Page 105 of Until Then

“Finneas,” I whine, covering my face. “I’m sorry.”

“You can’t move to Maine. That’s so far away.” Lips turned down, he pouts at me onscreen. “I can’t say I’m surprised, though. Not with the way you talk about the place, not to mention your hot roommate, but I don’t want to lose you.”

“You’ll come visit me, won’t you?”

He gives a fake dramatic sign. “I guess so. Maybe in a couple of months. Fall in New England will make for good content.”

“That’s true,” I agree. “Fall in Parkerville is magical.”

The leaves turn the most beautiful shades of red, yellow, and orange, and they litter the ground like sprinkles on a cake. The businesses decorate their windowsfor Halloween. Last year, Via painted the windows of her store with a mummy theme.

“You’re really leaving LA, huh?”

I sigh. “It was time.” Deep down, I always knew LA was temporary, and now that I’m approaching thirty, my goals have shifted. I’ll never regret my time there, but I would if I forced myself to stay.

“If you need help packing, let me know.”

I level him with a skeptical look. “Finneas.”

“All right.” He holds his hands up like I’ve caught him. “I’ll get Jordan to do it,” he says, referring to his boyfriend. “But that’s only because he doesn’t have to worry about ruining a manicure.” He wags his fingers at the screen.

“Ooh, those are cute.”

“Please tell me you’re taking care of your nails out there.”

“Sometimes. Currently, though, I’m past due for a manicure.”

“Let me see.”

With a sigh, I hold my hands up, cringing as I show him how badly the blue polish has grown out.

“Izzy.” He says my name again in a scandalized fashion. “You need to fix those.”

“I know.” I tuck my hands under my thighs. “I haven’t had time.”

Not between helping Derrick with the business and working on the restaurant. I’ve been sourcing furniture and sending it to the Grants—the restaurant owners—for approval. Working on their place might be the most satisfying thing I’ve ever done. It’s rewarding in a way I didn’t expect.

“Make time,” he scolds playfully, pointing at the counter. “Like today.”

“I’ll try.”

“Oh.” He claps his hands and straightens. “Have you checked your Instagram?”

I snort. “No.” I uploaded the photo from the lighthouse a few days ago and dipped. I only posted for the followers who have stuck by me. Who genuinely care. It was my way of saying I might be staying away, but I am all right.

His mouth drops. “Izzy, check it right now.”

The moment the app loads and I see the number of notifications, my jaw drops. I click over to my main page, and when it registers that my 2.4 million followers has jumped to 2.5 million, my heart takes off.

“What the fuck?” I mutter, scrolling down and clicking on my last photo.

@laura_luvs_uuu: Omg! I can tell from his hand alone he’s hot!

@willowcreek4eva: So happy to see you back!

@hannahmarie02: OMG the veins in his arm. I’m drooling. Girl, show us his face!

@easybreezy: You dipped and got a boyfriend! Good for you! We’ve missed you!

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