Spin

One

~3 MONTHS LATER

MAY

[RORY]

I was too drunk and too happy to hide my amusement, watching Finn and Bryce belt out the lyrics to Spice Up Your Life. Karaoke had been the outcome of far too many drinks at a restaurant nearby, Finn spotting the run-down gem and simply whispering under his breath, yes.

The only light in the room was coming from the buzzing, half-broken, hot pink Sammy's Karaoke neon sign on the wall and the fuzzy TV screen with the half-incorrect lyrics. I was giggling to myself as Finn wiped the sweat off his forehead, slipping the flask full of tequila out of his back pocket and taking a generous swig.

"Hi."

I felt Em's subtle nudge against my arm, glancing over. Her eyes were glassy and her smile was contagious. Bryce was belting out a line he should have absolutely given to Finn, the high note painful at best.

"Hi."

"I have to ask you something," she slurred, scooting closer on the uncomfortable black couch. "But you have to promise, no mad."

"Not mad."

"Now or ever," she hiccuped. "And you can say no, no problem."

"Spit it out," I groaned, shutting my eyes and rubbing my palm over my face. When I opened my eyes, I caught Finn's stare - forcibly pulling my gaze away to ensure I was paying attention to Em. "Please."

"Okay, well, I was thinking. And of course say no if you don't agree-"

"You said that."

"-But I want Bryce to move in? I want Bryce to move in."

Somehow, I was surprised but also not.

"And you can stay, of course you can stay. He basically, like, lives with us anyway. But it doesn't make sense for him to be paying rent elsewhere, and we've gotten pretty serious and it's a logical next step, you know. I just, I want your thoughts, and I love you, Rory, and I'm so receptive, I am so receptive."

My head was spinning, but mainly from the three glasses of wine and tequila shots. I was sure I'd have handled the situation differently sober, but instead I smiled, shrugging.

"Yeah, cool."

"Really?" She beamed, her smile so big it looked painful. "And like, nothing will change. He's always over anyway. And I figured, you could also move in with Finn? I don't know if you guys have talked about that but I mean, I wouldn't be mad. If you have and if you did."

I blindly toyed with the music note dangling from around my neck, which had quietly become a part of me within the previous 90 or so days. Her words didn't fully click, a small smile tugging at my lips as I watched Finn. Even in the dark, I could see his rosy cheeks, freckles, squinty drunk eyes. I laughed under my breath as he threw his arm around Bryce's shoulders, planting a sloppy kiss to his cheek.

"It's too soon."

The song came to an end before Em had a chance to respond to my rebuttal. Bryce was scolding us for talking through their performance and Finn was in a state I'd only seen him in once before, at his birthday party. I was giggling as he made his way over, wiggling his eyebrows at me with a massive grin.

"Aurora Marie," he sang, taking my hand and pulling me roughly off the couch. I practically slammed against his chest as he wrapped an arm around my waist, swaying us back and forth. "Dance with me."

"You have had too much tequila," I halfheartedly scolded, sneaking a hand down so I could retrieve the flask from his back pocket. My jaw dropped as I shook it back and forth. "Finn!"