Page 33 of Problematic Summer Romance

“He clearly…keeps track of stuff,” I say, a little choked.

“He’s proud of you. More than of anything he’s achieved on his own, I’d hazard.”

I keep scrolling. Minami is usually the only one who replies to texts about me, which doesn’t surprise me, since I assume that these updates may be mostly for her. She was always there for me during my teenage years, and more than once talked me down from being even wilder and bitchier than I was. The only reason Ihaven’t kept in touch with her in the last few years is that…well. She wasEli’sfriend, not mine. And I wasn’t sure if…

I’m going to email her. The very second this mess is over.

“Let me guess.” I swallow. “You roll your eyes whenever I’m mentioned.”

“I do not.”

“Really?”

“I’m very good at skim reading.”

I laugh. And laugh. Andlaugh. And then ask, voice smaller: “Is Eli really proud of me?”

“Very.”

I may be about to cry again, today, but for new and exciting reasons. “Maybe I should invite him to my college graduation.”

“You haven’t?”

“No. I just didn’t think he would…” I scratch my neck. Am I an idiot? Probably. “Could you please not tell Eli?”

“That you’re considering inviting him to your graduation?”

“No. That I’m in trouble.”

He huffs. “You’re not in trouble, Maya. Youaretrouble.”

The word makes me smile. “Do you have any siblings?”

“Three brothers. Why?”

“Older?”

“All younger.”

“Is that why you don’t get along with your dad? Did he unload all his hopes and dreams onto you because you’re the eldest?”

“Finneas Harkness doesn’t do hopesordreams.”

“Whatdoeshe do?”

“Coercion and manipulation.”

It strikes me, all of sudden, that Conor’s last couple of days must have been as crappy as mine. That maybe I could do somethingnice for him, too. “Tomorrow, before you leave Scotland, can I buy you breakfast?”

His eyebrow lifts.

I bite back a smile. “I have a job. I wouldn’t be buying you breakfast with my brother’s money, which comes from a pot that’s so suspiciously similar to yours, you would basically be paying for your own meal.”

“There’s no need.” He squares his shoulders, searching for a more comfortable position. A bubble of doubt floats upward, that maybe he just doesn’t want to hang out with me more than is strictly necessary.

Except, he just showed up at my doorstep to help me feel less like a loser. Faced with such evidence that hedoescare, it’s hard to feel insecure. “I know there’s no need. I still want to thank you for coming to make sure I’m all right.”

“I did it for Eli. Can’t let my best worker slack off because of a family emergency.”

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