Mom:I’m proud of you for being so mature about this decision, Finn. I know it’s not easy for you. And I hope you know I’m here for you if you need to talk anything through.
Finn:I was hoping you’d say that. Depending on the results, I might take you up on it.
Mom:Always here for you. No matter what.
Chapter 14
Molly
Molly blinked, head tilted back in her bed, eyes fixed on the white ceiling. Finn had said he’d loved her. What was she supposed to do with that information? Her stomach fluttered. Sure she had been drunk, and half asleep, but she was almost completely, totally, 100% convinced she’d heard him tell her he loved her. Hadn’t he?
Fine, she was more like 45% sure, but every time she replayed the trip from the car to her bed she’d heard him say it. A whispered secret.
It had been two days. She’d managed to successfully avoid him, but it wouldn’t last long. Her stomach flipped again. Could he really love her? He’d left Tylenol, water, and a banana after he’d put her to bed and left Post-Its saying ‘Eat Me’ and ‘Drink Me’ stuck to them.
Sweet was Finnegan’s middle name. Crammed right there between Aiden and O’Brien. Heat spread across her chest. It was hardly fair that she knew what he’d said, but she didn’t have the lady balls to tell him she felt the same. If he’d known she wasn’t asleep, he would never have said it, but once he had, he couldn’t take it back. It was her treasure now.
How long had he loved her for? How could she look him in the face ever again? Where did they go next?
She grunted and slammed her clenched fists into the plush quilt draped over her body. Wasn’t this what she’d always wanted? Confirmation that Finn not only found her attractive, not just Will’s younger sister, but that he also wanted more from her?
Her gut twisted. Did that mean he was done caring about what Will would think? Her mind reading capabilities were failing her. If she wanted answers, she’d have to – gulp – talk to the damn boy and get them.
The night before, she’d fed her confusion whisky. She’d woken up, mouth dry, head thumping, got out of bed and dressed. She needed to escape, to go for a drive and clear her head. Windows down, music up, and wind in her hair. That would help. It had to.
She got in her car and headed west out of the city. After twenty minutes of driving, even her car decided it had had enough of her grousing. The red light taunted her from the dash. Running out of gas was Molly’s specialty. That and making jello shots. She eased the car to the shoulder as it juddered to a stop.
Shit.
She couldn’t face calling Finn. Her cheeks sizzled at the thought. Her parents were both at work, Will wasn’t talking to her, Cleo was in class and there was no way on earth she’d check her phone during lectures. Molly scrolled through the contacts on her phone.
Jared. Fuck buddy extraordinaire. But he’d brought her tacos once, so maybe he would bring her gas in exchange for a blowie? As dicks went, his wasn’t half bad and he knew how to use it well enough for a call back.
She hit the call button.
“Yo?”
“Jared, it’s Molly.” Her stomach clenched and unclenched. Clenched and unclenched. She hated asking anyone for help.
“What’s up, pretty girl? I’m busy right now but I could stop by later, at like… eleven?”
“I’m stranded. I ran out of gas and I’m wondering if you could—”
His obnoxious laughter swallowed her words. “I’m not your boyfriend, pretty girl. Go call your mamma.” He hung up on her.
She really didn’t want to call Finn. If she did, she might do something stupid like launch herself at him vagina first, or say something dumb like she loved him too. But calls to two more fuck buddies later, and she was out of alternatives.
He should have been her first call, like always, but the L-Word was mounted on a neon sign inside her brain, flashing every few seconds to remind her he’d said it. The call connected almost instantly.
“Molly? What’s wrong?”
She sighed. How did he always know? She pulled the phone away from her ear and hit the speakerphone button. “Are you busy?”
Finn took a drink of something. “What do you need, Doll?”
Her throat constricted. Was he giving her a new pet name? Did he even know he’d called her it? What did it mean? Her brain ached from all the thinking and feeling.
“I… eh…” She cleared her throat. “I ran out of gas.”
