Kate remained silent, feeling the inside of her cheeks turning pink. Taking a deep breath to regroup herself.
“Is there something going on?” Curiosity got to Chloe. Hoping they haven't done anything they were going to regret.
Kate reassured her mother everything was fine. “I promise you, mom, nothing is going on between Flynn and I,” Kate repeated herself for the umpteenth time, starting to sound like a broken record. “We're just friends.” She forced herself to believe that in the process. She won't be like her mother. Flynn will not keep her in this god-forsaken town.
“Do you want there to be more?”
Kate pondered the question for a few minutes. Does she? If she is honest with herself? Feeling her head droop staring at the floor for a brief second. “I-I don't know. We have a great time when we hang out. But, that's it.” Guessed Kate answered her own question, right? Clearly, she doesn't feel the same way about him.
Chloe hears the uncertainty when she convinces herself. “It doesn't sound like you even know what to believe. Are you starting to have feelings for Caden? Is that why you doubt yourself?”
Kate lets her mother's voice echo inside her mind. She lowered her head once again. ‘Is my mother, right? Could I be falling for Caden?’ Thinking quietly to herself not wanting to make the wrong decision.
“Sweetie, listen, it's okay if you want to date your best friend. There is no crime about it. Yes, it might be a risk on the friendship but only if both of you are ready and committed. You can't force something that isn't there.” Hoping her advice gets through to her.
“What about Flynn?” Just debating on a possible scenario, if, by some miracle, they become open with each other.
“I don't know much about him, just from what you described, he sounds a bit rough around the edges. I dated those bad boys before Kate. That kind of romance never ends happily ever after. I know what they want. Just, if you are serious about picking Flynn over him, remember to take his feelings out of consideration. Caden's feelings deserved to be heard. You two don't want to risk a friendship over a complicated relationship.” Chloe paused her train of thoughts. Wishing it was that easy for her to help Kate. But she's growing up, there is no easy way to put this. She stands up from the bed after giving her daughter a kiss on the forehead. “I'll need to head back to work. No matter what you choose, I know you'll do the right thing.” Chloe walked away, leaving her daughter alone to think long and hard about how she wants this to play out.
“Thanks a lot of mom,” Kate laughs in a whisper. Groaning as she lays down on the bed.
Speaking of Kate, who couldn't stop replaying what her mother said to her earlier. Why is she feeling bad about losing him when she never had him to begin with? Lying in bed, she became frightened by hearing her front door rattled. She grabbed her baseball bat from under her bed. Gripping it as the door swung open.
Flynn tried not to make a peep. He ended up bumping into the table with his knee. Ow, Goddamnit!
Kate went to swing as the moonlight from the window caught who broke in.
Flynn ducked in time. “Whoa! It's me ...”
Kate put the bat down, hearing his voice. She turned the light switch on. Catching her breath. “Flynn?! What the hell are you doing here?”
“I needed to see you. Caden and I got into a fight.” She knew this was going to happen.
“I don't want to be the reason why you two are fighting.” Kate puts it out there point-blank.
Flynn shook his head. “You’re not the reason. I know I can't keep pretending anymore.”
Kate raised her brow at him. “W-what are you—”
He walked up towards her as he envisioned this pointless time before. He caressed her cheeks, cupping them in his hands before leaning in to kiss her on the lips. This moment was what she neglected her entire life. She never kissed a boy until now or experienced what love felt like. She adores Caden no doubt about that. Unfortunately, Kate wasn't sure what her emotive were.
Flynn tried to hold onto the kiss a bit longer. He caved and broke the kiss. She remains speechless as they catch their breaths. “Wow,” he managed to breathe out with a laugh.
She nods in agreement. “Y-yeah wow,” she babbled like an idiot.
“I have wanted to do that for the longest time,” he confessed to her. Not giving a damn about anything stopping him.
“It was worth the wait.” How could you be so stupid? She remembered something and ended up slapping him across the face.
“OW! What the hell?!” He held his cheek in pain.
Kate's lips are still tingling all over. She resisted the temptation which was urging for more. “You're with Tiffani now. This or whatever it is, can't happen again.” She kept her distance from him.
He hated that she was right. They needed this plan to succeed first before anything else. Agreeing to focus on the same page. Their raging emotions can't mess it up. “I—I know but I had to get it off my chest. Don't tell me you don't feel the same way about me.”
