Lunar Crest University (Forbidden Fruit)

Chapter Thirteen

FINLEY

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12TH, 2023

I ’ve had the same comfort routine since I was a freshman in high school: Gilmore Girls , a tub of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, and the baggiest sweatshirt and sweatpants combination I could find. Almost ten years later, and the only addition is some white wine straight from the bottle, because I do not find comfort in dirtying up a wine glass.

The plush blanket wrapped around me and the lit candles being the only source of light in my apartment aside from the glow of the TV is the icing on top of the cake. Nothing can ruin this cozy paradise for me.

And then, the doorbell rings.

Okay, except for that.

As I feebly attempt to untangle myself from the blanket, an impatient knock resonates from the door, which only makes me feel like I’m sweating by the time I escape. With a frown, I check my phone to see no new notifications, and I wonder who on Earth is banging on my door at almost midnight. My parents would most definitely call, and Levi?—

“Finn? Finn, are you in there?”

Well, I thought Levi would normally text or call if something is up, but apparently, he has switched his tactics to disrupting my Gilmore Girls reruns in person.

Swinging open the door with a glare, I cross my arms over my chest as I take in my best friend’s appearance. He must’ve left his dorm in a rush, because he’s wearing mismatched pajamas, the pair of slippers I bought for him last Christmas, and the headband he usually puts on to keep his curly hair out of his face while he sleeps. The bags under his eyes indicate he didn’t quite reach the sleeping part.

“Someone better be dead, Levi,” I grumble. “You disturbed my?—”

“ Gilmore Girls and sob fest, I know.” My jaw drops at his insult as he pushes past me and waltzes into my apartment like he owns the place. I make sure to slam the door behind him before following him back into my living room. “My dad is marrying her, Finley. He’s marrying her, like, for real .”

My annoyance dissipates as my arms fall to my sides.

“He proposed?”

Levi’s family situation has always been complicated. It had been him and his dad since he was seven years old, when his mother tragically passed away from a brain tumor. He adored that woman with every fiber of his being, so it wasn’t a surprise at all when he was livid about a new woman in the picture during our first year of college. His dad was moving on, and he couldn’t fathom the thought. He felt like it would force his mother’s memory away for good.

Naturally, he immediately hated his dad’s new girlfriend, Naomi. Not only did he feel like she was trying to replace his mom, but she also had a daughter the same age as us. I’d met them both a handful of times, and they were nice, but Levi refused to be swayed.

“Yeah, he did,” Levi snorts and then sighs in defeat. “They’ve already decided to marry as soon as possible. This summer, in fact.”

I watch as he plops down into my blanket fortress, and I bite at my lip as I tiptoe over to join him on the couch. It’s quiet for a while, nothing but the sound of his unsteady breathing as he tries to calm down. I want to speak, but I also want him to feel how he needs to feel without someone trying to tell him it’s okay . Sometimes, it’s the last thing anyone wants to hear when they’re upset, so instead, I sit silently next to him as I wait.

“Want to see the text he sent me?” Levi asks.

“Yeah,” I say softly, extending out my palm as he brings up the message on his phone and plops it into my hand.

Dad : Hey, buddy. I know it’s been a while since we’ve talked, and I know it’s late, but I just wanted to let you know that I proposed to Naomi. We’re hoping for a summer wedding, and we would love it if you came out to spend the summer with us. I think it would be nice for everyone to spend some time together before the wedding, and you know there’s no one else I’d rather have as my best man than you, Levi. What do you think? I hope to hear from you soon. Love you, son.

“A lot to throw on someone at once,” he mumbles before doing his best impression at mocking his dad’s voice. “ Come stay the summer with us, Levi. Oh, and by the way, we’re getting married. And you’re the best man. ”

Handing the phone back to him, I peek up at him with a sympathetic smile. It’s dark in here, but the glow of the TV illuminates the tears that well in the corners of his eyes. With a deep sigh, I press my face into his shoulder as I envelop my arms around his bicep. He may be a brat about everything, but he’s like my brother. I hate seeing him upset like this.

