There were more boo’s and low whistles while Ed Sheeran’s song “Photograph” played on in the background.
“Don’t get me wrong, people, I never said no. Instead, I said I’d give him an answer tonight. Believe me, it felt so wrong to do it, but what you didn’t know, Flynn, was I had been planning the same thing, so before you entertain all those awesome people out there, I just need to steal a little more of your time to share this with you.”
The crowd fell silent as Flynn stood still staring up at the chronology of our lives together as the pictures began to appear. Ed’s song continued as image after image flashed up on the screen.
I’d chosen a compilation of video clips of us from the beginning on that first day we’d met. The first pictures were of Flynn hugging Martin when I’d shot some pictures around the table during Thanksgiving dinner, and one of all of us standing by the bleachers after the game with Martin and Kayden. Kayden had taken it without my knowledge, and it had surfaced when he gave me the sim card from his phone to edit some pictures of Amber he wanted for his wall.
The clips continued and included everything from the first rehearsal I attended with Major ScAlz, when I’d heard Flynn sing live for the first time to the forming of and the first night performances of RedA.
The music changed and “Ready for Anything” by Landon Austin began to play which took us on to funny clips where the guys in the band goofed around, and one where Flynn had swept me off my feet and spun me around on one of the band’s days off during the tour. I even shared one where he’d filmed me when he’d caught me wearing a face mask and still kissed me anyway. The audience soaked up a rare glimpse into our lives outside the public eye. It gave them insight to the people we were to each other.
When the song finished, I stepped nervously onto the stage and slid my hand into his as the song by Sara Bareilles, “I Choose You,” began to play and the clips and pictures changed to a more intimate glimpse of who we were as a couple. Pictures of us at home, curled up in each other, Flynn asleep on the sofa and silent video clips that had needed no explanation but documented our lives together. They wouldn’t have meant much to his fans, but they were everything to us.
The crowd hollered and cheered when they saw the image I shared from my time in the studio of Flynn lying on the bed handcuffed to the metal headboard with only a sheet covering his modesty, and a flogger on the nightstand. I swear the roof almost came off, and Flynn being the showman he’d become walked to the edge of the stage closest to us and gave a theatrical bow, before laughing as he walked back, shaking his head and pulled me into his side.
The storyboard continued to chart all the good and some of the hard times we’d weathered together, and when a clip of Liam toddling up to the camera waving and wearing only a diaper came up, another loud cheer took over the crowd.
Flynn turned to look at me with pure adoration and cupped my face in his hands. “I’d forgive you anything, but you upstaged my proposal,” he smiled and kissed me softly on the lips. Once again the audience hollered and clapped as I broke the kiss a little confused at the cheers because they’d normally hated me.
When the music died, an image of me standing in faded jeans, my hair wild and free, with Liam perched on my hip filled the complete backdrop on the stage. I jostled Liam into a better position before I spoke. Tucking my hair behind one ear, I smiled affectionately at the camera knowing it was Flynn I was talking to.
“Flynn Docherty, since I was fifteen you have owned my heart. You were my knight in shining armor then and have protected me from the first day we met. My feelings for you were instantaneous and heartfelt. I had no idea when my brother, Kayden, told me Martin was bringing you home with him that he’d be bringing the boy I’d fall in love with. When you left to go back to college, I wondered if I’d ever see you again. The night you left I wasn’t hurt when you did the right thing. It was much worse, I was badly wounded because I couldn’t see what you could back then. I still remember your warnings, when you told me to stay away. You said that you’d hurt me because you were no good for me. And then you were gone, but not before I’d fallen for you. We’d never had a proper kiss, yet all it had taken for you to sneak under my skin and seep into my soul was your smile and the way you looked at me.”
Flynn glanced down at me, grinned and hugged me tightly before gazing up at the giant screen again. “You know me, baby. I don’t have fancy catchy lyrics or grand proclamations of love, that’s not who I am, but my pictures are a testament to the love we share as a family and the love we have for each other. The key phrase you’ve had since the early days has always stuck with me. ‘You’re not ready.’ You were right back then Flynn, I wasn’t, but then neither were you.”
