by E. L. Todd
I heard the desperation in his voice even though he tried to hide it. “We’ll make it happen, Flynn.”
He nodded then walked out the door.
Sean grabbed my arm. “If he does anything, I mean anything, you call me and tell me. I will rip all his limbs off then toss them in the alleyway.”
“Sean, calm down.”
“I don’t like it when anyone touches you but me.”
“It’s all a show. I can tell Flynn isn’t attracted to me.”
“Did you not hear the comment he just made?” he hissed.
“He isn’t blind to beauty but he isn’t attracted to me either. I can tell.”
Sean didn’t seem assuaged.
“Come on, get a grip. If I can be around Janice every single day even though she slept with you, you can handle this.”
His eyes narrowed. “Not the same thing.”
“Damn right it’s not. Now get over yourself.”
He sighed. “I just want to protect you, okay? You’re carrying my baby.”
“I’m not competing in the Tough Mudder or something,” I snapped. “I’m just going to sit in a booth and hold Flynn’s hand—nothing to get upset about. You need to calm down and not be jealous.”
He ran his fingers through his hair then took a deep breath. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I lost sight of why we’re doing this.”
My anger dimmed. “It’s okay, Sean. I know you just care about me.”
“No. I love you.” He held me close to him. “I guess I’m a little psycho when it comes to you. You’re the greatest thing that ever happened to me and I don’t want to share you with anyone, even if it is all a show. I want to be the only man who holds your hand, the only guy who can put his arm around you.”
“And you are,” I said gently.
“I’m sorry I’m so obsessed with you.”
I smiled. “It’s okay. I’m obsessed with you too.”
“Would you be jealous if I did something like this with Hazel?”
“No,” I said honestly.
He sighed. “I’m pathetic, aren’t I?”
“A little.” I kissed his cheek. “But I love you anyway.”
“That’s a relief.”
I took his hand. “Now let’s go.”
“I’m fucking you in that dress when we get home.”
“That sounds like fun.” I gave him a playful look.
He growled then grabbed my ass. “Let’s get this over with.”
Sean stayed in the car while Flynn and I walked inside.
“Johnny told me that one of her friends said she would be here tonight.” He grabbed my hand and scanned the tables. Feeling him touch me felt odd. I was so used to Sean’s embrace, his smell and his warmth. I ignored the discomfort. I admit Flynn was a good-looking guy and his tattoo only highlighted his attractiveness, but I just didn’t see him that way. I only had eyes for my husband—even though he was fucking crazy.
“Follow my lead,” he said. His arm snaked around my waist, resting on my bare skin. As soon as I walked across the room, heads turned. I wasn’t used to getting attention like this. It never bothered me when it happened because Sean was there. But now he wasn’t. I guess I thought I lost all my fire after I got married. Apparently not.
Flynn pulled out the chair for me and waited for me to sit down. Then he sat beside me. His arm rested over the back of my chair and he leaned close to me.
“Uh, we have a problem,” I said.
“What?”
“I can’t drink.”
“Oh. Just order a glass but don’t drink it.”
“Okay.”
He kept his face close to mine, like we were having an intimate conversation.
“Now what?” I asked.
“Look for a dark-skinned woman. She’s pretty and about your height.”
I scanned the bar discreetly. “I don’t see anyone.”
He sighed. “She must not be here yet.”
“Okay.”
He kept his arm on the back of my chair. “When she walks in, I need you to be all over me.”
“Which entails…?”
“Whatever you’re willing to give.”
“No kissing,” I said firmly.
“That’s fine.”
The waiter came over and Flynn ordered for the both of us.
“I suspect she’ll be jealous as soon as she sees how hot you are. I’m hoping that will provoke her into saying something to me.”
“Me too.”
We waited, Flynn tensing beside me.
“I really appreciate you doing this,” he said. “My life without her has been…miserable. The fact she hates me for something I didn’t even do hurts.”
“Well, in her defense, it did look pretty bad, Flynn.”
“I know. But if this happened to you and Sean, you would believe him.”
I would. “But that’s different.”
“It is. Because your relationship is stronger. That’s what I want with Hazel. A solid relationship based on friendship and love, and most importantly, trust. This has to work. As lame and weak as this sounds, I can’t live without her. I need her in my life.”
My eyes softened. “We’ll get her back.”
“I hope so.” He grabbed his beer and took a deep drink.
Flynn and I made small talk over the next hour. I never had a private conversation with him, so it was nice to get to know him on a personal level. He was fun, out-going, and playful. But I saw the sadness in his eyes. He was lost without Hazel.
“You know, at one point in time, I was hoping Hazel would end up with Cortland,” I said.
“Oh.” His tone was clipped.
“But after seeing you two together, I’m so glad she ended up with you.”
He smiled. “Thank you. I think she and I are perfect for each other.”
“I do too.”
He watched the door then flinched when he recognized someone. “She’s here. It’s show time.” He turned to me and gave me his full attention. His arm was wrapped around my chair and his body was angled to me. The intense look he gave me made me feel like a piece of meat. He was really getting into the performance. I knew I had to be convincing. I put my hand on his thigh then rubbed my leg against his under the table.