“What’s the real reason why you’re upset, Levi?” My voice is muffled by his shirt. “Why does this bother you so much? Naomi seems really nice, and so does her daughter. Don’t hate me for saying this, but…your dad is trying . I don’t think you give him enough credit sometimes.”

He gnaws at his lip, and his chin trembles before he sniffs, sitting up a little straighter. “He moved on. He’s getting married and moving on, and my mom… She’s dead. Forgotten and dead and gone .”

“She’s not forgotten,” I tell him.

“He never talks about her. Never has. She died, and he just put it all behind him like it was so easy . Like she never existed at all.”

Pulling my face from his shoulder, I glance down at his hands, fidgeting in his lap, at the ground, at the TV…at everything but him. I want to give him a moment to just feel sad without me gawking up at him. We sit in silence, but the fact I know he’s crying feels so loud. My stomach knots at the sound of him wiping his cheeks, so I hold him a little tighter as we just exist here—in this dark, quiet space.

“Enough about me.” He clears his throat, patting my knee as he leans forward to rest his elbows on his. “What’s wrong? Gilmore Girls , ice cream, and wine only mean one thing with you. What’s his name?”

I snort. “Why does it have to be because of someone else? Maybe I’m just down today.”

He quirks a brow.

“Don’t do that.” I roll my eyes. “I’m fine.”

“If you were just down , you’d watch a random movie or something,” he says, leaning back against the couch as he looks at me pointedly. “You only watch Gilmore Girls when you’re going through boy stuff and need a comfort show, something you’ve already seen. Something where you know what happens already.”

I blink stupidly at him. “Don’t you have your own issues to worry about?”

His lip twitches as he sighs. “Yeah, I guess I do.”

Pulling me down into the blanket fortress with him, he wraps an arm around my shoulders as I snuggle down into his side. His thumb rubs against me comfortingly for a moment before he pecks me on the top of the head with a chaste kiss.

“We’re going to be okay,” I mumble.

“We’re going to be okay,” he repeats.

Then, he ruffles my hair lightly with his knuckles, ruining the moment as he belly laughs at the death glare I send him from the other end of the couch. I watch as he scoops up my ice cream, shoving a spoonful into his mouth as he props his feet up on my coffee table. We settle into a comfortable silence as Lorelai finds out Rory lost her virginity to Dean, but I can’t manage to focus. I can’t shake Levi’s situation.

Sometimes, the only person holding him back is himself. He’s so hard-headed, it’s difficult to get through to him, but I would hate to see him shut out the family he has left because of his stubbornness.

“Levi?” I say, twisting my head to look over at him.

He hums, eating another bite.

“I think you should go.”

“Wait, like…right now? You want me to go?” He stumbles over his words as he puts the tub of ice cream back down.

“No, dummy.” I lick my dry lips as I suck in a deep breath. “I mean, I think you should stay with them for the summer.”

His eyebrows knit as he stares at me.

“I just…” I trail off, cocking my head sheepishly as I shrug. “Maybe hear him out. Have a conversation. Give it a chance. I know you lost your mom, and you have every right to be upset, but your dad is still here .”

“Finn–”

“Can you just try?” I plead.

“I don’t see the point.”

I pull my legs up on the couch as I face him now, wrapping my arms around my knees as I clutch them to my chest. “You need closure. You need an answer about why he didn’t talk about your mom with you after she died. I think this could be good for you, Levi.”

He groans. “One conversation isn’t going to magically fix everything.”

“It’s a start.”

His jaw clenches as he looks at me, his gaze teetering on a glare, before he pushes up from the couch. “I don’t know. I’ll think about it.”

“You will?” I fight back a smile.

“Yes. I’ll think about it.”

The smile spreads on my cheeks at his response, and I can’t contain the laugh that bursts from my lips as he grabs the nearest throw pillow and chucks it at me. Waving his hand in the air aimlessly, he shakes his head as he walks into the kitchen, saying something about making some popcorn and switching the TV over to a horror movie.

We’re going to be okay .