Not A Temporary Love | Finley & Harlyn #1

Chapter 6

Harlyn

Me:
Are you ok? I mean, after the other day? With your parents?

Finley:
Yeah. I'm good. Thanks for listening though. It was a lot.

Me:
No. It was fine. I'm glad I could listen.

I read through the short text conversation as I wait in the student lounge, nursing a beer and glancing up periodically to see who walks through the front doors. I've read the three texts a hundred times since I sent them last night, cringing at my awkwardness. I should've just waited until tonight to ask. That would've been less weird. I mean, we all exchanged phone numbers at the end of the tour last week, and Finley texted me Monday asking for any good sources on the castle. So, it wasn't the first text interaction we ever had, but still.

It's been forever since we - I - let someone new into my life like this, this easily. Finley is just...easy to be around. I can't seem to stop thinking about him, completely fascinated by my now three interactions with him. And what I've heard from Max. Elly couldn't stop talking about setting him up with someone, and about how cute he is. And I couldn't help but agree. Although I've never agreed so enthusiastically on a guy she found cute, and I was grateful that Elly didn't seem to notice.

"Harlyn, babes!" Speaking of Elly. She stops at the table I've claimed and ruffles my hair. "Getting a head start, I see."

"It's been a long week. Don't judge me," I say. "Also, have you seen these blokes?" I gesture to the table a bit to my right. Five guys are there, and between them are at least eight empty pints and five full ones. "I'm not there yet."

Elly grins, unwrapping her scarf and laying it over a chair with her coat. "Yet." She wanders off to the bar and comes back a bit later with a plate of loaded chips and a raspberry gin fizz.

"Hungry?" I ask, already reaching to steal a chip that's dangling from the edge of the plate. She slaps my hand away.

"Yes. You want your own? Go get your own." She digs in, slurping up cheese and bacon bits.

I let my eyes wander around the lounge. It's a decent sized space, full of tables and clumps of chairs and a giant projection of tonight's football game on the wall. I'm too distracted people watching to look too closely at who it is. I'm behind on this season anyway. I haven't had the chance to keep up on more than who won what and who was predicted to be on top this year. Marley's disappointed in me. He keeps teasing me that he's going to come down from London for every game and make me sit and watch them with him. That seems excessive, although it would be nice to see him more than once every other month.

My second glance at the door is rewarded with the sight of Max and Finley strolling in. Well, Max strolls in. Finley kind of tiptoes, like his Vans are going to make too much sound if he steps any harder. His shoulders are tense, just like they have been every time I've seen him. But I'm happy to see them lower a bit when he sees me and Elly. I hope I make him feel comfortable. I hope I make everyone feel comfortable, but it's a different kind of triumph when he visibly relaxes.

Elly spots them, too, and waves them over. "Over here, babes!"

"What is up?" Max greets, sliding into the seat across from Elly and shrugging his coat off. His glasses are misted over, and he has to take them off and wipe them on his shirt before he can see again. Finley takes the chair across from me, hanging his jacket on the back of it. "I see you two are already feasting." Max grabs a chip from Elly's plate.

"He gets to steal your food, but I don't?" I ask.

She gives me a cheeky grin. "Tough luck, babes."

"Traitor," I say. "I guess I'll get my own. You two want me to grab you drinks?" Max asks for a beer, but Finley looks behind me at the bar uncertainly.