Page 50 of Brad & Finn
Finn had never really experienced that. He didn’t miss Gomillion when he left because he’d stayed close to Chloe and Kendall. He didn’t miss Indianapolis now because he was herewith Chloe. He could admit he missed Christian and their dogs, but he knew he’d see them again soon.
He was doing his best not to let his fantasies carry him away on the breeze, but if things ever progressed with Brad—or anyone else—he could see himself moving away from Indianapolis. As long as he could visit Chloe and Christian, he figured he’d be okay. He had no doubt that his place in their lives, just like their place in his, would never change.
Finn stepped up to the food truck to order and opted for a side of pita and hummus. His stomach hadn’t appreciated the four cups of coffee he’d fed it, and he was still rather full from the pastry. His food came out quickly, so he wandered over to the picnic tables to grab seats. He saw Chloe waiting near her truck, chatting with two of the basketball players, and Naomi and Mariana were over by the pizza booth.
He hadn’t thought about ordering a drink, and he pulled out his phone to text Chloe but got distracted by a news update. He had no idea how long he spent scrolling before a strong hand landed on his shoulder.
He tilted his head up, right as Brad bent down, and they came a breath away from kissing.
“Shit,” Brad said, jerking his head back as Finn sputtered out an apology.
“Making moves on my man, Brad?” Chloe said as she approached the table. The sarcasm in her voice was extra thick, which he assumed was for Naomi and Mariana’s benefit.
“If by moves, you mean almost cracking him in the face with my skull, then yeah, Chlo, you better watch out.”
Finn rubbed his cheek on his shoulder to try and wipe away his blush.
“I was leaning down to tell you I saw you didn’t have a drink, so I got you lemonade,” Brad said, placing a bottle of Finn’sfavorite brand of lemonade in front of him. “You’re also welcome to share my food.”
Brad had gone to the BBQ stand and gotten enough food to feed a small army.
“Is that offer open to everyone? Because I’d love to try some South Carolina BBQ,” Mariana said, hip-checking Naomi so she could sit down in front of Brad.
“Of course! Everyone is welcome to whatever they want,” Brad said, gesturing at the pile of forks on his tray.
Finn reached under the table and squeezed Brad’s thigh, unable to express the warm, tingly feeling he got watching Brad feed all their friends. Sure, it was still probably a bit people please-y, but it was also kind, and Finn would never fault him for that.
Under the table, Brad linked their fingers together as Naomi and Mariana pushed their garlic breadsticks into the middle of the table, and Chloe and Finn added their food to the mix. It was by far too much food, but they all dug in, offering up anecdotes about their favorite foods and go-to places in their new cities. Finn didn’t have a lot to contribute—partly because he wasn’t really a foodie, and partly because he was very distracted by Brad’s hand in his.
Mariana and Brad got into an intense debate over pizza, the age-old question of deep dish versus thin crust pulling out contentious opinions from Chloe as well. Naomi chimed in her opinion, which was that pizza was pizza. Finn didn’t even bother getting involved, but when Brad, Mariana, and Chloe all pulled out their phones to begin comparing photos, Naomi cast Finn a conspiratorial look.
Finn was rolling his eyes affectionately when he was struck with a sinking dread that all of this would come to an end on Monday morning. The piece of cornbread in his mouth turned to sawdust, and he struggled to swallow it down. There wouldbe no more easy hangouts and connecting with amazing people like Naomi, Mariana, and Atlas. They would all be returning to opposite sides of the country, and he and Brad wouldn’t be…doing whatever it is they were doing. At least, he wouldn’t be across the hall or pressed against Finn’s side on picnic tables anymore.
Even after he managed to swallow, his mouth felt sticky, clogged up with all the things he wanted to say. Once again, he almost wanted to blurt out to Naomi who he was and ask if they could at the very least exchange phone numbers and stay in touch. Hell, he didn’t even have Brad’s phone number. How could he know what Brad’s skin smelled like in the shower and the exact sound his breath made when he settled into sleep, but not know what was going to happen come Monday?
Brad squeezed Finn’s frustratingly damp hand, and he looked up to find everyone staring at him.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize you were somewhere else,” Naomi said, her hand frozen midair with a piece of naan bread in it. “I was asking if you were going to be in the photo?”
Finn glanced around, clearly having missed some important conversation shift. “Uhm, sure, I’d be happy to take a photo with you.” As he said it, he realized it actually was a great idea. He couldn’t hold onto this weekend, any more than he could hold onto any other happy memory, but a photo to commemorate their little group here would be nice.
The table fell awkwardly silent, and the way Chloe’s eyes creased in concern made him second-guess his answer.
“We should definitely take a small group photo!” Mariana exclaimed, breaking the tension by gesturing with a chicken wing. “Naomi was asking about the huge group picture, though, and really, she was asking on my behalf. I wasn’t sure if partners were supposed to be in the photo or not.”
“I think you should be!” Brad said. “The photo is to show how much we’ve all grown and changed. I think the people who have influenced us over the years, especially our partners, are a big part of that.”
Brad very pointedly looked at everyone around the table, except Finn. His cheeks were slightly pink under his beard, and Finn tried desperately not to read into that.
“I agree,” Chloe said. “Finn has been such a huge part of my life; I can’t imagine taking the photo without him—as I imagine you wouldn’t want to without Mariana.”
Truthfully, Finn didn’t care one way or another if he was in some large alumni photo, but it was clear his friends did.
Naomi turned to look at Mariana. “You are without a shadow of a doubt the reason I am who I am today. If you’re not in the photo, I don’t want to be in it…which I told you last night when we were looking at the schedule, and you didn’t listen.”
Mariana laughed, but pink blossomed on the ridges of her cheeks. “Okay, mi amor, I’ll try and join it.”
“If anyone gives you or Finn trouble, we can all threaten to ditch the photo,” Brad said, smiling that game-winning smile of his.
