“I’m with you. Remember the conversation we had back at my place?”
My heart flutters, and I nod.
“So if you want to stay, I stay. But it would only be because you wanted it, ya dig?”
I laugh because I often feel like Flynn speaks in riddles. I swear it’s not just my English.
“Can we go? I know I created this fan frenzy, but I sort of hate it at the same time.”
Flynn throws his head back and laughs. Like deep belly laugh.
“What?”
“Finally,” he says.
“Finally what?”
“Finally you stake a claim on me.”
I blink, my heart tripping and pitter-pattering in my chest. Then I go up on my toes and claim a kiss. “Yes. I’m claiming you.” I lift the guitar strap off over his head. “I didn’t think you wanted that.”
“I want it. I want it with you, Peaches.” He unplugs the electric guitar and puts it in its case.
“Flynn, can I talk to you for a minute?” Cadence asks.
I turn to walk back to the table, but Flynn snags my wrist to stop me.
“Sorry, Nadia and I have to run to another thing. We’ll catch you later.” He looks at me. “Will you grab our jackets? I’ll get the amp.” He makes it sound like we’re in a big rush.
“It’s pretty important. Can I call you? I don’t think I ever got your number.”
What the f? Now that Flynn’s sanctioned my jealousy, I’m fully annoyed.
I grab Flynn’s phone from the table, along with both our jackets, and leave money to pay my bill.
As I do, Flynn continues to shut Cadence down. “Hey, maybe you can talk to Lake about it, yeah? I’m with Nadia now.”
Oof. That comment landed hard. In fact, Cadence’s face turns red, and the look she sends me is full of venom.
Flynn turns his attention on me and holds out his arm. He has his amp and guitar in hand, and he tucks me against his free side. “Bye, Dad, bye guys,” he calls over his shoulder as we strut out.
“Whew,” he says when we get outside. “That was a close one.”
I laugh. “You created that monster, you know.”
“Totally. My bad. But I haven’t been with anyone since you. You know that, right?”
I nod, happiness sprinkling down on me like gold and pink shimmery fairy dust. “I haven’t, either,” I say even though that’s beyond obvious, and we both laugh.
“Come on.” Flynn hustles me toward the van. “I think we need another sex re-education session, don’t you?”
“Oh definitely.” My internal muscles contract and release at the mere mention of it. “I plan on rewarding you for that song.”
Flynn’s boyish grin is pure joy.
So bright and buoyant that it lifts me from my feet, and I float all the way to the van.
CHAPTER 14
Nadia
On Thursday, I’m still at Flynn’s house. I’ve slept there four out of seven nights this week, and it’s starting to feel more like home than the Kremlin.
We’re about to head over to the Kremlin for rehearsal when Flynn gets a call from his mom.
“Hey mom. What?”
I immediately see by the tension in his face that something’s wrong.
The boyish expression he usually wears is replaced by a more haunted quality. “No, of course. Where are you? Send me the pin. Okay, I’ll be right there, Mom.”
“What is it?” I ask.
“My mom has been in a car accident.” A deep line etches his brow as he throws on his leather jacket and grabs his keys.
I scramble to do the same.
“Is she all right?”
“Yeah. I mean, I don’t know. She said she’s uninjured, but she was also bawling, so I couldn’t tell. I think she’s just upset.” He stares at his phone when her text comes in and opens the map.
“She’s not that far. Do you mind coming along?”
“Of course not. Are you kidding? Flynn, it’s your mom.”
When we get in the van, he calls Story. “Hey, Mom got in a car accident. I’m going over there.”
I hear the alarmed tones of Story’s voice from the other end, and he tells her the same thing he told me about her being uninjured by upset.
“I’ll keep you posted,” he promises and hangs up.
A heaviness descends in the van. “Are you worried?” I ask.
“A little. But I think she’s probably all right.”
I chew on that. It’s almost like Flynn’s getting ready to match his mother’s emotional level. Is this his gift for dealing with distraught women?
When we get to the site of the accident, it becomes evident that it was just a fender-bender. A cop is there taking down the info from the other party.
Flynn wraps his mother up in a silent hug, and then they just stand there together, enmeshed.
Something twists in my belly, but I’m not quite sure what it’s about. Something bothers me about this scene. It’s a little too familiar.
He’s a caretaker–that’s what Cadence had said about him.