Page 135 of Oleander

“Christ, Jamie,” the guy’s friend said, levering him up off our sodden table. I looked at the friend, who was smiling at me apologetically. My mouth opened with surprise.

I hadn’t seen Finn since Caspien’s appearance at his party, though, he’d texted me the next day.

Finlay:

Sorry about last night. I was a dick.

Then, an hour or so later when I hadn’t responded.

Finlay:

I should have told you he was going to be in town.

I hadn’t hadn’t known what to say. My head had been too full of what I’d done with Caspien that I’d barely remembered Finn existed.

I felt ashamed of that now as he smiled at me awkwardly and slightly embarrassed. His gaze bounced to Adam, still grumbling about spilt drinks at my side. He apologised again, before guiding his drunken friend away from us.

“Fucking first years,” Adam said, standing. I didn’t bother correcting him. “I’m going to dry this off; be back in five. You want another drink?”

“Rum and coke,” I said without thinking. I watched him go, broad shoulders and big arms, which I suddenly remembered I wasn’t into.

I looked across the club to find Finn talking with one of his housemates who wasn’t Alex. I now realised the drunken guy was his tall friend Pete, who I’d met a couple of times.

As I stared, his housemate turned his head toward me, a disapproving look on his face. Finn glanced over once, and then I saw him pat his mate on the shoulder and move off toward the stairs that led up and out of the club. It was a split-second decision that involved very little thought. I grabbed my jacket from the corner of the booth and went after him.

Finn was a little way down on the opposite side of the street when I caught up to him, one hand in his pocket and the other scrolling through his phone.

“If you’re looking for a Grindr hook-up right now, this is gonna be awkward,” I said as I reached his side.

He stopped, eyes going a little wide at the sight of me. He said, “I deleted the app.”

“Shit, things are serious.”

“Yes, very. We’re getting married in the south of France next summer.”

“Sounds idyllic. What does he do?”

“Bottom.”

I laughed at that. Then an expectant silence filled the air.

“Look,” I said.

“Listen,” he said at the same time.

I gestured for him to talk first.

“I’m sorry I was a dick at the party. I said some stuff...” He looked very embarrassed suddenly.

“It’s fine,” I said, and I meant it. “I guess sorry for turning up when you didn’t want me there.”

Finn shook his head. “It wasn’t that I didn’t want you there, Jude, fuck. Of course, I did. But when I knew he was gonna be there, I didn’t want to put either of you in a weird situation.”

“Thought you hated him?” I asked. “Why’d you even invite him?”

He gave me a look. “I didn’t. But he said he was going to be in Oxford; he invited himself. I’d have much rather had you there than him.” He shifted awkwardly on his feet, kicking at a slightly raised pavement slab. “I don’t know what the deal with you and him is.”

“There isn’t one,” I said. “There isn’t a deal. We’re...nothing.”