if you could talk to gene, what would you say to him?

I would tell Gene to please begin to forgive himself; maturity brings new understanding of situations from our past. I would tell him to see that Finny, while nearly perfect, had the inability to see what others were thinking or needed. Finny was your best friend, and he helped shape the person you have become. Admit the past and then let the past go. Move on now that you see things more clearly.