Flynn’s hand began sifting through my hair while he watched me pour my heart out on the screen and leaned his head sideways against mine.
“I’ve never been scared to love you, Flynn Docherty. I’ve only been scared to lose you. Despite what people think, you’ve asked me to marry you before, and each time I always avoided answering you because I had preferred you stay because of me and not because of some legal binding tie. That changed when I finally grew into my skin and realized I really am worth someone like you, and last night when you laid your soul bare and asked me to marry you again, the only reason I delayed my answer was to show you what you mean to me in the only way I knew how.”
I paused for a moment, and the audience began to cheer, and I guess they thought I was done, but they fell silent the moment I spoke again on the screen. “I can’t write beautiful rock ballads or catchy love songs with smart lyrics, Flynn, but every picture can inspire a song. This is my version of a love song. No one can hear it, but it is there for everyone to see.
Flynn from me to you, my amazing protector, lover, and hero…my awesome hot rock star… I only have one more thing I want to say…to ask really. I may have been slow to the party, but I know I am ready to do this, so Flynn Docherty, will you marry me?”
He grinned down at me, and my heart was thumping so wildly I thought it might stop. Flynn turned his back to me and faced his fans, “Guys can you give us a minute?” he asked them, and every soul in the room went berserk. They screamed and stomped their feet; the noise sounded like a stampede as vibrations from the floor made their way up to the stage and continued up through my body. I stared wide-eyed and stunned at their positive reaction.
He turned and lifted me off the floor, wrapped my legs around his waist and walked me straight off the stage. Even though I knew it was what he wanted, I was still shocked from putting myself out there like that in front of everyone. Excited and thrilled at their reaction I felt breathless when he looked down at me delighted at what I’d done.
“You have absolutely no idea how pissed I was with you last night. My heart’s been bleeding since you asked for more time but having seen what you’ve done here tonight, I forgive you, babe,” he said and bent to give me a quick kiss. I wondered what was happening when he kept on walking all the way down to the dressing room. Once we were there, he set me on my feet gently and pulled his duffle bag over. Dropping it on the floor I realized he’d pulled out a small red velvet box.
When he opened the box and dropped to his knees in front of me. “Valerie Darsin, my sweet, beautiful girl, will you do me the honor, of being my wife? Will you marry me, Valerie?”
“Yes,” I whispered still choked at how he’d left behind four thousand people to spend time alone with me at that moment. I’d been so public in my proclamation of love and made sure that everyone knew without a doubt what he meant to me. It’s a wonder I hadn’t been lynched. I stared down at the true love of my life, and my heart flipped over when he slipped the most simple and beautiful pear-shaped solitaire ring on my finger. He kissed it, stood and took me in his arms.
“This is just for us, Valerie. I love what you did for me…how you went out there in front of all of my followers and claimed me? That was so fucking gutsy and hot. Fuckin
g hot. This here between us? It isn’t about them, though, babe, this is our moment. A moment so precious and intimate I want to remember every second of it,” he smiled and bent to kiss me again.
Lee knocked on the door and interrupted us. “At the risk of having my ass kicked, there are four thousand and something people expecting a show out there. Kayden looks like he’s going to have a meltdown at any moment, and the management here have chewed their fingers to the knuckle. What do I tell them?”
Flynn smirked wickedly, “Well, you can’t tell them I’m coming, they’ll get the wrong idea after the way I carried Valerie off the stage,” he chuckled and slapped his hands on my butt. “Come on, babe, we’ll celebrate properly after the gig…in fact, you know what? I think there’s an all-night chapel here. Your parents and Joan are already in town to see Kayden’s debut, so while I’m figuring out how to turn these people on with my charm, you can go figure out a license and something to wear.”
“Really?” I said as my voice rose in surprise.
