins and I thank him. "Anything to cheer you up from this God-awful place, Freddie."

My eyes widen. Oh shit.

"Freddie?" Dean's brows furrow.

That's when Caleb matches my shocked look. "Oh my God. I thought you told him already. Shit, I'm sorry, Bly."

"Who's Freddie?"

Looking back at him, I give him a small smile. At least, I try to. It just falters into a guilty frown. "I am. See, I kind of forgot to mention that I started bike racing again—" his eyes widen and I put my hand up in the air in surrender "—which is in my defense, the only thing that could distract me. You were with Grace and it was bothering me and the racing thing was the solution I only saw. I took the name Freddie like Freddie Mercury and Caleb here got Ringo."

"Wow, so you're Freddie?" Phoenix asks and I nod. He whistles lowly. "The guys and I went to the match. Of course, Caleb wasn't there since he was having a match somewhere else. Damn, you were badass out there! Wait, Caleb, is this the Freddie that you lost to?"

"Yeah!" Caleb pats my shoulder. "She really did kick my ass out there. Almost pulled a temper tantrum."

They start talking about the racing and including me in multiple times. I tried to listen, at least give a little feedback but Dean and I were just staring at one another. I couldn't tell what he was thinking from the stoic expression he gave me and it was almost suffocating not to know it. I had always read Dean like an open book and I knew that one thing he didn't like me doing was bike racing so whatever he was thinking, it could either really be bad or... well bad.

The guys stayed around more for about fifteen minutes before deciding to leave. Each of them gave me a pat on the shoulder except for Caleb. He gave me a hug and apologized for letting too many information about me slip to Dean. I never really could get mad at the guy because he became my friend at all those lonely times so I told him not to worry about it and that I'll see him sometime.

Right after they left, my eyes wander back to my boyfriend. I would normally bask in the glory of calling him "boyfriend" but from the way he just sat on that recliner and didn't say anything, I couldn't.

"Dean?"

He blinks at me. "What?"

Tilting my head at him, I cock a brow. "Come on, you know what."

"Honestly, I understand," he shrugs, catching me off guard. Did he just—? "It wasn't easy for you to see me with Grace which is why you dived deep towards bike racing again. And I promised that I wouldn't dictate whatever you want and that I would accept you as a member of Notorious or not but... it just doesn't sit right with me."

"Okay, okay," I nod. "I'll quit. For real, this time."

"Bly, it's okay—"

I shake my head at him. "No. You don't feel comfortable with the idea of me being in two dangerous situations at ones and I'll respect it. Compromise. Plus, I did break that promise of not bike racing anymore which means that the punishment is me not racing anymore. Does it make sense?"

He smiles. "Are you sure?"

Is he kidding? The guy could give one command right now and I'll follow through. "Yeah," I answer with certainty. "Also, don't you go around thinking that I broke a lot of promises. This is the only one I broke."

"But the date with Caleb and the cheeseburgers—"

"Was nothing but a ploy to piss you off," I finish off for him. "I'm not proud of it. I mean, I could have pissed you off in another way. At the time, it really did seem like a good idea. Especially when I did hear you have sex with your ex-girlfriend in your room."

His nose crinkles, cringing at the memory itself. "I'm still sorry about that."

"You better," I narrow my eyes at him playfully. "And if you didn't change the sheets of your bed, I will—you know what? Let's not just talk about your room. We're doing everything in my room. Forget your room."

He just laughs and I do so too. Everything's light. Especially him and I just can't help but grin knowing well that if I never got a chance to actually tell him that I love him, I would regret it forever.

"Hey, Dean?"

"Yeah?" The way he beams at me... it just makes my heart melt.

His eyes twinkle with nothing but love.

"I love you," I mutter.

He stands from the recliner and fast walk towards me, catching my lips with his. I almost moan at how he's good at it. "I love you too," he says right before going back in for another kiss.

It's everything I could have ever asked for.