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The party had been vibing.
Flynn couldn’t help but smile as she dropped a handful of dirty paper plates into the garbage bag Julie was holding. The boys had been tasked with moving the instruments back inside the studio, including the grand piano, while she and Julie cleaned up the food and drinks.
She watched as Reggie and Willie pushed at the front of the piano, Luke and Alex on either side. They were grunting and yelling good-naturedly at each other. “They’re cute, aren’t they?”
Julie followed Flynn’s gaze and smiled. “Adorable.” Her eyes met Flynn’s again. “So, have you told him?”
Flynn’s cheeks heated. “Told him what?” her voice was rough and she cleared her throat. It was probably from all the screaming she’d done when Julie and the Phantoms were performing.
“Um, that your mom’s away on a girls’ weekend to Las Vegas ‘til Sunday?” Julie said quizzically. Flynn bit her lip. “You haven’t told him?”
“Not yet? I’m going to tell him!” Flynn said at Julie’s incredulous look. She put the plastic cups she was holding into the garbage.
Julie was still looking at her. “You have a weekend alone with your boyfriend. Why aren’t you more excited?”
Flynn took a deep breath. Julie was her best friend. She could do this. “Because we haven’t had sex yet,” she said quickly. She busied herself throwing in more cups so she wouldn’t have to look at Julie’s face.
“You haven’t—” Julie stopped herself. She glanced over to the studio to make sure the boys weren’t paying attention. They were still struggling with the piano. “Do you…want to have sex with him?” She asked, voice low.
There was a cheer from the studio and they whipped their heads around to look, but the boys weren’t visible through the doors. “They must have gotten the piano back in place.”
“Hopefully they’ll be as successful hanging the chairs back up,” Julie said, then: “Well?” when Flynn hadn’t answered.
“I do!” Flynn said, cheeks hot. “I really do. He’s sweet and kind, and so fucking hot—!”
“I bet he’d be really good at it too, because he always puts others first. If you know what I mean,” Julie mused. “Sorry for interrupting.”
“I think about it all the time,” Flynn said honestly. “But we’ve never talked about it. I don’t think he’s ready.”
Julie looked back towards the studio. “He’s an eighteen-year-old guy. How could he not be ready?”
“He’s not eighteen for another week,” Flynn said.
Julie looked at her. “We literally just had his birthday party.”
“For him and Willie. Willie’s birthday was on Valentine’s Day, but Reggie’s birthday isn’t actually until the twenty-sixth?”
Julie waved her hand. “Not actually the point. Do you really think Reggie doesn’t want to have sex? With you? Is he blind?”
“We’ve never talked about it,” Flynn repeated with a laugh. “I think he wants to wait for marriage?”
“Is he religious? He doesn’t seem religious.” Julie frowned.
“It’s not a religion thing. It’s…” Flynn paused, unsure how to put it into words. “We’re never going to be with anyone else,” she said finally. “I don’t think he wants to rush it.”
“That actually makes sense,” Julie said, then frowned. “Wait. No it doesn’t! Why are you waiting?”
Flynn threw another plate into the garbage bag. “I’m not sure, okay? Probably because we haven’t talked about it!”
“Maybe you should do that. Because sex is awesome!”
“You said that already. When you told me about New Years,” Flynn said.
“Because I had sex with Luke on New Years!” Julie said with a giggle. “Rang in 2021 with a bang.”
Flynn smirked at her. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’ve been drinking.”
“Bobby gave me a rum and coke? He said dad bought him drinks when he was around my age, so it was fine.”
Flynn laughed. “How many did you have?”
“One. No, two.” Julie grinned at her. Then her eyes widened. “Don’t tell dad!”
“Your secret’s safe with me,” Flynn said. “Besides, he’s not here. He already left to go to Bobby’s.”
Julie nodded. “They’re going to Texas in the morning.”
“Ray said something about fishing?” Flynn asked.
Julie nodded. “There’s some lake in Texas which is meant to have great fishing in February. But honestly? I think they’re just going to sit on a boat and drink beer.”
Flynn glanced at the studio, thinking about Bobby and the boys practicing there, years before she was born. “It’s so weird to think of Bobby and Ray drinking together when they were kids.”
“Dad’s four years older than Bobby,” Julie explained. “So only Bobby was a kid when they went drinking? What’s weird is that Willie would be the same age as my dad, if he hadn’t died.”
“The whole thing’s really weird,” Flynn agreed. “Like, our boyfriends literally appeared in the studio because we put on a CD.”
“I’m sure my mom had something to do with it,” Julie mused. But then her face brightened. “Oh, but sex with Luke is awesome! Highly recommend.”
Flynn laughed. “Sex with Luke?”
“Sex in general, thank you very much. But yeah. Luke’s really good. He definitely knows how to keep a rhythm.”
Flynn laughed harder. “Oh my God, we need to get you drunk more often.” Her throat twinged and she swallowed with a small grimace.
Julie grinned. “But back to you and Reggie. What are you going to do this weekend? Jump his bones?”
Flynn craned her neck to look through the studio doors. She could just see the side of Reggie’s head and his shoulder as he hoisted one of the spare chairs up to the ceiling. He was wearing a black muscle shirt and his deltoid flexed with his movement. He was stunning. “I’d like to,” Flynn said honestly.
Julie clapped her hands and squealed in delight. “You’re gonna have so much fun! Oh! Do you have protection?”
“Yes, I have protection,” Flynn said. She’d actually bought condoms right after Reggie returned from the hospital, but she’d never told him. They’d been sitting in her bedside table ever since.
“Good girl,” Julie said. “I have protection too. Because my dad is away all weekend, like your mom.” She beamed.
“You may have already mentioned that.” Flynn smirked. She had to clear her throat again, frowning at the scratchiness. She definitely had been yelling too much during the performance. “So, you gonna jump Luke’s bones this weekend?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely!” Julie high-fived her with a loud smack of their palms.
“Julie! Flynn!” Willie called from the studio doors, “come help your men grab their shit for the weekend, because as soon as they’re done, Alex and I are shutting the doors and they can’t come back in before Sunday. Capiche?”
“I bet Alex is really good at sex, too,” Julie said.
Flynn burst out laughing.
“You mom is away? Seriously?” Reggie asked Flynn. He put his school backpack down by her desk. It was stuffed with a couple of changes of clothes and his toothbrush. Flynn had helped him pack.
“Yes.” Flynn nodded. The scratchiness in her throat was getting worse. She couldn’t decide if it was painful or not.
“And you’re okay with me staying?”
“Always.” She smiled at him and he smiled back: the sweet, small curving of his lips she knew was only for her. He kissed her, his mouth both soft and insistent against hers. She tucked the necklace she’d given him under his shirt, then tugged at the hem until he lifted up his arms so she could pull it off, their lips parting for only an instant. He made a low noise of pleasure as her hands roamed over his torso. His skin was cool from the night air, and she pressed against him. She was still feeling flushed and hot from the party.
