Page 90 of The Moment Promised

“Coffee?” Jill offers everyone.

I’m the only one who declines. Once Finn takes a sip from his turquoise mug, a bright smile overtakes his face. “This is the best stuff I’ve ever tasted.” He pauses for a moment then says, “Well, maybe not the best.” He winks at me when no one is watching.

My face heats.

Finn chuckles then scoots his seat as close to mine as possible. He rests his arm across the back of my chair, surprising me when he places a kiss to the top of my head.

Jill glances at Burt, gets up, and leaves.

“That was weird,” Finn whispers into my hair, then takes a bite of his bagel.

She comes back only a moment later, giving her husband an eyeroll, and then a ten-dollar bill.

“Thank you very much,” Burt says to his wife, and then looks at Finn and I, “And thankyou.” He inspects his money with a pleased smile.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Finn mock gasps when I jam my elbow into him. I think he got a little too used to cursing in front of Charlie, but these are the Walkers. A picture-perfect family that frowns upon cursing.

It’s a mystery to me how we ended up as friends to begin with. Our families were from two different planets.

No.

Galaxies.

“Oh nothing, son. Just a friendly bet between your mother and I.” He wraps an arm around her, placing a smug kiss to her cheek.

She gives him yet another playful eyeroll before explaining. “Burt here was convinced the past ten years that, well, you two would end up as…” She shakes her head searching for the right words. “More than friends.”

I wait for Finn to correct his parents’ judgement, my entire body tensing like I’ve been turned to stone by Medusa.

Burt continues, “And of course, your mother justhadto disagree with me.”

“Has it ever occurred to you that I may have my own thoughts and opinions. Not everything that leaves my mouth is just to spite you,” Jill rants.

“Oh, come on, Jill. There’s no way you never caught on to these two.” My mom finally joins the conversation, breaking out of her shell.

Jill looks at my mom, completely dumbfounded. The red that paints my face moves all the way down my body, I realize as I glance at my splotchy arms.

“Finn has been following my daughter around like a lost puppy since I met him,” my mom says, like it’s been so utterly obvious, taking a sip of coffee.

I’m on the edge of my seat, just waiting for Finn to interrupt them and tell them how stupid the idea of us together is. How stupid I am for imagining it to be real.

“Wait a minute,” Finn finally says. “You mean she followedmearound.”

“Nope,” my mother says confidently. “I got it right the first time. It didn’t take a genius to figure out how head over heels you’ve been for my daughter.” She shrugs, sitting up straighter.

“Apparently it did,” Jill says.

Finn’s composed laughter disintegrates every bit of tension from my body.

“So let me get one thing straight,” Finn says, over our laughter. “You guysbeton us?”

“Yup,” Burt says.

“Come with me,” Finn says out of nowhere. The yellow light from the bathroom I stand in floods his dark bedroom, painting him gold as he rests on his bed.

I comb through my hair in an attempt to ease my mind, but the truth is there are just way too many emotions in this tiny body of mine. I stare back at myself in the mirror, purple hollows out my eyes like I haven’t slept in days.

“Where?” I ask.

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