“Yep. License, chapel and dress…or naked I don’t mind,” he grinned.
“Seriously? And what will you wear?”
“Hell, anything as long as it isn’t a white Elvis suit,” he chuckled as we reached the side of the stage.
“Go do it, babe. I’ve been waiting for so long I don’t want to spend another day before you’re all mine. I’ll catch up with you in a couple of hours,” he said as he ran back on stage and the crowd went nuts. When I glanced out at them, they were all on their feet cheering. Flynn held his hands up.
“Pardon me if I made the rest of that little scene you witnessed private but a guy has to have some moves that remain mysterious,” he teased as he put his guitar strap over his head. Without another word he started the set with the song he always sang first, “Thinking in Black And White.”
Chapter 35
Ready for Flynn
Valerie
Simone gave me a hug as adrenaline coursed through my body and made my hands shake. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves as I tried to fill in the online form for a Clark County marriage license. Nevada’s laws were super easy as there were no blood tests or laborious hoops to jump through. Flynn and I still had to go to the Regional Justice Center to pick up the license, but I was able to send all the details ahead so that all we had to do was turn up before midnight, flash our ID cards, and sign for it.
“Oh.My.God, Valerie. I can’t believe you’re finally doing it. Flynn has been desperate for this day.”
“Don’t exaggerate, Simone, he only asked me officially yesterday.”
“He’s been asking you for years in his own way according to Craig.”
I stared pointedly at her, but I couldn’t argue. I felt dreadful because he’d obviously told Craig about the other times he’d mentioned getting married. After three years I had finally grown up and made that decision to accept that he’d stick with me no matter what.
During all that time Simone had been a big part of my life. We’d become close friends, and we’d been through a lot together. Naturally, I asked her to be my witness for the ceremony and wondered whether it would be Craig or Kayden that Flynn would want to stand beside him.
After Simone agreed and hugged me, she went and found my mom in the audience explained what was happening and brought her to my hotel room. My dad stayed with Amber to support poor Kayden. His feelings must have been all over the place with the week he’d had.
Simone had also spoken with the concierge at the front desk of the hotel, and a personal shopper was assigned to assist her in identifying suitable wedding attire for myself, my mom, Kayden, Flynn and my dad. Luckily Simone knew their sizes, and my mom filled her in on her and my dad’s. Forty-five minutes later they were back with racks of clothes along with three females and one male assistant.
My mom found the perfect dress for me on the second rack. It was a long ivory-colored satin halter-neck dress with a plunging neckline in the front, and it was backless to the base of my spine. Elegant and simple, it flowed beautifully, and it was the perfect length. It was as if it had been made for me. I was a curvy ten size-wise, so it clung in all the right places and contrasted perfectly with my tanned skin that was still visible from our trip to Florida.
Simone helped me dress while my mom tried her outfit on, and the next time she saw the dress she had suggested for me, I was wearing it. Tears streamed down her face as she stood choked speechless with emotion. I spared a thought for how difficult it must all have been for my parents. The last time they had been in Las Vegas they had come here to claim their dead boys, and their two surviving children were building new memories to place over the bad ones in the same place. I leaned in to hug her.
“You’re so beautiful, Valerie. You—” she sobbed again, making a pained noise from the back of her throat as the floodgates opened and her feelings poured out in front of me.
“It’s all right, Mom. Let it go,” I said rubbing her back to comfort her. “It’s okay to feel the way you do, I know this is hard. Grief and joy is a weird combination, but I’m right there with you. I feel those chaotic, sad thoughts grabbing a hold of me as well.”
I blinked back tears and watched her trying to compose herself before Simone took charge and began to distract her. It gave me time to brush through my hair and gather my own thoughts. Simone narrowed her eyes then with true style, Simone put two white orchids from the flower display in the room, into my hair. I had no make-up or underwear on and ballet flats, but I felt as good as I ever had. Flynn hated make-up and underwear anyway so he was getting his wishes on that score.