Flynn kept staring into my eyes. “Okay. I hope she notices us.”
“Shit.”
“What?”
“I’m wearing my wedding ring,” I whispered.
“Put your hands under the table and switch it to the other hand.”
I hesitated. I hadn’t removed it since the moment Sean slipped it on my finger on our wedding day. But I knew this was important so I made the change.
“Thank you,” he said.
I leaned close to him, far too close for friends, and tried to act like I was attracted to him. It felt weird to be affectionate with anyone but Sean—really weird.
Flynn kept talking to me, trying to make conversation with me so I wouldn’t feel so nervous. He touched my neck then pulled loose strands of hair from my face. His touch was gentle. He never kissed me or acted like he planned on it. After a few minutes, I didn’t feel so scared. Even though Sean knew I was doing this, I felt like I was cheating on him.
“She’s coming,” he whispered. “Act like you’re in love with me.”
“Flynn?”
Flynn turned to a dark-skinned woman. Her flawless skin and bright brown eyes immediately drew me in. Her curves and perfect posture gave her grace and elegance. She was definitely beautiful, at the same level as Monnique. “Hi.” He turned back to me like she didn’t matter.
Zahara looked confused, not understanding what was going on. I got brave and leaned my mouth to his neck, acting like I was leaving him a trail of kisses. Flynn picked up on the affection and pretended to enjoy it.
Now she looked hurt. “What happened to Hazel?” she blurted.
Flynn closed his eyes and moaned as he pretended to enjoy something I was doing to him. “Haze
l? You mean the girl you tricked into thinking I cheated on? Her?”
“So, you broke up?”
He turned to her, his arm still around me. “After you texted her and told her I was cheating on her with you, she confronted me and believed it. And when she walked into the bedroom and saw the preparation you made, she dumped me. She packed her shit and left.” He kept the anger out of his voice. Then he shrugged. “So I moved on.”
I waited for her to challenge his statement or agree to it. This was the moment I’d been waiting for.
“But…now you’re with this girl?” She gave me a dirty look.
“Who else would I be with?” he asked dully. “Hazel won’t take me back.”
“You could have called me. You and I are supposed to be together.” She looked flustered and caught off guard. Judging the distant tears in her eyes, she obviously really cared for Flynn. She didn’t like me touching him at all.
“Why would I be with the woman who tricked my girl into leaving me?” Flynn asked incredulously. “Why did you do it? What did you think you were going to get out of it?”
I waited for her answer.
“Because you should be with me.” Zahara took a deep breath. “I thought she would leave you and then you would confront me about everything. I thought that would prove how much I want to be with you again.”
Bingo. Flynn was telling the truth.
“Taking away the girl I love is only going to make me hate you even more. She was my whole world, Zahara. When people love each other, they don’t betray each other like that. They don’t break up their relationships.”
Zahara sniffed. “So, you’re just going to back to sleeping with anything that moves?”
“What else would I do? I certainly don’t want to be with you.”
I wasn’t sure why Flynn was still keeping up the charade. I got all the information I needed.
Zahara finally broke down. Tears flooded her cheeks but Flynn didn’t seem to care. She turned around and left the bar, her friends chasing after her.
Flynn finally dropped his arm from around my shoulders. He released the air inside his lungs. “Is that enough for you?”
I nodded. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you from the beginning.”
“It’s okay. I understand. So, you’ll talk to Hazel for me?”
I smiled. “I’ll tell her everything.”
He suddenly hugged me. “Thank you so much.”
I stilled at his profound appreciation. “Of course.”
“No one else would have given me a chance, but you and Sean did. For that, I’ll be forever grateful.”
I pulled away then gave him a smile. “You want to order another drink or pay a visit to Hazel?”
He jumped out of his seat quicker than an African cat. “Let’s go.”
I laughed then followed him out the door.
Sean drove us to Ryan’s apartment then walked with us up the flight of steps. Flynn was in the lead, unable to calm down. He was jittery and hyper, needing to be with Hazel as soon as possible.
When we reached the door, I put a hand on his chest. “I should talk to Hazel alone first.”
He sighed. “Okay. I’ll wait out here.” He moved to the hallway.
I knocked and waited. Sean was beside me, relieved that the plan was over.
Ryan finally answered, wearing ripped jeans and a t-shirt with holes in the armpit.
“Can you not afford clothes?” I blurted.
“You want me to slam the door in your face?”
I shook my head. “Hazel here?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“I need to talk to her.” I walked in without him inviting me. He barged into my house whenever he wanted so I could do the same. Sean followed me.
Hazel was sitting on the couch, scrunched up under a blanket. Judging the sadness in her eyes, she was miserable.
“Hey,” I said, sitting beside her.
“Hey.” Her voice was lifeless. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to talk to you.”
“About what?”
“Flynn.”
She looked away at the sound of his name. “I don’t want to talk about him.”
“There’s something you need to know about him. Please hear me out.”
