Not A Temporary Love | Finley & Harlyn #1

Chapter 24

There's a knock on my bedroom door, and I realize I've dozed off. It takes me a second to wake up enough and get across the room to the door. Finley is on the other side, smiling. I don't even care that we're still half in the hallway. I hug him, waving at Max as he comes up the stairs. He waves back and nods approvingly. I pull Finley into my room and close the door, still holding him close. We don't say anything for a long moment.

Finally, Finley speaks up. "How are you doing?"

"That's a heavy question today," I say, squeezing him tighter.

"Mm?" he hums. "I'm sorry it's been a long day."

I pull back just long enough to sit us both on my bed, my arm still around his shoulders.

"It's ok. It's over," I say. "Now, I just have to face tomorrow."

"Are you ready?" he asks, looking up at me through tired eyes.

I sigh. "I think so." My stomach flips a little. "Nervous."

"I'm sure," he says.

"I was actually going to ask..." I start. I haven't wanted to, because I feel like a wimp asking for help, like I can't say the words on my own.

"What?" Finley prompts, turning to face me.

"Would you - would you want to be there?" I whisper. "When I tell Elly?"

He squeezes my hand between his. "Of course. If that's what you want?"

I nod. "I think so. I don't know how it's going to go. It might be nice to have someone to back me up? I guess?" All I know is that the thought of having Finley there makes the whole meeting feel a bit easier.

"Ok. Noon?" he asks. I nod. "I'll be here."

"Thank you," I whisper.

We sit quietly again. There's something about Finley's presence that's soothing. I could sit in silence with him tracing patterns on my hands forever. But I know it's hard for Finley to sit still, to do nothing. So, I ask him about how Bruges was and listen as he goes through his day. He talks about getting seasick on the ferry, getting another stamp on his passport, eating actual Belgian waffles. I just watch him, completely captivated by his smile and his hand movements and his tiny smattering of freckles.

I take it back. I could sit here listening to him talk forever. Close to midnight, he finally says he should probably start home. I try to protest, telling him that he can stay here. I'm sure Mum wouldn't care. But I know he'll never say yes. He says he'll be back in the morning. And then he's gone.

After walking him out, I go back to my room. But I'm wide awake now. So, I go down the hall and knock softly on Max's door. It opens only a few seconds later. Max is in his pajamas, but he looks wide awake, too.

I apologize anyway. "Sorry, I know it's late."

"It's ok," he says and lets me in. I sit in his desk chair again, and he sits on his bed. "What's up?"

"Well, I'm telling Elly tomorrow. And I was just...wondering how Finley told you. How you felt about it." Saying it out loud, I realize I probably should have asked Finley. But I want to know what to expect from Max's side.

"Oh," Max says. "Yeah. I mean you know the gist, right? We've told you the story."

"More or less. But not really the details," I say.

He ruffles his hair and adjusts his glasses. "Well, we were hanging out one night. Very beginning of Freshman year. Holly was at volleyball practice. I was telling him about this girl - she was a year older than us, had just moved in. I was, uh, still am a...I like to say I'm a hopeless romantic. And I fall in love easily and quickly and hard. Well, not love, I guess. Crushes. Finley will tell you. I've told him about all of my crushes."