Kiss King - Mickey Miller Page 0,108

My mind is all over the place.

I can’t avoid the sinking feeling that keeps coming over me.

Finn spots me coming in.

“Christ, you look like you’ve been run over by a truck, man. What gives?”

We head up to his room, crack a beer, and—fuck it—I tell him the whole story. Start to finish. Well, I leave out the detail about me being the guy in the video.

When I’m done, I conclude by saying, “I want to believe in love, man. I’m a romantic at heart and I miss her. There’s other fish in the sea, sure, but there’s no one like Maya.”

“You love her?”

“I do. I never told her…but I do. And I can’t help thinking I’ve got unfinished business.”

Finn purses his lips together. “Man, I want to believe in love, too. And I know Maya is special to you. She’s one of a kind, even I can see that. But we have to be realistic, too. She hasn’t returned your calls, text, or emails. I hate to tell you the trail might be cold at this point. It seems clear that she just doesn’t want to talk to you. Sorry, man.”

I nod grimly.

He continues. “Man, that’s crazy, though. You had your first hook-up after the Red Lemons concert. I had a feeling you two were up to something after that. One more beer?”

“Yes, please.”

My mind starts to wander, and I think about that concert, that night and the weekend. “Everything about what we did was so magical and surreal,” I say. “How Maya charmed everyone. How she made friends with multiple people at some random party.”

“She’s always seemed like an old soul, somehow. Like she was a fish out of water here at Greene.”

Fish out of water…

“Finn, you’re a damn genius.”

“Uh, I don’t disagree. But why?”

“Do you have Instagram?”

“Why?”

“I need to look up some people.”

“Bro, don’t you think it’s about time you got your own Instagram?” he replies.

“Fine,” I grumble. “I’ve never been a big Instagram guy. But you know what they say about desperate times.” I pull out my phone and download it.

I create an account and find Maya’s profile. I look through her followers, and find two people who might know where she’d possibly be. Johnny Donovan’s girlfriend, and who was that other bartender she made friends with at the after party?

I find them, and send out messages.

“Finn, like I said, you’re a goddamn genius.”

He looks at me curiously.

“You really care about this girl, don’t you?”

I swallow. “I’m going to say something I’ve known since the first time I met her, and I’ve no idea how. I’m in love with Maya.”

Finn scratches his jaw. “Wow.”

My eyebrows pinch together. “What’s the matter?”

“I’m just gonna say it. You don’t mind the fact that there is a video out there of her, uh, coming way more times than is normal, moaning, wailing, under some well-endowed stud? I mean, let’s be honest. You’d have to deal with that.”

I laugh. “Finn. That stud…is me.”

“Well I’ll be damned!” His mouth slackens. “You’re the guy everyone has been making guesses about? You really know how to keep a secret.”

I nod. “Fuck, I should have come clean sooner, shouldn’t I?”

“I don’t know man. Jesus. I don’t know what to think.”

“Don’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t.”

I put my beer down, because all of a sudden I realize I’ve got somewhere to be tonight. “Finn, you’re a good guy…when are we going to find you a girl?”

“Great question, man. Sometimes, I feel like I haven’t met her yet.”

“I’ve got a feeling that’s going to change soon.”

“Wait, so what’s your plan, man?” he asks. “You’re just going to…drive and go find her? How?”

“I’ve got a feeling right now, and I’m going to follow through with it. If you can’t trust your gut, what can you trust?” I say.

“And you’re going to follow the leads from your Instagram messages?”

“Right.”

“I like it—you’re combining technology and instinct. God speed. You really think you’ll find her?”

“I’m just going to follow my nose, man,” I say as I get up and head to the quad, back to my room. I throw my laptop in a bag, and pack an overnight bag.

I sit for a moment, check my Instagram messages, and my stomach lurches when I see they’ve both responded back. Now, if only they remember me from the night of the concert.

Luckily, they do. I find out she’s moved into a new apartment in Chicago. I knew it, even though April, Alex and the crew refused to tell me.

I put my phone down and hesitate. Maybe