Finn follows my eyes to the glass and sighs, guessing my thoughts. “Drink half of it. It will make you feel better, trust me on this. I didn’t study only programming at Stanford.”
“What is it?” I question.
“Exactly what you think it is. Beer. Use it to take these.” He sticks his hand out and passes over four white pills. “Acetaminophen and Aspirin, the best hang-over cure available on short notice.”
I down the four pills with the beer. My stomach rolls. Not my best idea. Finn stands and pulls out a white bag from the microwave on my limited counter space. The smell of grease makes my stomach clench and rumble at the same time. I’m starving, but scared.
“You need to eat. Just trust me again.” Finn passes me the bag.
Inside are two foil-wrapped burgers from a place I don’t recognize. I unwrap and eat the first with slow bites, but as the food settles in my stomach, the unease lessens. The second burger goes down faster and helps more. I don’t finish the beer but take a water from the fridge.
“Feel better?” he asks still perched on his stool.
“Yes, thank you. I’ve never drank so much in my life.” I haven’t moved from my place on the other side of the bar. I feel better, but don’t want to push my luck with too much movement.
Finn sighs and stands. “Aspen, we need to talk. Let’s sit down.”
My stomach drops again, but this time it isn’t from the hangover. I follow Finn to the living room and he waits for me to pick a spot. I sit on the couch and he moves to the lone chair in the room. It puts him as far from me as possible while still being in the same space.
“I was worried about you, Aspen. You ran off Thursday night without letting me help you,” Finn says looking at the floor.
I don’t want him to feel bad. My mind was in a jumble Thursday night. “I’m sorry, Finn. I was worried about Marissa. She's devastated.”
“I wasn’t done. Please, let me get this all out, okay?”
Now I’m worried, but why would Finn have come over here and been so nice if he’s about to do what his eyes tell me he’s going to do?
He shuffles in his seat a little and looks at my forehead as he continues, “You were reckless Thursday night, Aspen. Something could have happened to you, and you wouldn’t let me help. Then I didn’t know where you were. Jake and I waited to take you to work Friday morning, but you weren’t here. Do you know how worried that made me?” he questions, but doesn’t give me time to answer before he goes on. “I thought you were this nice normal girl. You always presented yourself so put together. You’re career focused, maybe a little too much, but you’re fun too. I enjoyed spending time with you these last two weeks. I thought I was getting to know you.”
“You do know me. Fi—”
“No. I have no idea who the girl I saw on Thursday was.” He cuts me off and keeps talking. “Or who it was that would call into work on Friday to go out partying all day with a friend. That isn’t the Aspen I thought I knew and isn’t someone I want to be with.” His voice is hard on his last words. Final.
Since when did spending all day Friday putting Marissa’s place back together while she ate two pints of Chunky Monkey become a party? “I don’t understand, Finn." He hasn’t even asked me what happened.
“I can’t take the drama,” Finn replies. “I didn't realize you lived this kind of life or that you would make such horrible decisions. I didn’t know you were such a partier. You let me see the cute and sweet Aspen, but this is an entirely new side of you, one I want nothing to do with. I can’t have you in my life.”
Is he for real? “Are you dumping me?” Maybe my brain is still confused.
“I’m sorry. It has to be this way. We are not good for each other. Trust me. I want something different in my life. For a time I thought it could be you, but after this weekend that’s never going to happen. You misled me.”
I don’t move or speak. I should get upset and yell at him, maybe throw another glass, anything, but I don’t. I sit on my couch as his words filter around in my head. Finn is possibly the man of my dreams and I do nothing to stop him as he puts the knife in what was the start to our beautiful relationship. I’m numb.
When I’ve been quiet for a while, Finn stands and looks down at me from his position. “Really, I’m sorry. I hope you feel better soon." He pauses at the door. “Good luck with life, Aspen. I’ll miss you.”
