Page 65 of October
“Because she could get in trouble?” India asked and sat down next to her.
“I don’t know. Maybe. I just don’t want to risk it.”
“I’m not that person, Finley. Does Molly think I am? Is she worried?”
“Shewas. But I told her you wouldn’t do anything.”
“I won’t,” India replied. “Sorry for my reaction. I was just surprised. In the store, you said you liked someone else, but not that it was someone we work with or someoneIknow or will see every day. I didn’t know you two were already… dating.”
“I didn’t plan on you finding out this way,” Finley said.
“Howdidyou plan on me finding out?”
“I would’ve told you,” she said. “It’s only been a couple of dates. There wasn’t a point in saying anything until I knew it was serious. It’s not like I want to hurt you, India.”
“I don’t want to hurt you, either, Fin.” India moved a little closer. “I want you to be happy.”
“I know. I am.”
“With Molly?”
“We’re not together yet,” she replied and took a drink of her beer.
India took the bottle from her and downed the rest of it before she set it empty on the table.
“Half a beer won’t hurt,” she said. “And do you want to be with her?”
“I really like her,” Finley answered.
“Like you liked me once?”
“India…”
“What happened to us?”
“We said we–”
“I just mean that it was so good at first. Then, we were doing this dance over and over again. I’m still waking up in the morning and rolling over, expecting you to be there. The otherday, I accidentally used that old toothbrush you have in my bathroom. I use an electric one. I don’t even know why I grabbed your regular one, but I did it without thinking and put it back in the holder after I was done and just stared at it.”
“You can throw that out,” Finley replied.
“Yeah,” India said, appearing somewhere far away from the sofa before she finally met Finley’s eyes. “I’ve been thinking about you a lot.”
“You should try to move on instead,” Finley suggested.
“It hasn’t been that long, Finley. I didn’t have someone else on the back burner just waiting for us to break up again.”
“Molly wasn’t on the back burner. It wasn’t like that.”
“Can you tell me how itwas, then? Because one day, you’re still with me. The next, we’re over again, and suddenly, you’re going out with someone else. We were together for a long time, Fin. I thought–”
“You thought what?”
“You know what I thought,” India told her.
“That this was just another temporary thing,” she said, knowing the answer.
“Yes. And, if I’m being honest, I still do.”
