Not A Temporary Love | Finley & Harlyn #1

Chapter 21

Finley

Monday is the first time all four of us hang out since everything happened between Harlyn and I. Well, that's not entirely true. Harlyn and I both went to pick Max and Elly up from the party Friday night, but we weren't all together for more than ten minutes before we went our separate ways. Harlyn took Elly home, and I half dragged Max back to Harlyn's house. The point is it doesn't really count.

We all decide to meet up for lunch at Nando's. But when I show up, Elly's the only one there, dressed as stylishly as always in a gray skirt, black tights, boots, and her ever present purple coat. She grins when she sees me.

"Hello, babes," she says, going in for a hug.

"Hey, Elly," I say. "You look fantastic, as usual."

She pulls back and grins wider. "You are too sweet, Finley."

"Is it just you and me?" I ask.

She holds up her phone. "Harlyn texted in the group chat. He said he and Max are on their way, but they're running late."

"Of course," I say, pulling out my phone. He sent it while I was walking here. And he sent me an individual text, too, saying he's excited to see me.

"That's a big grin," Elly says. She raises an eyebrow at me.

I shrug and pocket my phone. "I'm happy."

"Anyone in particular making you that happy?"

"Just...Max," I lie. "He's, uh, he's funny."

"He is indeed hilarious," she agrees.

"Who's hilarious?" Harlyn asks from behind me. I have to fight the urge to hug him hello. Would that be weird? Probably. We've never greeted each other that way before.

"Max," Elly answers.

Max grins. "Obviously."

We all file into Nando's, order, and claim a table. We mostly talk about our rescheduled Harry Potter studio tour Max and I finally did on Saturday. And we discuss when we're going to finish our Harry Potter marathon at Harlyn's house. The party doesn't come up. Not that I expected it to. Max hasn't brought it up with me, even though we were together all day Saturday and spent Sunday afternoon with Amelia.

I try my best to stay cool. But it's hard when Harlyn's sitting across the table. He smiles at me a few times, and I have to keep the swoon off my face. Because Max knows it way too well. Thankfully, like I keep telling Harlyn, Max knows I have a crush on him, so a goony look here and there isn't a huge deal. He'll just tease me about it. I can take that.

Harlyn keeps his eyes away from me completely, unless he's talking directly to me. Or I'm talking in general. But I see his hand twitch like he's going to hug me when we leave. He doesn't. Just rushes off to get to class. I want to kiss him goodbye, but I have to settle for seeing him later today while Max is in class. Elly splits off toward her campus after Harlyn disappears, and Max and I take a leisurely pace down High Street.

"Remember our first time walking down High Street?" I ask. "After our orientation at the library? The day we had Nando's for the first time?"

"Of course. How could I forget?" Max says, watching a woman push a stroller past us.

"I was so intimidated by all of these places, the thought of trying to find time to explore everything." I gaze up at the Royal Museum, a place I have yet to visit. "Now we've been here two months, and it feels like home."

Max shoots a smile up at me. "It does, doesn't it?" He pauses. "How are you feeling about all of that? About possibly moving here?"

"I'm leaning toward it more, for sure," I say. "Still terrified, mostly of telling my parents, honestly."