Page 16 of Something Unforgettable

Finn nudged him out of the way. “Let me see if I can fix it.”

His grandfather huffed in annoyance but allowed Finn to take over. “I’m fixin’ to send the damn thing back to the manufacturer. The old one was just fine.”

The old one was practically an antique and didn’t record their transactions or print receipts. When it stopped working the last time, there hadn’t even been parts available to fix it. But Finn had exhausted that argument ages ago. He kept quiet as he pressed a few buttons while reaching around the side to flick the power switch to “on.” Pops didn’t need to know he was struggling over something with a simple fix. When the machine came to life, Finn grabbed the cash drawer and dropped it into place.

“I think I got it working,” he said, then moved the little sign he’d made with the start-up instructions closer. The anxious knot in his chest loosened when Pops sighed.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you, my boy. You have the magic touch.” He patted Finn on the shoulder with a heavy hand.

“Thanks, Pops,” Finn said. “If you want, I can show you what works for me?” He would need to tread carefully. If he pointed out that it was user error, Pops would only get angry with himself, and things would go downhill from there. He could already tell it was going to be a difficult day, just from how stiffly Pops was moving and the way he patted his pockets, searching for the keys that were on the counter in front of him.

Finn tried not to notice, just scooped up the keys and hurried to unlock the store. Soon, they got busy, and Finn was running between ringing up purchases and helping customers find what they were looking for. The bad days were exhausting, with Finn doing everything he could to compensate and smooth over any mistakes at the same time. It was hard, too, because Pops had had a string of good days—days that made Finn hope he was imagining the bad ones.

Around lunchtime, he found Pops back in the office, going through invoices and looking frustrated. He tried not to cringe at the mess.

“Need any help, Pops?” Finn asked, twisting his fingers together and squeezing to distract himself from the emotions bubbling up.

“I’m fine,” Pops snapped, making Finn flinch.

“Okay,” Finn said, fighting to keep his voice level. “Are you sure—”

“I said,no.” He gripped the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb, pushing his glasses askew. “I’ve been doing the accounting since before your father was born. I don’t need help.”

The problem was that he did, which was why they had hired an accountant a year ago. It didn’t stop Pops from doing it himself. He claimed it was the only way to be sure she wasn’t ripping them off. Finn resigned himself to a long night straightening out the mess.

Finn’s vision was blurry and his head ached from staring at numbers for hours, trying to puzzle together the mess of invoices and receipts. But if he didn’t do it, who would?

His phone buzzed. It wasn’t the first time, but those had been texts—this was an incoming call. His heart rate kicked up, then settled when he saw Ev’s name on the screen. That was right, Xavier was probably on the way to the airport already. His flight was a red-eye.

“Hey,” Finn answered, tucking the phone between his ear and shoulder so he could go through the paperwork one last time.

“He’s alive,” Ev said, and Finn could picture the expression that went along with the statement. “I was starting to think your man might be holding you hostage in his basement or something.”

Finn’s face went hot. “Shut up. He’s not ‘my man,’ and I don’t think he has a basement.”

Ev laughed. “Dude, all you could talk about last time was your date, and how he held your hand, and gave you the best kiss of your life. Which I’m a little offended about, by the way. I know your only other kiss was with me.”

Finn collapsed back in the desk chair with a groan. “I love you, Ev, but what did you expect? We aresonot compatible that way.”

Their one and only kiss had been the fall of freshman year. They’d been sprawled on their dorm-room floor, tipsy from the beer an upperclassman had given them. Finn had drunkenly admitted to his much more worldly roommate that he’d never kissed anyone before. Ev had declared that easy enough to fix, rolled over, and planted one on Finn’s lips. Then they’d both dissolved into giggles.

A few beers later, they’d made a pact that they would be best friends forever, but they were going to keep kissing off the table. It was just too weird.

Ev snorted. “Ain’t that the truth. But you and this Xavier guy, there’s something special there, right?” Ev sounded so hopeful that Finn had to smile.

“Yeah. Maybe? I mean…” Finn pulled his heel up on the chair and hugged his knee to his chest. “I like him a lot,” he admitted. “But he doesn’t live even close to here, just visits sometimes. And you know I can’t leave Pops.”

“Finny,” Ev started, and Finn could hear the note of stubbornness in his voice.

“I don’t even know if he’d be interested in something like—like a relationship,” Finn added, cutting his friend off. “We’ve only been on one date.”

“And talked on the phone for hours every night since,” Ev reminded him. Like Finn had forgotten.

Finn sighed and rubbed his eyes. “What time is it?” he asked, looking around for the clock. He was so tired that his head was starting to swim and his muscles felt wobbly.

“Ten for me, so eleven for you.”

Great. Up way past bedtime again, and he didn’t even get to listen to Xavier’s rich, smooth voice while he unwound for the night. “I should—”

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