“I blame whoever made it two weeks long. What were they thinking?” She closes her eyes with a huff.
“You’re good, Maya. I promise.”
Her cheeks blossom again, and it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. “Hey, so, I’ve already embarrassed the hell out of myself, what else do I have to lose?”
“Go on,” I encourage curiously.
Maya chews on her bottom lip. “Do you think I could get your number and we could hang out sometime? I owe you. And please don’t say I don’t, because I do, and it’ll make me feel better. That’s if you want to, of course. If you don’t, that’s fine. I get it.” She shuts her mouth, and I laugh softly, finding her rambling incredibly alluring.
If spending time with her means that I don’t have to think about all the other shit going on in my head, then I’ll take it. Since alcohol, she’s the first thing I want to drown myself in. And definitely not in a sexual way—especially after what she told me that night—but in a way that no one has ever made me feel before.
“Sure.” I pull out my phone. “Sounds good.”
Relief covers her face, and once we’ve swapped numbers, I head back to my table.
“Did you just get her number?” JJ eyes me with curiosity, and I avoid his gaze.
I sigh. “Yeah.”
“What happened to staying away?”
“I’m weak, clearly.”
JJ grins. “I knew I spotted a girlfriend on the horizon.”
“Shut up,” I grumble as he snorts.
CHAPTER 4
FINN THOMPSON
PRESENT - 1ST OCTOBER 2025
It’s been three weeks since the start of fourth year, and it’s been tougher than I thought it would be. Not only have my lectures and classes been extremely full-on, I’ve also been trying my hardest not to go out. I don’t want to give in to the little voices in my head when there’s any small inconvenience that wants me to bury myself in a beer.
But I know I can’t. I have to keep going. I can’t end up where I was before, not after my parents paid extortionate amounts of money for my rehabilitation.
I’ve been continuing with my online therapy sessions and going to weekly AA meetings to try and ease the monster inside me. I had no idea how standing in a room full of other people suffering from alcoholism would help me, but it has. Listening to their stories and the places they’ve ended up because they couldn’t say no—it’s put into perspective how badly I want to get my life back on track.
I’ve been given a sponsor to help me through my recovery. His name is Andrew, he’s been sober for three years, and is determined to help others, too. He told me that speaking inmeetings can sometimes be difficult, and that if there’s anything I’d like to share privately, I can have confidence in him.
But I still have to take one day at a time, one hour at a time, one minute at a time. That’s what my therapist said, and it’s definitely changed something inside me.
Although that’s not the only thing that has been grating on me. Despite telling myself to stay away from Maya because she deserves a man who most definitely isn’t me, that hasn’t stopped me from looking out for her around campus, but she’s nowhere to be seen.
She still has one more year to complete her three-year course, and statistically, by now, I should have bumped into her at least once.
Silas wraps his arm around JJ’s shoulder as he punches out a text on his phone. I glance between them as I take a swig of water. “I can’t believe Woodford has a girlfriend.” Silas grins before looking at me. “And she’s your sister, Finn.”
JJ’s eyes flick to mine, and I internally grimace. Given that I don’t want any of my friends to date my sister,ever,it’s not my choice, and I realised that if I kick off because of my stupid insecurities, I’ll have neither of them, and I refuse to let that be a reality.
“Maybe not rub it in,” JJ huffs and locks his phone. “Finn doesn’t need that right now.”
“Just saying.” Silas removes his arm from JJ and raises his hands in defence. “It’s exciting, no? I’ve never known you to have a girlfriend.”
JJ shrugs once. “Because Ivy’s the right one.”
The thought of my sister being in a relationship is a bittersweet feeling. Of course, I want her to be happy, but I still have deep-rooted trauma that binds my sister and my friends together. But she’s definitely come out of her shell, and she’s farmore confident than I remember, and that’s all down to my best friend.