Gently, he broke their kiss. “Flynn,” he breathed, forehead pressed against hers and his hands resting on her hips. “I want you so bad.”
She knew exactly what he meant. The idea was terrifying and completely thrilling at the same time. She didn’t know what to say. “I thought we were waiting?”
He stroked her face, looking at her through his lashes. “We can. We totally can. If that’s what you want?”
Flynn swallowed from the intensity of Reggie’s expression. It made her throat hurt and she winced.
Reggie’s forehead creased. “What’s wrong?”
“My throat’s a little sore,” Flynn said. “Must have been from all the screaming tonight.”
“That sucks,” he said sympathetically. “It is pretty late. Maybe we should just sleep on it?”
She knew he meant the unanswered question of whether or not they were going to have sex, and she couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. She wanted to have sex with him, she knew she did. But at the same time, the idea scared her. She wouldn’t mind having another night to think about it. “I wouldn’t mind sleeping.”
“Alright.” He grinned at her, big and warm without even a hint of disappointment. He really was the most incredible guy. “I’m looking forward to sleeping beside you.”
“Me, too,” Flynn said. “I’ve never shared a bed with anyone before.”
“You should try sleeping with Luke! He’s a total bed hog. I actually feel bad for Julie.” He laughed, then unzipped his bag and took out his toothbrush. “I’m going to brush my teeth while you get changed.” He left.
Flynn sighed as she took off her clothes. Now that Reggie had mentioned going to sleep. she realized how tired she was. Her body was sore and she had a mild headache. Probably because of how hard she’d been screaming and dancing when the boys performed. It’d been an awesome show. Flynn could hardly wait to see the video Ray had taken for their YouTube channel.
She picked a different shirt of Reggie’s from her drawer and put it on over a pair of pink sleep shorts. She checked her mirror and decided she looked cute, even if the arm holes were big on her.
Reggie came back into the room. “Wow,” he said admiringly.
Flynn turned to look at him. He was holding his jeans and socks in his hand, and was naked except for his underwear. She decided she liked that look a lot. “Wow, yourself.”
“Go, brush your teeth,” he said, “before I change my mind about letting you leave.”
She laughed and hurried out to brush her teeth and wrap her braids for sleeping. She debated for a moment whether or not to use the wrap. She wasn’t sure what Reggie would think about her going to bed with it, but then decided she was going to do it. Her braids were too heavy to sleep with if they weren’t wrapped.
She brushed her teeth and then drank some water, grimacing as it made her throat hurt. Am I getting sick? she wondered, then paused, waiting to see if her Gift activated. There was nothing, although she wasn’t sure if it worked for things like illness. It hadn’t done anything the whole time Alex’s infection was brewing after all. Maybe she just really needed sleep.
Reggie looked up from his phone when she came back in, his face splitting in a wide smile. “You wrapped your braids. I like it.”
She touched the patterned blue scarf as she smiled back. “I need to. To protect them.”
He sat up. “Oh yeah. Black hair is way different from white hair. Julie said I should look it up.”
She sat beside him on the bed. “And you did?”
He put his arm around her waist and kissed the tip of her shoulder. “Oh yeah. It’s something about you. Of course I’d look it up.” He rubbed the back of his neck, face pinking. “I’ve actually been reading a lot about being Black in the U.S. And. Uh. White people suck and I’m really sorry.”
Flynn snuggled into him. “Yeah, white people suck. But you don’t.”
He kissed her cheek. “I just want to be a really good ally. And you know, punch some racists in the face.”
That made her laugh. “I hope it can wait until morning?”
“Yes, punching racists can wait until morning.” Reggie got up and pulled back the covers, gesturing for Flynn to get into bed. She giggled and lay down and Reggie immediately laid down beside her, making sure to tuck them both in. He spooned against her, puling her back tight to his chest and wrapping his arm around her waist. “Is this okay?” he murmured against her shoulder.
She shivered at the feeling of his breath on her skin. “Yes.”
He placed a gentle kiss between her shoulder blades. “It’s weird for me to be the big spoon. Usually, Luke’s the one spooning me.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. Luke likes to cuddle.”
Flynn giggled. “As long as he’s not trying to steal my boyfriend.”
“Not a chance,” Reggie said with a laugh. “I’m all yours.”
“All mine.” Flynn sighed with happiness. She closed her eyes.
The sound of whimpering woke Reggie up.
He lay still for a moment, wondering if Angie needed to go outside. And then his brain restarted and he realized it was Flynn who was whimpering, and not his dog who was long dead.
“Flynn?” He got up on his elbow and rubbed Flynn’s shoulder to wake her. Her skin was warm and dry under his palm, almost hot. He frowned. “Flynn!”
Her eyes opened. “Reggie?” she said, then grimaced. Tears squeezed out the corners of her eyes.
Reggie’s heart went from zero to sixty between one beat and the next. “What’s wrong? Is it your period?” Maybe she was cramping badly? He tried to remember when she’d last had one.
She shook her head. “No. My throat’s really sore. And my head.” More tears seeped from the corner of her eyes.
Oh fuck. Flynn was sick, and she had to be in a lot of pain if it was making her cry. He couldn’t remember ever seeing her cry before. He had no idea what to do. “Do you want me to call your mom?”
Flynn shook her head, clearly reluctant to talk. She made a small, broken sound and put her hands against her forehead, just under the edge of her wrap. Reggie moved his hand there, and she pressed into his palm. Her forehead was hot, like a fever.
Reggie held her head tightly, wracking his brain to try to figure out how he could help her. He’d rarely gotten sick as a child, but when he’d had he couldn’t remember his parents doing anything to help him.
But Bobby had. Bobby had told him how he’d given him a Codeine pill after Reggie had dental surgery. Codeine worked for pain. Maybe Bridget had some? “Where do you keep your medicines?” Reggie asked. “Raise one finger for kitchen, two for bathroom.”
She raised one finger.
“Perfect. I’m going to bring you some. And some water, too.” He remembered hearing that sick people had to drink plenty of fluids. He’d learned water counted as a fluid in chemistry class. He hoped it would work. He grabbed his phone as he left and made his way down to the kitchen, being sure to not use its flashlight until he was far enough away from the bedroom the light wouldn’t hurt Flynn’s eyes.
He took a moment to survey the kitchen, trying to decide where he’d put medicines if he were Flynn’s mom. He gave up, and started searching from left to right, first cupboards and then drawers. He found the medicine stash in the third drawer. There wasn’t any Codeine, but Bridget had Advil and the label said it was good for pain and fever. Flynn had both, so he figured it’d work for her.
He found a glass and filled it up with water, then bit his lip. Flynn said her throat really hurt. Maybe drinking out of a glass would make it worse? He searched the drawers until he found a metal straw and put it in the glass. He thought it might help.
