Page 56 of Something Unforgettable

Finn kept breathing. “I—I want to go h-home.” His voice broke on the last word and his eyes burned. “I miss Pops and I’m so worried about him. I should be watching the store, and—and making sure the nurses are taking care of him, and the doctors are getting all the tests done he needs. I have deliveries to make, and orders to place, and shipments to unpack. I shouldn’t be here pretending everything’s fine when it’s not.” Despite the rough beginning, once Finn started talking the words poured out of him. “I’m sorry. I love it here, I do. And you and everyone have been so wonderful to me, but I need to go home.”

Xavier rounded the counter and wrapped his arms around Finn in a tight hug. Finn hugged him back, pressing his face into Xavier’s chest and breathing him in.

“I’m sorry,” he said again, but Xavier stopped him with a hand on the back of his head and a shushing sound.

“You don’t need to apologize, sweet boy. I promised you I could have you home in a few hours as soon as you needed to go.”

Finn squeezed his eyes shut against the tears and gripped Xavier tighter. “Will—will you come with me?”

Xavier pressed a kiss to the top of his head, then sighed. “Oh, sweetheart. You have no idea how much I wish I could.”

Finn’s heart sank. Of course Xavier couldn’t drop everything and fly to Split Rock just because Finn needed to go. He had a job—a whole company—and a life here in LA. And another in New York for that matter. He divided his time between the two and Split Rock was just a detour. A vacation. It wasn’t real life either.

He let Xavier go and sat back, trying to be brave.

“I—” He couldn’t say it. He couldn’t say he understood. He couldn’t go through this again. Couldn’t live his life being forgotten. “I’m scared,” he admitted, his eyes locked on Xavier’s shirt, his fingers twisting one of the buttons. “I’m so scared you’re going to forget about me.”

Xavier cupped his face, forcing him to look up and meet dark eyes filled with worry.

“I couldneverforget you, little one. And I’m going to prove it to you, if you’ll let me.”

Finn’s lower lip trembled. He wanted to believe Xavier so badly, but it was hard. His parents had made promises like that—we’ll be there, we won’t forget, don’t worry so much. Words like that didn’t mean anything in his world. It was actions he needed.

“Please?” he asked. “I—I really want to believe you. But my brain is telling me to protect myself.”

Xavier’s expression changed from worry to determination. “Listen to me, Finn. I’m not giving up on us and I’m not going to let you give up either. We’re going to figure out a way to make this work. You’re too important to me to just—” He shut his eyes for a moment and when he opened them, they were glassy. He pressed his forehead to Finn’s, his voice dropping low and rough. “You’re everything, little one.”

Finn nodded, not pulling away. He needed that to be true. So much. He needed Xavier to be his. To keep him.

Xavier straightened a moment later. “Stay right there,” he said, then jogged out of the room. When he returned, he had a black permanent marker in his hand. “Give me your arm.”

Finn held out his hand, palm up, but Xavier shook his head.

“No. The other one.” He put his foot on the rail of the barstool, took Finn’s casted arm, and rested it on his thigh. After uncapping the marker with his teeth, he dropped the cap on the counter. On the inside of Finn’s wrist, right where his pulse point would be without the cast in the way, Xavier drew a bold X. “Every time you look at this, I want you to remember—I may be all the way on the other side of the country, but I’m always thinking about you.”

He dropped the pen and wrapped his palm over Finn’s wrist, like he could press the mark he’d made through the cast and into Finn’s skin. “I’m never more than a phone call away and I promise you that I’ll always answer.” He smiled and swiped a tear from Finn’s cheek. Finn hadn’t even realized he was crying. “I may piss off a few executives, but it’ll be good for them to know where they fall on the scale of importance.”

Finn’s answering smile was shaky. He sniffled. “I don’t want you to piss anyone off.”

“And I don’t want you to worry that I’ll forget you.” He dipped down and kissed Finn, slow and thorough. “I’m going to call you every night, and I’ll come see you as soon as I can. We’re going to figure this out, little one, I swear it.”

Finn nodded and dragged Xavier down for another kiss. He wanted to believe him, but history told him otherwise. Even when people meant it, they couldn’t always keep their promises.

Finn flipped the sign on the door to “open” and turned the lock before heading to the register. He’d been back in Split Rock for three days and despite slipping into his normal routine, everything felt off. He wanted to blame it on Pops still being in the hospital, but he knew that wasn’t the real reason.

He missed Xavier. Which was stupid, because he’d gone twenty-three years without him. A month or so of mostly long-distance dating and then a few days glued to his side shouldn’t feel like missing a limb. It couldn’t be healthy, but recognizing that didn’t make Finn feel any better. It didn’t make him feel any less adrift.

Work and Pops were decent distractions. Ev had gone back to Chicago, and with Pops still in the hospital, Finn had more than enough to do. He’d sent Grace home, ignoring her protests, then spent the day running off his feet. Grace hadn’t had a day off in a week, and as much as Finn appreciated her help, he also needed her healthy and well rested if they were going to keep the place running.

He was finishing up with a customer when the bell over the door rang and Micah walked in, followed by Izzy. Finn eyed the latter. They weren’t exactly friends—Finn knew things about Izzy that Izzy would rather keep private—but he guessed they got along well enough. And Izzy was a riot in the group chat, which was still going strong.

“Hey, Finny,” Micah called, coming behind the counter to give him a hug that Finn returned. “Look at you! How’s it feel to be a big fish in a little pond?”

“I’m not a big fish. I was in one picture.”

“Sure,” Izzy said, leaning his elbows on the counter. “No big deal, just a shopping spree with Remy Dalton—you look great by the way—and a party at Isabella Brantford’s. Not to mention staying in a gorgeous mansion in Hollywood.”

“It was West Malibu, actually,” Finn said, then rolled his eyes at himself when he caught Micah and Izzy exchanging an amused glance.

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