Hazel pulled her knees to her chest, trying to shut me out. “I don’t know how much more I can take…I already miss him like crazy.”
“Believe me, you need to hear this.”
She closed her eyes then nodded.
“Flynn came to me and Sean and told us he was telling the truth. I didn’t believe him because I had no reason to. The evidence you had against him was irrefutable. But seeing him work so hard to get you back made me question that. So he asked me to be his date for the evening at the bar to pull the truth from Zahara. When she saw Flynn and I together, she was upset and broke down.” I gave her a firm look. “Hazel, she admitted everything. She said she orchestrated all of that to get you two to break up. She thought she could have Flynn if you were out of the picture.”
She finally looked at me, tears in her eyes. “What…?”
“It’s the truth.” I couldn’t help but smile. “I swear. I heard it with my own ears. Flynn was set up. He didn’t lie to you.”
Janice clapped her hands together. “Yes! I knew it.”
Ryan’s face was stoic.
Hazel was still processing what I said. “He didn’t cheat on me…?”
“No.”
Tears pooled in her eyes. “Oh my god…”
“He loves you, Hazel. Now go be with him.”
The tears fell down her cheeks. “I should have believed him.”
“We all make mistakes,” I said gently.
She stood up then stumbled slightly. “I have to talk to him. Hopefully, he’s home.”
“Actually, he’s right outside.”
“He is?”
“I’m here, Hazel.” Flynn stood in the doorway, tears in his eyes.
Hazel jumped over the couch then flew into his arms, making him stagger back. She cried in his neck, gripping him tightly.
Flynn held her, closing his eyes.
“Awe,” Janice whispered. “They’re so in love.”
“They are,” I said with a smile.
“I would never do that to you, Hazel,” Flynn whispered to her.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t believe you,” Hazel said.
“It’s okay,” Flynn said. “We’re together now.”
“God, I’m so glad I was wrong.” She sniffed through her tears. “My life has been nothing but miserable without you.”
“I know. Me too.” Flynn closed his eyes.
“I love you.”
A tear escaped from his eye. “I love you too.” He lowered her to the ground and took her hand. “We’ll get her stuff later. She and I need to be alone right now.”
Janice whistled. “Make up sex!”
“Hazel has a lot to make up for!” I said.
I wasn’t sure if they heard us because they were gone so quickly.
Janice sighed. “I’m so glad they worked it out. I love Flynn.”
Ryan stared at the floor. “Now I feel like an ass for punching him so many times.”
“You should,” Janice spat.
“I don’t think he cares,” I said honestly.
“I’ll apologize next time I see him,” Ryan said.
I smiled. “I have a feeling that won’t be for awhile.”
14
Scarlet
Now that I successfully put Flynn and Hazel back together, I was proud of myself. I admit it. They were both wonderful people and deserved to be happy. And they were an adorable couple.
“So…did he pull anything?” Sean asked.
I rolled my eyes. “You’re ridiculous, you know that?”
“Hey, you’re my wife. I have the right to ask.”
“Yes, he took me on the table right in the middle of the bar,” I said sarcastically.
&n
bsp; His eyes bore into mine. “That’s not funny.”
“I wasn’t trying to be.”
He drank his beer and brooded for a few minutes. “I’m just glad it’s over.” He rested the glass on our kitchen table.
“It was worth the sacrifice.”
He eyed me. “How about you put that dress back on and I’ll take you right on this table?” He patted the surface.
“Was that supposed to be romantic?”
He smirked. “Baby, just go put it on.”
“Maybe later.”
He growled.
I smiled. “When Flynn held my hand, all I could think about was how weird it felt that it wasn’t you. Just feeling the men stare at me made me feel insecure. It’s never bothered me before, but I realized how ridiculously dependent I am on you. I used to be so independent and never needed a guy for anything but now…I want you to hold my hand all the time.”
His eyes softened. He grabbed my hand from across the table. “Then I’ll always hold your hand.” He lifted it to his lips and kissed the surface.
“Now I’ll go put that dress on.”
He smirked. “Excellent.”
As soon as I stood up, the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it,” Sean said immediately. He never let me open the door.
Curious to see who it was, I followed him.
When he opened the door, Monnique was on the other side.
I didn’t even know she was back. “Hey!”
“Hi,” she said with a faint smile.
I pulled her into a hug. “I’m so sorry, Monnique.”
She held me for a second before she pulled away. “It’s okay. I’ll get through it.”
Sean gave her a hug. “We’re here for you if you need anything.”
She nodded. “Thank you for sending those flowers to my dad’s house. They were lovely.”
“Of course.” I wanted her to know we were thinking about her even if we weren’t there. “What’s that in your hand?”
“Oh.” She handed us the basket. “I found it on your doorstep. It’s not from me.”
I examined the basket and found apple cider, chocolate, and…lingerie.
“Who the hell is this from?” Sean snapped.
“Obviously not you,” Monnique said timidly. He grabbed the card and ripped it open.
Sean read it. “It’s from Flynn.”