Carefully, he made his way back upstairs, pill bottle under his arm, glass in one hand and his phone acting as a flashlight in the other. He nudged the bedroom door open with his foot. “Flynn?” he said softly, hoping she’d been able to go back to sleep.
She raised her hand, a moving shadow in the semi-darkness. He went to her and put the bottle and waterglass on her bedside table. “I brought you some water and Advil. Can I help you sit up?”
She nodded and he helped ease her into a sitting position. If anything, her skin was even warmer than before. Reggie’s heart clenched. Could people die from high fevers? He didn’t know.
Flynn opened the bottle and took out two pills, putting each one carefully into her mouth. She sipped the water through the straw, wincing the entire time. She whimpered. “Hurts.”
“I know, baby.” Reggie sat beside her. He went to touch her, then stopped. He could feel the heat radiating off her body and he wasn’t sure if touching her would be painful. But she leaned against him, her forehead against his neck. Her silk headwrap felt smooth against his cheek. He put his arm around her, being careful to keep his hand on the cloth of her shirt. He really didn’t want to make anything worse. He wished he knew what to do to make it better.
An idea struck him and he picked up his phone. “Close your eyes,” he told her as he keyed it on. He went to Google and looked up "how to help a fever". He clicked on the first article that came up and started to read. Advil, check. Water, check. It talked about cool cloths and tepid baths, and Reggie glanced at Flynn, considering. “Hey, baby,” he said gently. “Do you want a cool bath?”
She nodded, a small movement against his neck.
“Okay,” he said. “Lie back down and I’ll run it for you.”
She nodded again and he helped her lie down. Her skin was so hot it was frightening. Maybe I should just teleport her to hospital? he thought. He bit his lip, unsure.
She closed her eyes and he left, taking his phone with him. He started the bath, checking the article again to make sure he had the temperature right. Then he made a call.
“Reggie?” Alex’s voice was rough with sleep. “Why are you calling so early? You get laid or something?”
“Flynn’s sick,” Reggie said, and even saying it out loud make his chest tighten. “She has a sore throat, and a fever and she’s really sick and I don’t know what to do—”
“Have you given her any pain medication?” Alex cut him off. There was a noise like he was sitting up.
“She just took two Advil? And she’s had a few sips of water. But her throat’s really sore.” He gnawed on his bottom lip, fear pulsing through him with his heartbeat. “Is she dying?”
“No,” Alex said with confidence and Reggie sighed with relief. “She’s just sick. Haven’t you ever had a sore throat before?”
“I don’t remember,” Reggie said honestly. “Are they always this bad?”
“They can be,” Alex said. There was a pause and Reggie heard Alex talking to Willie in the background. “Willie says to put her in a cool bath to see if that helps.”
“I’m running one now.” Reggie touched the water. It was just warm enough to feel pleasant against his hand. The tub was only half-full and he left it running. “What else can I do?”
“There’s not much, besides pain medicine, fluids, cool baths and rest. You can also put cold compresses against her head and neck. That can help.”
“I don’t know what that is.” Reggie closed his eyes against the rush of shame that admission brought. The woman he loved most in the world was sick and he had no clue what he was doing.
“A compress is a cloth soaked in hot or cold water and wrung out so it’s only damp. You’ll want to use cold ones,” Alex explained like Reggie wasn’t a fucking idiot for not knowing. He knew with certainty his parents had never given him a compress in his life.
“That makes sense.” The article had talked about ‘cool cloths’ too. Reggie glanced around the bathroom, locating the shelf where the face cloths were. He figured they’d work well enough.
“Willie says she may need to see a doctor for some antibiotics,” Alex continued. “Want me to text Alison?”
“Yes, please.” Reggie hated to wake Alison up, but Flynn was his priority. “Should I just take her to the hospital?”
“Let me text Alison first. If you take Flynn now you might just end up waiting.”
“Good point. Thanks. Thanks for your help.”
“Do you want me and Willie to come over there?” Alex asked. “Willie said he can make her some special Korean tea to help her throat.”
Reggie ran his hand through his hair, already feeling calmer. His friends knew what to do. They wouldn’t let him fuck this up. “Yeah, yeah, that’d be great. But maybe after her bath?”
“I’ll going to text my sister and then try to get a bit more sleep,” Alex said. “But my phone’s on.”
“I’ll call you back when she’s done,” Reggie said. “And, Alex? Thanks.”
“I love you, man,” Alex said, and hung up.
The bath was high enough, and Reggie turned off the water. He got up and crept back to Flynn’s bedroom, fingers crossed she’d been able to fall back asleep.
She wasn’t. “Reggie?” she croaked. The one word sounded painful.
“I’m here.” Reggie went right to her. “Do you still want a bath?” She nodded and Reggie helped her sit up, feeling the heat rolling off her. “Do you want me to carry you?”
She shook her head and got to her feet. He helped her find her footing and then led her, one slow step at a time to the bathroom. There was a greyish tinge to her normally glowing complexion and her lips, normally a warm pink, were bright red with fever. She leaned on him as they made their way to the bathroom. He dimmed the lights so they wouldn’t hurt her eyes and took her inside.
They stood there for a moment, her head resting against his chest. Reggie cleared his throat. “Want me to wait outside while you bathe?”
Flynn raised her head, her dark eyes meeting his. She looked exhausted and uncomfortable and Reggie’s heart hurt. He hated to see her suffering. “Stay?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
“I can do that,” he said softly. “Can you stand on your own?”
She nodded and he stepped back, grabbing a clean towel from the shelf. He held it in front of him, high enough so he could only see her face. “You can get changed now. I can’t see anything.”
She nodded again and took off her pajamas. It was a slow process, and she winced as the cloth moved over her skin. Reggie winced watching her, wishing he could make it better.
He kept the towel up until she’d settled in the bath, and he turned the lights down further, until her body was a just dark shape in the water. He knew he wanted to see her naked, was dying to make love to her. But seeing her like this, naked and vulnerable with illness, touched a different part of him. He just wanted to take care of her. He sat on the floor by the tub, eyes focussed on her face. “I love you,” he said softly.
She smiled, and reached out a wet hand and touched his cheek. He took it and kissed her palm. Even the skin there was warm. He laced their fingers together on the edge of the tub. “Maybe after the bath you’ll be able to sleep, huh?”
“My throat’s a bit less sore,” she said, then grimaced.
“Don’t talk,” he admonished her gently. “I called Alex. He’s going to text his sister for us.”
She frowned. “I don’t want to go to the hospital.”
“You might need antibiotics,” Reggie said, repeating what he’d heard from Willie.
She sighed. “Maybe.” She turned her dark eyes on him. They were glassy with sickness and shone black in the low light. “Tell me a story?”
“A story?” Reggie chuffed out a laugh. “What kind of story?”