My cell rang, and Simone picked it up. “It’s Flynn,” she said, hurriedly, and passed me the phone. “Hey, babe,” he husked, his voice raw from his performance,
“How did it go?” I asked.
“Fucking crazy. Damned fucking bat-shit crazy. I’ve never seen anything like it. You sure warmed them up for us, babe.”
I grinned as butterflies danced in my belly that I was going to belong to him completely in less than two hours. “Kayden?”
“Kayden is a God. He owned that stage. The fans went fucking nuts for him. He even did a huge solo to give Jonah a run for his money,” he chuckled, heartily.
“Is my dad—”
“All working their way back to you right now,” he answered pre-empting my question, “So…What’s the plan, Ms. Darsin? Because if I know you, babe, there definitely is one,” he said, playfully.
“The license is ready, I did the application form online, but we need to get to the Regional Justice Office to pick it up before we can go to the chapel.”
“You found one of those, right?” he asked.
“Yep, I did. We could have had a rock n’ roll themed wedding, and I did consider it, but I figured it would seem too much like going to work for you,” I snickered and he laughed heartily down the line. “The place I found is called the Chapel of the Flowers. It looks pretty decent and not as tacky as some of the stuff I found. If we’re doing this tonight, we’re doing it right, Flynn. Simone has picked out your clothes, and you need to tell me who is standing as your witness so they get the right suit.”
“Kayden, babe, nearest I’ve got to a brother, and I’ve already asked him,” my heart squeezed with delight because he was close to Lee and Craig, yet he’d chosen him over both of them.
“Is that okay with you?” he asked when I was suddenly silent. My emotions threatened to get the better of me, and I swallowed awkwardly while trying to blink back the tears that had sprung to my eyes.
“Yep,” I whispered because if I’d tried to talk, I’d have broken down.
“All right, babe, I’m coming to get you. We’re almost at the elevator, so I’ll be up in a couple of minutes.”
I checked the time on my watch— it was 11:15 p.m. I didn’t know how far it was to the County office, and suddenly I panicked that somehow we wouldn’t get there in time. Lee opened the door, and Flynn wal
ked with purpose into the room. His eyes scanned the people, and when he saw me, he stopped in his tracks.
“Fuck.” The word fell out of his mouth as he stood wide-eyed and motionless with his jaw hanging while he stared in my direction for a few seconds. As if someone had kick started him he came out of his shock and smiled so widely his dimple showed on his cheek, “Everybody out. I need a few minutes alone with my girl,” he said in a demanding tone.
“Flynn you don’t have much time—” Lee started to say.
“Then fucking move, I want a minute. We need a minute,” he stated in an authoritative tone.
The room was cleared in seconds, and he saddled up to me, taking my hands in his he held them out to the sides so that he had a clear view of me in my dress.
“Dear God in Heaven, are you really going to marry me, tonight?”
“I am,” I said a little shyly.
“Do I deserve you?”
“Flynn you deserve more than I can offer—”
His fingers covered my lips to silence me.
“Shh. I’m the lucky one here. I’m the one that gets to wake up next to you every morning looking like some angel that fell from the heavens and landed in my bed. I’m the one that gets to see you with Cheerios in your hair because it’s so damned wild that it gets everywhere, I’m the one who gets to be inside you, to touch and taste what no other man ever has and never will. You know what all that means to a guy like me, Valerie?”
I had no words only a deep wave of emotion sweeping up from my chest to my throat, bringing a wave of love that almost overwhelmed me. I leaned in and took his face in my hands. Our eyes connected in an air-thickening, all-consuming moment, and then I kissed him. His hands flew into my hair as his hunger and passion became almost too much. I stepped back breaking the kiss and took a deep breath. “Breathe, Flynn. We need to go now,” I said, slightly breathless as I smoothed my hair back in place.
Ready For Flynn,Part 3: A Rockstar Romance: Ready For Flynn Series Page 31