Page 174 of Finance Bros

So, after work, we walk together to my apartment. It’s impossible to entirely resist the urge to laugh at Piper, but I try to keep it civil since Nathan and Miguel have whatever they have going on. Whatever it is, it’s obviously not affecting Miguel the same way it’s changing Nathan.

Put it this way—I’ve heard zero sex happening in the unisex over the last few weeks. The most interesting work gossip is thatIsla might be seeing someone seriously based on her easy smiles and her increased productivity.

I happen to know it’s Charlie, but he asked me not to say anything about it.

Bailey, Miguel and I come home to a party.

I mean—it’s not a rager or anything, but Calyx and Deacon are here. So are Charlie and Isla. Miguel’s and Bailey’s mentors are also here, and, of course, Malcolm.

Underneath the congratulations banner and the gold balloons, I walk into his open arms. He hugs me tightly and kisses me hard on the cheek.

“You never know,” I tell him. “They could have been striking it rich with midnight dog walking.”

He laughs, the warm sound hitting my ear just right—just enough to send chills down my back. “But they didn’t.”

“No,” I say. “They certainly did not. Vintage t-shirts.”

“You’re shitting me.”

I laugh so hard, tears fall, but there’s a lot of relief, too. Not because we won, and the challenge and presentation are done, but becausehe’sstill here. He’s the best prize of all time.

He holds me through my laughter and plants a softer kiss on my face.

“Watermelon margs!” Bailey shouts. “Mal! You shouldn’t have.”

“You really shouldn’t have,” I tell him.

“Deac made regular ones too.”

“Deacon gives a shit about me.”

He grabs my head with the hand not in a cast, obviously about to give me a real kiss, but Miguel pulls us apart. “Not now, lovebirds. Crawl out of each other’s asses and mingle.”

Reluctantly, I do, taking a hug from Calyx while Mal keeps his hand on my lower back. “So, are you guys gonna keep doingthe show, or is this it?” Calyx asks. “Because Bails and I are just getting started.

“I don’t plan on quitting,” I say, looking at Mal.

My boyfriend shrugs. “It’s pretty much my only source of income, so I’m stuck with it.”

“Yeah,” Calyx laughs. “You seem super devastated.”

“You said you’d be traveling this fall,” I say. “Is that still happening?”

He wrinkles his pretty nose. “I might go to New York for fashion week, but that’s it. Is finance a good major or what?”

I raise my eyebrows. “You wanna go to school?”

He makes another face. “Not really. I don’t know. Honestly I’d teach yoga for a living if it paid the bills.”

“Do YouTube yoga,” Mal suggests.

Calyx grunts. “I need another drink.”

Deacon and Mal have been working hard today. The living room is set up like an actual gathering space instead of a gym, and decorations are everywhere. We’ve never had this many people in the apartment at once, and if someone told me at the beginning of the summer this was how it’d end up, I wouldn’t have believed them. It’s a testament to how much I’ve changed that I wouldn’t have today end any other way.

Maybeoneother way, but the night is young.

Deacon’s food is a huge hit, and soon enough Isla’s working the karaoke machine she brought over. Nathan shows up at some point to keep an eye on Miguel who lets his hair down literally and murders ‘We Are the Champions” in an ear-grating but ultimately hilarious fashion.

---