Flynn’s shoulders raised in a small shrug. “When you were a kid.”
“When I was a kid?” Reggie smiled. “You sure?”
She nodded.
“I don’t have a lot of happy stories from when I was a kid, to be honest.” His shoulders sagged as he thought about his childhood. He’d been working through it with Dr. Heightmeyer, but the memories still hurt.
“Tell me about joining Sunset Curve?”
Reggie brightened at that. “I actually met Alex, Luke and Bobby in grade one. Luke was the only one who was musical. His Gift kicked in really early. In fact, Emily said he was born singing.”
Flynn laughed lightly. “I’d’ve liked to have seen that.”
“Me, too. I bet a singing baby Luke would’ve been adorable. I remember all of us in music class. Alex was banging on those little wooden xylophone things. Remember those?” At Flynn’s nod, he continued. “He didn’t even sound half bad, which was probably because of his Gift. Luke was singing…something, and Bobby and I had wandered over to see what they were doing. Luke told us we couldn’t sit with them unless we liked music, so Bobby and I told him we did. And that’s how we became friends.
"We didn’t form the band until we were ten or eleven? Anyway, I think Luke decided we needed to be in a band, so he told us what instruments we needed to get. He was going to be lead guitarist, of course, and Alex already had a drum set, so me and Bobby flipped a coin to see who was going to be rhythm guitar and who was going to be bass. I think you know how that turned out.”
“Pretty good.” Flynn smiled. The bright red of her lips had faded and Reggie breathed a sigh of relief.
“How are you feeling?”
“A bit better,” she said. “My skin hurts less.”
“I thought it might be hurting. That sounds awful.” Reggie grimaced.
“It’s better now,” Flynn said. “Tell me more?”
“Um, okay.” Reggie thought for a moment. “I got Angie, my puppy when I was six?” At Flynn’s encouraging nod he kept going. “My dad had just moved off the K9 team and he was really missing having a dog. So he took me to the humane society and let me help him pick one. I fell in love with this tiny black ball of fluff. At first, my dad didn’t want anything to do with her, because he thought she wouldn't be tough enough. But the woman at the Humane Society told him she was part Labrador and part German Shepard, so my dad agreed to get her.
"After Angie grew up, it was pretty clear the woman lied to us. Because Angie was part Labrador and part some other small dog that was definitely not a German Shepard. But by then it was too late. My dad was in love with her. I think Angie was the only one in the house he truly loved.” Reggie’s mouth curved down as he spoke, realizing it was probably true. Angie had made Bradley happy in a way Reggie never had.
Flynn squeezed his hand. “Your dad is an asshole.”
“I know,” Reggie said on a sigh, but then he smiled. “But hey, he’s old and in Redlands and I’m here. With you.”
“I’m sorry I’ve ruined our weekend,” Flynn said. She coughed, then winced.
“Nothing to be sorry about.” Reggie stroked the back of her hand with her thumb. “I really don’t like you being sick, but I like taking care of you.”
“Best boyfriend ever,” Flynn whispered, and Reggie’s heart soared.
“I love you, so much,” he said.
“I love you, too,” she said. “Tell me another story?”
Reggie thought for a moment. “Have I ever told you about when Bobby broke his wrist in grade three?”
Reggie got Flynn fresh pajamas and then helped her out of the bath. He kept his eyes averted while she got dressed again, and then tucked her back into bed.
She felt marginally better after the bath. The Advil had probably kicked in too, as her throat was less painful. Reggie made her drink all the water and then crawled into bed beside her, spooning her against him. He fell asleep immediately, his breath was soft against the back of her neck.
It was harder for her to get to sleep.
He'd been so respectful when she was in the bath. She didn't think his eyes had drifted below her chin, even for a second. She felt so sick and completely unsexy. She hadn’t cared if he saw her naked, but he hadn’t even tried to look.
It was what any decent person would've done, she knew. But the fact she could count so completely on his decency made her love him even more.
She still felt miserable and sick, but now she was also very aware of how her boyfriend’s body was pressed against hers. There was no space between them from her shoulders to his knees. She could feel the way his chest expanded and contracted as he breathed, the comforting weight of his forearm on her hip. His hips were flush against her butt. Desire thrummed inside her, low and sensuous. It made sleep difficult.
He loved her so much. He respected her so much. It made him impossible to resist, and she wanted him with every fibre of her being. She wanted to feel him inside her, thrusting—
She shuddered and he stirred. “Flynn?”
“I’m okay,” she whispered, keeping herself from pressing back against him. She knew she wasn’t well enough to start anything with him, but her lust-fueled brain hadn’t gotten the memo. The Advil had barely started working and she was already desperate to fuck him. “Go back to sleep.”
“’Kay.” His breathing immediately deepened.
Flynn closed her eyes, willing herself to think of something, anything, other than rolling over and jumping his bones the way Julie had talked about. The fear she’d felt before seemed very far away.
Except, it was back in full force as soon as she’d reminded herself of it.
She wasn't scared of Reggie. She knew he’d always keep her safe. It was what having sex with him would mean.
For Flynn, making love with Reggie was the ultimate level of intimacy. It would remove the last barrier between them.
And it would hurt so much if she lost him.
She was suddenly on the verge of tears. She bit her knuckle, trying to keep herself from crying but she couldn't stop. Maybe it was because she was sick, but she was literally weeping over him being gone while he was right there spooning her.
She couldn't believe how stupid she was being, crying like this. But she’d never loved anyone like she loved him. She didn’t think she could survive it if she lost him.
She sobbed out a tiny, broken sound, and Reggie woke up. “Flynn?” he said, voice thick with sleep. “Are you crying?”
She rolled over and curled into him, crying piteously as he held her. Her throat hurt, and her head hurt, her body was sore and she felt miserable. She couldn't stop crying.
“Hey, hey, it’s alright.” Reggie rubbed her back as gently as if she were a small child. “Do you need more pain medication?”
She shook her head, wishing she could explain what she was feeling. It didn’t make any sense to be so upset about losing him when he was right there, holding her in his arms.
“Can I get up to get you more water? Or do you need me to keep holding you?” he asked, hands still rubbing her back.
“Hold me.” She wept, feeling helpless and stupid.
He moved so he was lying on his back and she could put her head on his chest. She centred her ear on his heartbeat, letting the steady rhythm soothe her. It helped, and her tears ebbed.
“Did you have a bad dream?” Reggie asked once her crying had slowed to a trickle. “Because I’ve woken up from one of those more than once. They suck.”
She chuffed out a short laugh. “Not exactly.”
He kissed the top of her head, pressing his lips against her wrapped braids. “Want to talk about it?”
“Yes,” she said, then winced. Her throat was hurting again.
“Is your throat still hurting?” he asked when she didn’t say anything else. She nodded against his chest. “I don’t want you talking then. Do you want to write it down?”
