Page 50 of From Now On

This time, I successfully locate our table. It’s full, aside from my empty seat. Conor is tracking Harlow’s progress across the bar like he’s her personal bodyguard. Aidan is grinning. Rylan flashes me a thumbs-up, then mouths something I’m too tipsy to decipher.

And Hunter…Hunter is completely unreadable. He glances away when he notices I’m looking in his direction, expression entirely neutral.

Hopefully he’s thinking I was right—I didn’t need flirting lessons.

Not that I would have hated practicing with him.

As far as I can tell, he hasn’t flirted with anyone tonight. Every time I’ve looked at the table, he’s been sitting there with some assortment of his—our?—friends.

I guess he is dating Holly. Lucky girl.

I refocus on the bar, taking a long sip from the water Harlow ordered for me. My stomach gurgles as the cold liquid trickles through my system. We ordered pizza for dinner, but I only ate a couple of slices before heading up to shower and get ready for tonight.

They have food here, but I’ve blazed by the munchy stage of inebriation and headed straight into the spins. The thought of eating right now makes me feel nauseous.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. I take another sip of water, then pull it out. New messages litter the screen. There’s a series of texts from Harlow, ending with one announcing she was coming over to check on me. Another one from Ben, suggesting I call him. And one from my mother.

MOM:Stop expecting him to change, Eve.

The tips of my fingers go white on the sides of the screen. I scoff, then forcefully shove my phone back into the pocket of my jeans.

I never learn. Not when it comes to my dad—and not when it comes to my mom.

She resents him for never taking any responsibility when it comes to me. And she resents me for wanting a relationship with my father despite him never taking any responsibility.

Obviously, she was going to find out he was skipping my graduation when he never showed up. I figured telling her right away would rip the metaphorical Band-Aid off, so I texted her after I hung up with my dad. That was a mistake. Now, I’m dealing with the double-whammy of my parents’ disregard—my dad’s dismissiveness and my mom’s diatribe.

“Are you okay?” Finn asks.

“I’mgreat.” I reach for the glass Julian keeps refilling instead of the water Harlow ordered and down another sip of the drink that tastes sweet and slightly smoky.

“Come help me pick out a song, then.” He slings his arm around my shoulders again and steers me toward the jukebox in the corner.

I go willingly, letting Finn support most of my weight. It feels nice to lean on someone. To not have to think about where I’m headed.

He selects Etta James’s “I Just Want to Make Love to You.”

I snort a laugh as the opening lyrics start to play. “Is this your move?”

Finn grins. He’s smiled most of the hour I’ve known him. He seems like a genuine, goofy guy—the laid-back type of person you expect lives in a sleepy town, is buddies with the local bartender, and surfs as much as he can.

Nonchalant, whereas I’ve always been very chalant.Is chalant a word?

“Is it working?” Finn asks, before I can voice the question aloud.

“Not really,” I answer truthfully.

I find Finn objectively attractive. But I’m not attractedtohim. Not in thebutterflies in my belly,nervous blurtingkind of way, at least. Maybe it’s the numbing haze of alcohol.

Finn laughs in response to my candor rather than taking offense, which makes me like him a little more. “Then, no. It’s not my move.”

“Surf lessons?” I suggest, taking over on scrolling through the jukebox selections. Give up when the motion makes me feel queasy again. I’ll just let Etta do her thing.

“Do you want to learn how to surf?” Finn asks. His eyes dance mischievously.

“Nope.” I pop the P for emphasis. “I’ve watched too many shark documentaries with Harlow. The ocean is theirs. And chlorine is bad for hair, so I avoid pools too. I would swim in a lake, but I don’t think you can surf in a lake. Right?”

The way Finn is looking at me—entertained and clearly interested—should affect me. Not many guys have found my babbling charming.

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