Page 26 of The Moment Promised

I close my eyes and rest my head against the window while my knee bounces to the beat of the music.

After a few minutes of this, his fingertips graze my leg, startling me. He glances over at me amid his hilarious attempts at dancing, since we are in a car. I laugh at the way he moves. Only with me. The world doesn’t get to see this Finn Walker, only I do. It brings a selfish smile to my face.

The song ends, and my favorite one replaces it.

Now I’m the one singing and dancing in my seat like a moron. I swing my arms around, bopping my head. I don’t care how silly I look, I’m safe and warm. Finn would never judge me, so I let loose in front of him.

Only him.

It’s one of those sleep deprivation highs, where you’re completely giddy and everything is hilarious. Tears well in my eyes from laughing so much, my body flops around like a fish out of water. The thought makes me laugh even harder until it’s soundless and I can’t breathe.

This right here is how it feels to be alive. Simply laughing with Finn makes me feel alive. But nothing in my life has ever been simple. I need to cherish this moment. I store the memory safely in my brain to remember on a rainy day.

I haven’t smiled in a week. Coincidentally, it was the last time I was with Finn.

Once we get to Cold Cow, the best ice cream place on the island, Finn puts the car in park and turns down the radio.

“Those were some sick ass moves back there, Ad.”

“Much better thanyours.” I touch my hair, twirling it between my thumb and index finger.

His eyes graze over my features, focusing on the piece of hair I twist with a tick of his jaw. “Why are you up so late?”

“I wasn’t tired.” I shrug, grabbing the door handle.

I gasp as his hand quickly covers mine, trapping me in the car with him.

“You don’t have to do this alone.” His gaze is hot, and I feel like I could melt right into the seat. He’s so close, I forget how to breathe.

I can’t meet his gaze any longer, instead I stare at his hand as it engulfs mine. “I know,” I whisper.

“So then let me help you.” He tightens his grip. “Let me listen to all the things keeping you up at night.”

“You already get my mind off those things.”

He looks like he wishes he could be given a bigger task.

He just doesn’t realize he’s the only one who has ever made me forget about the ugly in my life. He’s been bringing out the beauty all these years. He unintentionally held me above the water while my entire world flooded.

Without realizing it, he’s doing it now too.

“You’re going to try my ice cream.” His smile returns.

I internally thank him for switching the subject. “I’m not eating chocolate ice cream with sour gummies. It’s just wrong.” I cringe.

“We’ll see.”

Finn convinces me to trya biteof his ice cream. I gag and wrinkle my nose as the sour gummies sting my taste buds. “Absolutely atrocious.” I mock gasp. “It tastes like battery acid only robots can eat—wait a minute.” I peer around, pretending what I’m about to say is top secret, lowering my voice. “That explains everything… You’re a robot!”

Finn remains stoic as he sticks his germ filled fingers into my cup of water.

“Hey!” I complain.

“If I was a robot I would short circuit or something from the water.”

I dunk my phone into the already contaminated cup. “You’re waterproof.” I demonstrate with my phone, that is also waterproof.

He grabs my phone out of the cup and dries it on his shirt. Before he can give it back to me, a notification chimes, feeding his curiosity.

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