Flynn thought about it, then shook her head no. It felt too big to try to type onto a phone. She’d probably be feeling better after some sleep. And maybe those antibiotics Willie thought she should have.
“Okay,” Reggie said. “But don’t forget, because I want to hear it.”
She nodded again, then kissed his chest. She loved him so much it was almost painful. Scratch that. It was painful. She was so scared to lose him.
She fell asleep listening to his heart.
Reggie woke at dawn to Flynn shivering beside him.
She was furnace hot. He was sweating everywhere they were touching, but she was shivering. Her face was ashen and her lips bright red.
She was still asleep, so Reggie carefully slipped out of bed. He threw on his jeans from Friday and the first shirt his hands came to in his knapsack before running downstairs to the kitchen to get Flynn more water. He called Alex.
“Hey,” Alex said, sounding way more alert than he had in the middle of the night. “How’s Flynn?”
“She’s burning up,” Reggie said. “I’m just about to give her more medicine.”
“Don’t, the doctors will need to see how sick she is,” Alex said. “My sister texted me back, by the way. She’s on shift starting at seven. She’ll be waiting for you. She said to ask for her at reception.”
Reggie checked the clock on the oven. It was only 6:30, which meant he’d have half an hour to help Flynn get ready before he’d teleport them there. “Thanks, Alex. Means a lot.”
“You guys are my family,” Alex said. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. And texting my sister? Not that hard. Do you want me and Willie to come over?”
“Maybe after we get back from the hospital?”
“Sounds good. Willie needs to find some Asian Pears anyway.”
“Sure.” Reggie's thoughts were already back on Flynn. “I’m going to bring Flynn some water.”
“Remember, no pain medicine until after she’s been seen by the doctor,” Alex reminded him.
“I'll remember,” Reggie said. “I’ll call you when we’re done.”
“Text me when you see Alison,” Alex said, and then hung up.
Reggie pocketed his phone, got more water and headed back upstairs. Flynn was sitting up in bed, looking even worse than in the middle of the night. He gave her the water with the straw and she took a few sips, wincing the entire time. It looked like swallowing was really painful.
“It hurts, huh?” Reggie grimaced sympathetically. “Alex says I can’t give you any more pain medication until after you’ve been seen by the doctor, so they’ll know how sick you are.”
She nodded, then leaned back against the headboard and closed her eyes.
“Alison’s expecting us at seven,” Reggie said. “Do you want me to help you get dressed?
“Bathroom,” she rasped and winced again. Reggie helped her stand and then took her to the bathroom, waiting outside while she got ready. The wrap was off her braids when she came out.
“You’re going to have to teach me how you put that on,” Reggie said to her, “so I can help you.”
She smiled weakly at him, like even curling up her lips took too much effort. They went back to her bedroom and he kept his back to her while she put on her clothes.
She tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned to see her wearing a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie he was sure she'd taken from Alex. She looked tiny and unwell, and he wanted to scoop her up in his arms.
It was 6:45. “We should go.”
She shook her head and pointed at him, then made a gesture with her hand towards her mouth.
“I need to get you to the hospital,” he said. “I can eat later.”
She glared at him. It was surprisingly effective considering how ill she was.
“Fine.” He sighed. Gently, he took her elbows and teleported them both to the kitchen. She sat on one of the chairs and put her head down on the table. She looked completely wretched.
He slapped together a peanut butter sandwich and ate it in three bites before washing it down with a glass of water. “I ate. Where’s your stuff?”
She gestured towards her purse, which was hanging on a hook by the door. He grabbed it for her, and she looped it across her chest. She lifted her hands and he pulled her to her feet, then enveloped her in a hug. “Ready?” he whispered. At her nod he teleported them to the hospital.
Flynn felt awful.
She dimly remembered having a sore throat like this before, but she thought she’d been much younger. She couldn’t remember the last time she was this sick.
She stood in line with Reggie, waiting to be seen by the reception desk in the ED. She was leaning against him, her forehead pressed into his chest. It helped a little with the pain, but did nothing for her fever. She was freezing, which didn’t make any sense considering how hot her skin was. Everything hurt.
Reggie had his arm around her, his hand stroking up and down her back. She figured Willie was probably right that she needed to be seen by a doctor, but she wished she were back at home in bed.
“Next,” the woman behind the desk called, and she and Reggie went up.
“Name?” the woman said.
Reggie stepped closer. “We’re here to see Doctor Alison Mercer?”
The woman glared at him. “Name?” she repeated.
Flynn handed the woman her ID and her mother’s insurance card, hoping she could just read her name straight from it.
The woman looked at it and then looked back at Flynn. “Is this you?”
“Her throat’s too sore to talk,” Reggie said before Flynn could respond.
The woman made a face and looked at Flynn’s card again. “Where’s you mother, sweetie?” she said.
“My mom’s not here,” Flynn croaked. Even saying the short sentence made her feel like she was swallowing glass.
“But you’re underage,” the woman said to her as she handed back her cards. “And we can’t see minors without a parent or guardian, sweetie. So you’re going to have to get your mom to take you, ‘kay?” She gave Flynn a smile as fake as her blonde hair.
Flynn visibly wilted with the woman’s words. She was sick and in pain, and the idea of being turned away was suddenly too much to bear. Her eyes burned with tears.
“No,” Reggie said, bristling with anger. “We aren’t going anywhere until Flynn’s seen by Doctor Mercer!”
The women straightened in her seat. “There’s no use getting angry. The hospital won’t see any minors without a parent or guardian present, and her parents aren’t here. You’re welcome to come back.” She flashed the same fake smile.
Flynn tugged on one of Reggie’s belt loops, trying to tell him just to teleport her home. She couldn’t see how they could fix this. She’d have to wait for her mom to get home on Sunday. Reggie took her hand and squeezed it gently. His expression was flinty when he turned back to the receptionist.
“Does the fact I’m her husband change anything?” he said sharply, “or do you need to see my parents, too?”
Flynn’s eyes widened and she dropped her gaze before the woman could see her reaction.
The woman narrowed her eyes at him. “You don’t look old enough to be married.”
“My parents approved the match.” Reggie smiled at her, all teeth.
“Well, do you have your marriage certificate with you?” The woman said, clearly flustered.
“Do you carry yours with you?” Reggie challenged her. “I came here to get my wife medical treatment. Do I need to speak to you supervisor?”
“Fine,” the woman huffed, reaching out a hand to take Flynn’s cards again. “I’ll get her registered.”
“And please let Doctor Mercer know we’re here,” Reggie said. “She’s a family friend.”
The woman made a face but didn’t say anything else. She entered Flynn’s information on the computer and passed back her cards. Reggie took them. “Thank you,” he said and then led Flynn by the hand to a couple of empty chairs in the waiting room. They sat and he handed back her cards.
She put them into her purse and then looked at him, one eyebrow raised.
