Finding Abby

13

I don't show Finn the texts where she's ranting about me stealing Ben's car and going to find my dad. She doesn't seem to agree with me on what I'm doing.

"Ben's calling." Finn points to my phone. I turn it back to me and see that Ben is indeed calling.

"Should I answer it?"

Finn sips at his wine.

I answer the phone.

"Jenna?"

"I'm so sorry for taking your car."

"Are you okay?"

"We're fine. I'm with Finn."

"Where are you?"

"Where do you think?"

A pause, then, "Are you at the house?"

"There's no one home."

"Shit. Sorry. Your mum's worried."

As if. She's only worried I'll find out something she doesn't want me to know. "My phone's gonna run out. I only wanted to tell you I'm sorry and I'm okay."

"Call me if you need—"

I hang up. My phone is at fifteen percent. I have no way of charging it. I turn it off.

Finn has finished his glass of wine and is gripping the bottle high up on the neck with his fist, pouring another one as our food arrives. A huge mound of golden fried calamari and a colourful salad is placed in front of us and my mouth fills with saliva. It smells so good.

"You two want this?" The waiter calls to us in his thick Greek accent from the counter. He waves a bottle of clear liquid and three shot glasses at us.

I blink at Finn who blinks back at the waiter.

"On the house! For all my new customers! Homemade ouzo! Keep you coming back!" He heads over to our table and nudges Finn's shoulder with his elbow. "You need a warm up, huh? An aphrodisiac? A relax?" He winks at Finn then at me as if we know what he's talking about.

As Finn accepts the gift with his cheerful smile, I tuck my chin into my chest and stifle a laugh. The man places the shot glasses down on our table and fills them full of the clear liquid. Everyone in the room is looking. He grins between us and his eyes twinkle as he picks up one of the tiny glasses between two fingers. "Come on now," he says, encouraging us to join in.

I pick up my glass and follow the man's actions. He clinks his glass to ours and yells, "Ya mas!" We follow suit and tip our heads back and swallow as everyone laughs and claps us. It burns my throat and I have to stop myself coughing and spluttering. The waiter slams his shot glass on the table and pats Finn's shoulder, pushing him forward. "Now you're relaxed, huh? Now you two have a good night!"

He wanders back the counter and Finn and I burst out laughing. Finn pinches his nostrils together.

"I thought it was gonna come back up," he admits.

The burning liquid moves down through my limbs and into my blood. I sense it folding open my feelings and, when I look across at Finn who is heaping salad onto his plate with a childish greed, I know things are about to change between us.

***

The house is still dark when Finn and I turn with wobbly steps into Bliss Street. We've been holding hands the whole way back from the café. I'm so aware of his breathing; of the way he's caressing my palm with his thumb. I'm so very aware of every atom of him. He gave me his hoodie because I forgot to bring one and I can smell him all around me.