Ease My Mind | Finley & Harlyn #1.5

Chapter 9

Finley

August 2nd

11:10 PM CDT

Harlyn:
Talked to Nan on the phone again last night.

11:13 PM CDT

Me:
How was that?

11:17 PM CDT

Harlyn:
Alright. She had a lot of questions, most of which I didn't really know the answer to or wasn't super comfortable discussing with my grandmother. But it was...good?

11:19 PM CDT

Me:
Good.

Me:
Are you still ok going "Facebook official" tonight?

11:25 PM CDT

Harlyn:
Yes. Absolutely. I'm ready. I think.

Harlyn:
Nervous.

11:27 PM CDT

Me:
That's ok. I'll stay on the phone with you as long as you need me to.

We chose today to make our very first relationship posts because it was the only day that neither of us work. And that meant that we could call for as long as we needed without worrying about needing to leave or sleep. A miracle, really. But as it gets closer and closer to when we planned on calling, I can feel Harlyn start to panic. His texts come less. And they're short, clipped. So around one, an hour before we planned to call, I ask if we can call early.

Harlyn:
Um. Sure?

Me:
Just bored.
Me:
Wanna see your cute face sooner.

He's smiling when I answer, sitting back against his pillows on his bed. "You're getting good at this whole text flirting thing."

"Are you implying that I was bad at it?" I ask, propping my phone against the wall behind my desk.

"I mean...no." He does his little head tilt. "You're just getting better."

"Nice save."

"So." He slides down his pillows and tucks an arm under his head. "You were bored? I thought you had a bunch to get done today?"

This is technically true. I have a long list of things I need to get done before going to England. And I have everything I need to get done normally - like laundry - that I always end up doing on my couple days off a week. But honestly, I was too distracted to get much done - distracted by today, by everything it means, by how big a deal this is for Harlyn.

I try to cover my scrambling with a smirk. "I mean, it was mostly that I wanted to see your cute face." He raises an eyebrow at me. "Ok ok. Stop giving me that...all-knowing look. I could tell you were getting, like, close to panic nervous. And I know you hate being home all day with nothing to do. I wanted to make sure you were ok, talk you down if I needed to. Face to face."

Harlyn smiles. "You really do know me too well, you know?"

"I believe that has been established, yes." I fold my arms on my desk and rest my chin on them. "So. Do you need talking down?"

"No, I think I'm alright." He looks past his phone. "I mean, I am nervous. And getting more and more nervous by the minute. And I won't say I wasn't relieved when you asked to call early. But I'm also excited."

"Yeah?"

He looks back at me. "Of course. Aren't you?"

"Duh," I say, rolling my eyes. "I get to show you off. Feels..."