“It was the first thing I could think of!” he whispered to her. “You’re really sick! I didn’t want to have to take you home.”
She laughed silently and leaned into him, so glad he’d solved the problem. He put his arm around her and kissed her temple. “Are you upset?” he murmured against her skin.
She shook her head and smiled at him. She wasn’t upset. She was the opposite of upset. She wondered how many guys his age would pretend to be married to get their girlfriends past a bitchy gatekeeper. Everything Reggie did kept showing her how amazing he was. He was total marriage material and she absolutely adored him.
She couldn’t imagine her life without him. The idea was terrifying.
“It’s strep throat,” Reggie said into the phone.
He was standing in Flynn’s kitchen, talking to Alex. He’d teleported himself and Flynn back from the hospital around fifteen minutes before. He’d helped Flynn get back into pajamas and wrap her braids again, and then given her the first dose of her antibiotics and another Advil. She’d fallen right to sleep.
“That sucks,” Alex said. “But she should feel better really quickly, now she has antibiotics.”
“Alison said about three days. She says ‘hi,’ by the way.”
“She texted me after you left,” Alex said. “She said you and Flynn were really cute, and congratulations on your marriage?”
Reggie’s face flamed. “The receptionist was being a total bitch, and wouldn’t let Flynn see Alison without her mom there because she’s only sixteen. So, I said we were married.”
Alex exploded in laughter. "No way!"
“I panicked, okay?”
“No, no. That was pretty clever,” Alex said. “Did Flynn kill you?”
“She didn’t seem upset? But she can’t really talk right now? Maybe she’s planning on killing me later.” Reggie’s blush deepened. “I thought it was a good idea at the time.”
“it was a good idea. And it’s not like it’s not true.”
Reggie paused. “That…makes no sense.”
“Reggie, you and Flynn have been as good as married since the moment she first saw you in the studio. Don’t tell me you didn’t know that.”
Reggie smiled at Alex’s words. “You think so?”
“I’m rolling my eyes at you,” Alex said. “Literally imagine me rolling my eyes.”
Reggie laughed. “Thanks, Alex.”
“Welcome. Willie and I will be by later today with tea for Flynn, okay?”
“Yeah. Flynn and I totally need some sleep.” Reggie said, then yawned.
He heard Alex chuckle. “Text me when you guys are awake.”
“For sure. And thanks again.” He hung up then trudged up the stairs, feeling really tired but also strangely happy. He liked the idea of him and Flynn being practically married since they met. He could hardly wait to make it reality.
She was snoring when he went into the bedroom, soft little noises caused by her illness. Reggie touched her cheek and then her shoulder, and then sighed in relief when her skin was cool. The medicines were working. He hoped she’d get enough sleep to actually feel better.
He slipped in beside her and hugged her to him, being careful not to jostle her awake. My wife, he thought. He really liked the sound of that. He wondered if she’d go for a Spring wedding.
He fell asleep imagining Flynn walking down an aisle in a flowing white dress.
Flynn slept most of the rest of Saturday, only waking up when Reggie made her take her antibiotics, more water, and more Advil. When evening came, he had her drink the tea Willie had made. Reggie said it was a Korean recipe Willie's mother had made when he was sick. It had honey, something called an Asian pear and ginger in it, and it was absolutely delicious. She’d drunk it all and then gone back to sleep.
When she woke up on Sunday, she was feeling ten times better. Her throat was still sore, and her head still hurt, but her fever had finally broken. She lay in bed, enjoying the sunlight as it peeped through her curtains, and watched Reggie sleep.
He was so handsome, she thought as she traced the sharp curve of his cheekbones with her eyes. But he was also beautiful: a beautiful man with a beautiful heart. Growing up as abused as he was could've made him hard, bitter and mean, but instead he was soft, sweet and kind. It was like he’d looked at his father and decided he was going to be the exact opposite. She couldn’t believe how lucky she was he’d literally landed in front of her. She didn’t know if she believed in God, fate or the Universe, but him appearing in the studio the way he had felt like all kinds of destiny.
It also made it feel like he could disappear again at any second. All it would take was him losing control of his Gift again, like what had happened during the Orpheum fire.
Will Reggie disappear again? Flynn asked her Gift and waited. There was nothing.
She sighed, wishing she could believe the silence meant everything would be all right. Sometimes her Gift warned her about bad things in advance; sometimes it didn’t. When Reggie was hallucinating the ghost of his father, her Gift hadn’t said anything.
When it came to him, she didn’t think she could trust it.
She trusted Reggie though. He’d promised he wouldn’t leave her back in January, and she believed him. But he’d once teleported himself, Luke and Alex twenty-five years into the future by accident. She had no idea if he’d might do it again.
Maybe I should break up with him, she thought. At least that way she’d save herself from what felt like inevitable and unendurable pain. But she couldn't even consider it. She was totally gone for him. She couldn’t give him up even if she wanted to.
His eyes opened, shining a brilliant bottle green in the warm light. He smiled. “Good morning, beautiful.”
“Good morning.” She brushed a lock of his hair back from his forehead. “I love you.”
His smile widened. “I definitely like waking up this way.” His eyes were bright with happiness, and suddenly she found herself blinking back tears. He sat up, his face laced with concern. “Flynn? What’s wrong? Is your throat hurting?”
She shook her head, too emotional to speak. He pulled her into his arms and held her, his chin resting on her silk headwrap.
“Did you have another bad dream?”
She shook her head, not trusting her voice.
“Are you mad because I told that bitch we were married? Because if you are, I’m really sorry.”
She laughed a bit at that. “I didn’t mind.” Her breath hitched as she tried to control her tears.
“You can tell me,” he said softly. “Whatever it is, I want to hear it.”
“I’m scared,” she said, eyes squeezed shut to keep from crying. She’d cried so much in the last twenty-four hours, and she never cried. She never wanted to be sick again.
“Scared?” Reggie repeated. “Why are you scared?”
“That you’ll leave,” Flynn said against his chest. A stray tear escaped and dampened her cheek. “You'll go away and I’ll never see you again.”
“I’ll never leave you,” he said immediately. “I promised you I’d never leave and I meant it. Please don’t be scared of that.”
“I know you promised, and I believe you.” Flynn moved so she could look at him. “But what if…what if you teleport again and go out of phase? You could be gone forever!”
“I’m not going to do that,” Reggie said.
“But you don’t know that! You don’t know—”
“I’m not going to do that!” Reggie repeated. “As long as I don’t teleport more than five people, or…or go further than Texas, I won’t go out of phase! I know what I’m doing with my Gift now, and I’m not going to do that again!’
“But how can you be sure?” she asked, voice small.
“Because I don’t want to lose you?” He wiped away a tear with his thumb, palm on her cheek. “Flynn, I love you. More than anything. There’s no way I would do anything that meant I’d never see you again.”
