Page 99 of Best Friends, Tennessee

Ori peered at me like he was in disbelief. “You’re amazing, Finn. Too nice, and too selfless, butamazing. Did I just win the fucking gay lottery?”

I laughed, and it made him laugh, too.

“Yeah, I guess you kind of did,” I told him. “I did, too.”

I kissed him again because I couldn’t help it, which was going to be something that was going to happen alot, I was pretty sure.

As I pulled away, he shook his head.

“Never going to feel like I deserve you,” he murmured. “But I’ll try.”

“And I’m going to make it my mission to get you to believe it,” I said.

He swallowed. “I love you,” he said.

“I love you, too. Now get your ass in this hunk of metal and let’s get to the diner.”

17

ORI

If being wrong about everything feels this damn good, sign me the fuck up, every time.

“Yes. Milkshake duty. I’m on it,” I told Dani the moment she told me where I was needed, giving her a warm smile.

No matter what I did today, I’d be floating on air.

It still didn’t feel real.

How could Finnwantme? Truly want me, in the one way I thought would never be possible?

Maybe all along, I hadn’t been avoiding commitment—I’d just never met someone who could compare to the person who fullyknewme.

The one person I’d run from, stupidly, trying to chase a hollow dream.

I might never feel like I fully deserved Finn.

But I’d do whatever it took to make sureheknew how much he meant to me.

He’d broken down the last of my walls today, ripping it right out of me.

I was scared. And I also knew I was going to do it anyway.

Finn had sat down at the counter across from me, which also happened to be conveniently close to Mary Ellen’s booth, behind him. As I made milkshake after milkshake, Finn started to help, taking them out to whoever ordered them, defaulting back to the job we’d both had working here as teenagers.

Every fucking time I looked at him I smiled.

Even when I wasn’t looking at him, I was smiling. I’d pick up a ticket of custom milkshakes and be smiling, even though a rush like this would usually mean a mountain of stress.

Dani noticed about half an hour later, giving me a sidelong glance as we both caught up on dishes.

“You’re weirding me out,” she said. “I need to go swap with Mom for Olivia duty soon, but you have to tell me what’s going on with you first.”

“I’m just having a good day,” I said. “Something has to begoing onfor me to be happy?”

“Did Thomas’ Miami friends offer you a free condo there or something?” Dani said.

“What? No. God, no.”

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