Flynn leaned into his touch. She wanted to believe him. She really did. But she knew she couldn’t. “My dad said the same thing to my mom, before he died.”
Reggie’s hand stilled on her cheek. “What?”
She nodded. “My dad was a Major in the Airforce. He died in a training accident when I was three or four. He’d promised my mother he wouldn’t do anything stupid. But he did, and he died.” The tears were back, clogging her throat. She dropped her gaze so he wouldn’t see.
“You never told me that before,” he said softly. “I’ve seen his picture in your room, but I didn’t know…”
She shook her head, willing the tears to go away, but they kept coming.
He slid his hand under her chin and gently raised her head. “Flynn, look at me.” She met his gaze. “I get it. I get that you’re scared. Your dad died when he said he wouldn’t, and I’m so sorry you lost him. But I’m not him. I’m not a soldier. I don’t want to join the Airforce. They probably wouldn’t take me because I’m so short.”
Flynn chuckled and leaned her head on his shoulder. “I just don’t want you to die.”
“I don’t want to die, either,” he said, hugging her to him. “And I promise. Anything I can do to stay alive, I’m going to do it. I’ve already been kind of dead, and it’s definitely not cool.”
“My mom was so sad,” Flynn said. “I was really little, but I remember how sad she was. I don’t want that to happen to me.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Reggie said again. “But that’s not going to be you, Flynn. Not if I have any say in it.”
“Rose died of cancer,” she said.
“Yeah, and my father is still alive. Life is fucking unfair.”
“What would I do without you?” she asked, hating how her voice cracked on the words. “I don’t like feeling this vulnerable.”
“What would I do without you?” he asked her in return. “Why do you think I’d be okay if something happened to you?”
Flynn raised her head. “I…hadn’t thought of that.”
“I think we’re both taking a risk with this,” Reggie said with a soft smile. “But I kind of think you’re worth it.”
“You’re worth it,” Flynn said.
He beamed at her. “I really want to kiss you. But I don’t want to poison you with my morning breath.”
“I have a raging throat infection,” she said. “Kiss me.”
After the conversation with Reggie, Flynn felt good enough to get up and take a shower. She put on sweats with no bra. It really didn’t seem like something her boyfriend would care about.
They spent the rest of Sunday morning on the couch watching Disney-Plus. Reggie made her chicken soup from a can he found in the cupboard.
“Chicken soup is good for illness,” he told her as he set a cup of the steaming liquid in front of her. “I saw it in a cartoon.”
Flynn laughed, only wincing a little. The antibiotics were working and she already felt better. She picked up the cup and blew on the steam. “Did your mom make you soup when you were sick?”
He sat down beside her, face drawn. He shook his head. “But it’s okay,” he said quickly at her dismayed expression, “I didn’t get sick very much.”
“But, you did get sick?” Flynn took a sip of her soup. It was as plain as she remembered, but exactly what she wanted right now.
“I don’t really remember? My parents didn’t let me stay home, so I think I just… stopped telling them?” He rubbed the back of his neck, cheeks pink like he’d done something wrong.
Flynn put her cup down. A feeling of dread curling in her stomach. “They didn’t let you stay home when you were sick?”
“It’s okay!” Reggie repeated. “The guys always took care of me. Luke took me to his house once. He skipped school to keep me company and his parents didn’t even get mad.”
“Reggie,” Flynn said, amazed at how even her voice was. She was having visions of tearing Reggie’s parents apart with her bare hands. “Your parents didn’t take care of you when you were sick. That’s not okay.”
“Well, yeah. I wouldn’t do that to my own kids, but my parents had to work. They couldn’t just stay home—”
“Reggie!” Flynn interrupted him. “Your parents didn’t take care of you. That’s not okay!”
His shoulders drooped. “I know,” he said softly. “It just hurts to think about. You know?”
She took his hand. “They should’ve taken care of you. And I’m so mad they didn’t.”
“At least I didn’t have to spend time with them when I was sick. That would’ve sucked,” he tried to joke.
“I’ll take care of you when you get sick,” Flynn said. “Not that I want you to get sick, but I will.”
“You already have,” Reggie said. “When I went crazy in January, remember?”
Flynn stroked his hair back from his forehead. “You weren’t crazy. You had a mental illness. Your brain chemistry was out of whack. Remember?”
“Okay. You took care of me in January when I was mentally ill.” He smirked, but he took her hand.
“I’ll take care of you,” she said again. “I’ll always take care of you.”
“Same,” he said softly, his brilliant green eyes meeting hers. Something pulsed between them: love and awareness and desire. It was so intense she had to drop her gaze.
“I should drink my soup before it gets cold.” she said.
He snuggled up beside her and put his arm around her shoulders. “Star Wars?” he asked as he palmed the remote.
She leaned against him, careful not to jostle her cup. “Absolutely.”
Flynn finished her soup and they watched Star Wars, and Reggie thought he was going to lose his mind.
She was pressed up against him, a warm comfortable weight. She was wearing one of Alex’s hoodies and a pair of sweatpants with thick socks and he’d never seen anything sexier in his life.
Now she was feeling better, all he could think about was how they were in her house, alone, and her mother wouldn’t be back for hours.
She’s still sick! he reminded himself fiercely. But his heart was pounding, his whole body tense with awareness of how near she was. Even the familiar scent of her hair was making him crazy. It kind of felt like he was burning up, as feverish as she’d been. Only she was both the cause and the remedy.
“Flynn,” he said finally when he couldn’t take it any longer, “did you think about…what we were talking about before you got sick?”
She turned to face him, and even looking into her deep brown eyes was almost too much. She licked her lips as she thought, and he just managed to stifle a groan. “I want to have sex with you,” she said finally, her beautiful mouth stretched into a smile.
He nearly died. “I want to have sex with you, too,” he managed to croak. “When would you like to do that?”
Flynn bit her lip, and then looked at him through her lashes. “What about now?”
He did groan then, unable to keep the sound behind his teeth. “I’d really like that.” But she was sick, he reminded himself. “Are you sure you feel up to it?” he forced out.
She got up on her knees on the couch and moved so their lips were almost touching. “Yes.”
He surged into her, capturing her mouth with his own and moving her so her legs were around his hips, as close as possible with way too many layers of clothes. He pressed her backwards onto the couch, covering her body with his own. She made a small noise of pleasure and it became his only mission to make her sound like that again.
“Reggie,” she gasped, “take me upstairs.”
He teleported them away in a flash of golden light.
“It was really nice of you guys to come over,” Flynn said from where she was cuddled into Reggie on the couch. It was late afternoon and the sun was already beginning to set, and she felt much better. It felt strange and a bit wicked knowing they’d had sex most of the afternoon. She felt different now and unexpectedly calm, like the final piece that was missing from their relationship had slotted neatly into place. She met her boyfriend’s gaze, and he smiled tenderly at her as he pulled her closer.
It was weird to think no one else knew how much had changed.
“We figured you be bored after spending so long with Reggie,” Luke said as he dropped himself onto the couch beside her. He had a large bowl of popcorn in his hand.
“How are you feeling?” Julie asked. She sat down beside Luke and took a handful of popcorn.
“Better,” Flynn said. “Reggie took good care of me.”
“Reggie and Alex, you mean,” Luke huffed. “I don’t know why you didn’t call me.”
“Alex is the mom friend,” Reggie said. “And besides, his sister is a doctor.”
“But my mom used to treat your colds all the time!” Luke protested. “I would’ve known what to do.”
Reggie stared at him. “Your mom fed me raw garlic and apple cider vinegar. That would’ve killed Flynn’s throat.”
“Killed her infection, you mean,” Luke said. “That shit works.”
“And Flynn would smell horribly of garlic and Reggie would never kiss her again,” Alex said. “I think he called the right person.”
Flynn laughed and patted Luke’s knee. “Next time I’m dying of Strep throat, I’ll call you.”
“I wish you’d called me,” Julie said to her. “I would’ve helped you.”
“I know,” Flynn said. “I know any of you would’ve helped. You guys are the best.”
“We love you.” Julie reached across Luke to hug Flynn. Luke raised the bowl out of the way and a couple of kernels fell to the floor.
“You’d better pick those up,” Julie said to Luke. “Bridget does not like her house to be messy.”
Luke bent over and picked up the popcorn.
Alex was sitting on Willie’s lap in an overstuffed armchair. “Your mom sounds terrifying.”
“She’s not!” Flynn protested.
“Ray thinks she’s terrifying,” Luke said around a mouth of popcorn.
“She’s really not. Bridget’s great,” Julie said.
“I was hoping to meet her at Christmas,” Reggie said, “but you guys didn’t come over.”
“We went to my cousins’ instead. They were in town for once. But I’m sure you’ll meet her soon.” Flynn patted his chest.
Willie raised his eyebrows. “Are you sure you want to meet her? Meeting the parents is kind of a big deal.”
“I want to meet her,” Reggie said confidently. “Besides, parents love me.”
“That’s true. All our parents liked Reggie the best,” Luke said to Julie.
“And meeting Bridget isn’t going to be a big deal. He and Flynn are already married.” Alex smirked.
“Wait, what?” Julie looked at Flynn and Reggie. “You’re married?”
“Not for real, duh.” Flynn rolled her eyes. “Reggie told the hospital receptionist we were married so I could see the doctor.”
Luke laughed so hard Julie had to rescue the popcorn bowl. “Dude! That is the lamest proposal I’ve ever heard!”
“It wasn’t a proposal,” Reggie muttered.
“Besides, they’re already married,” Alex said.
“Oh yeah,” Willie agreed readily. “They are definitely the married couple of this friend group.”
The thought was strangely satisfying, and Flynn met Reggie’s eyes again, letting him know she liked the idea. His expression let her know he felt the same. He leaned over and kissed her temple.
“See!” Alex pointed at them. “They’re already doing that thing where they don’t have to use words to talk to each other anymore.”
“You guys do that,” Julie said to him.
“Totally.” Luke nodded. “You guys are way married.”
“Are we?” Alex smiled at Willie, then gently kissed him.
“Get a room!” Luke threw popcorn at them.
Julie took the bowl out of his hands. “And now you’re cut off.”
“We should probably choose a movie before my mom gets home,” Flynn said.
“When’s your mom coming back?” Reggie asked her.
“After midnight.” Flynn let her gaze land on him, hot and heavy.
“Plenty of time,” he whispered and kissed her cheek.
“Get a room,” Alex said.
Las Vegas had been a blast.
Bridget went up the stairs to her bedroom, feeling pleasantly tired. She and the girls never got enough sleep on their weekend, but being tired the next day was always worth it. She loved spending time with her girls.
But there was only one girl she wanted to see at the moment.
Bridget put her suitcase into her bedroom and then changed out of her travelling clothes. Even though she’d worn jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt, slipping on her pajamas and a bathrobe felt wonderful. She wished her suits for work were ever this comfortable.
Quietly she made her way down the hall to Flynn’s bedroom. It was late, well past midnight, and she knew Flynn would be sleeping. But she just wanted a peek at her daughter before she went to bed. Flynn hadn’t texted much over the last couple of days, probably because she didn’t want to interrupt her mother's fun. She was so thoughtful like that.
Flynn’s door was open, and the room was softly lit by the moonlight shining through the curtains. She clearly hadn’t closed the heavier drapes that actually blocked out the light. Bridget debated leaving it, but she didn’t want the light to disturb Flynn’s sleep. She had to get up early for school after all. And hadn’t she gone to a birthday party on the weekend? She could probably use the rest. She went into her daughter’s room to close the drapes.
There was a boy sleeping in Flynn’s bed.
Bridget just managed to keep from shrieking in surprise. She moved closer to look at him, hand over her pounding heart. He was obviously a white boy: his skin was almost as pale as the moonlight coming through the window. He was handsome, Bridget decided, and he had a sweet face. Which was lucky considering how Flynn was curled into him with her head on his chest. his bare chest, which Bridget decided she wasn’t going to think about.
She wondered if this was the boy from Julie’s band Flynn was always talking about. The one who played bass with the green eyes. Reggie.
Bridget pursed her lips as she looked at him. I could read him, she thought to herself. Flynn wouldn’t like it, but then again Flynn hadn’t been the one to come home to find a strange man in her daughter’s bed. It was a mother’s prerogative to know who her daughter was sleeping with.
One of Reggie’s feet had been uncovered by the blanket. Bridget reached out one finger in a slow and careful movement, just touching the top of his foot. She wouldn’t get much from such a minor contact, but she didn’t want to accidentally wake him. Besides, she didn’t need to read much from him to know if he was good for her daughter. Even this small touch would be enough.
She activated her Gift.
A moment later, she drew her hand back and gently covered Reggie’s foot with the blanket. She crept out of the room making sure to close the door behind her. The poor boy needed his sleep. She didn’t want to disturb them.
She went to her bedroom, took off her bathrobe and sat on the edge of her bed, mulling over what she’d learned. He’s a good man, she thought. Faithful, honest, responsible. And he loved Flynn more than his own life. Her Gift had shown her that; She knew it was true.
Flynn was going to marry him, Bridget knew. Her reading didn’t tell her that, but she trusted Flynn to know a good thing when she saw one. And the way she was sleeping with her head on his chest, made it clear Flynn knew how good Reggie was.
Her daughter had chosen a good man, like her father. The thought made her smile.
But it wasn’t going to stop Bridget from teasing the hell out of Flynn when she woke up the next morning. She’d be teasing the both of them. Reggie should probably know what kind of family he was marrying into.
Satisfied with her plan, she got under the covers and easily fell asleep.
END