Kate's forehead furrowed. Honestly, she wasn't sure. “I need to think about all this okay. Let me figure everything out?”
Flynn narrowed his eyes watching her pace back and forth. Flynn knew Caden must've said something, but he understood her demands. Kissing the top of her forehead. “Take all the time you need.
《***》
Late at night when everybody else was in bed,
Caden heard the front door open. He came from out of the kitchen fixing himself a late late-night snack. “Another late night at Tiffani's?”
Flynn knew his brother still had that temper from earlier. “Needed to cool off. What are you doing up?”
Caden shrugs. “Couldn't sleep either.” Caden felt guilty for how things ended between him and Flynn.
“See you in the morning?” Caden nods following him upstairs and once again the brothers were good … for now at least.
《***》
“Kate?” A groggy Flynn rubbed his eyes before he opened the door.
Caden was dragging his feet behind yawning. They both gawked in shock.
“You two aren't doing anything important yet are you?” Kate let herself inside the house.
Flynn and Caden glared at one another. Caden shrugs he was too tired to speak. Flynn blinked his eyes still exhausted after a restless slumber. Closing the door behind him. The boys follow into the living room. Kate sat down hoping she could focus.
“What are you doing here? Is your mom?” Caden wonders why she would be here this early.
She reassured him she was okay. “She's fine. I want to talk about the three of us. No, this can't wait either.” She already saw their questions forming inside their minds.
“You made everything clear after you slapped me,” Flynn added with Caden staring at him.
“W—when did you go see Kate?” Caden interfered as he asked.
“I, uh, was going stir crazy after you yelled at me for telling me to stay away. So, I ended up talking to her.” Flynn explained the minor details. “She needed to know how I feel.”
Caden stands back up mumbling in disbelief. Unbelievable! Covering his mouth while he paces back and forth.
“Caden please sit down we need to talk about this.” Kate pleaded with him.
“I told you this was going to happen Kate. I knew he was going to feed you some sap story.”
Flynn scoffs as Caden had his back turned. Flynn glowered at his brother. “Hey, give me a little credit will ya! At least I've been out in the real world meeting people. While you were playing and dating girls in the video game world. It's time to grow the hell up man!” Flynn knew that might have been a low blow. He was tired of getting picked on because of who he is as a man. People seem to forget he still has feelings if he doesn't express them as much.
Caden walked right up to his brother's face.
“What?—You going to hit me now? You do know I'm your real brother and not some made-up video game character, right?”
Caden felt a fist form on the side of his hand.
Kate immediately walked over standing in the middle to stop a fight forming. “Guys! See, this is what I did not want to happen here.” She turned to face Caden, but he couldn't look at her right now. So instead, he narrowed his eyes on the carpet to calm himself down.
Kate tried to reach out to him. She stopped herself from doing so. “Caden, I'm not sure what's going on between your brother and myself. I may not know myself where my feelings lie as of this second. Whether you believe me or not, I do worry about you. I don't want this friendship to end over a foolish misunderstanding.” She looked at him, but he couldn't bear to glance back.
Caden's voice starts to crack as he expresses his feelings to Kate. “I don't want to lose you either Kate. You're the only one person I can talk to about anything.”
Flynn sighs starting to feel like the odd man out here. Listening to his brother complain about how horrible of a guy he is. I'm standing right here man. Blah, blah Flynn's a horrible person. Blah, blah Flynn's a hopeless romantic. Flynn became intrigued to know if she had feelings for Caden? He understood Caden's recent behavior but … what about Kate's?
Kate's voice snaps Flynn back to reality. “Caden please believe me. We've been through so much crap over the years already. You're too important to me.” She walked up towards him inch by inch.
Caden finally broke his silence and turned around. “So, if I asked you point-blank to choose between me or my brother. Would you be able to?”
Kate's silence was the answer Caden didn't want to hear.
“Kate you mean the world to me. Everything I said that night, I meant it.”
A furrowed brow rose on Flynn's face. He was debating to wonder what he told her.
“Forcing me to watch you degrade yourself with my brother. The way he treats women. I can't do it. Don't lie to me and claim you don't have feelings.” Caden pleaded with them. Was it too much to ask?
Kate and Flynn glanced at one another.
“Look, little brother, I know it's hard to put your feelings out there for the first time.”
Caden rolled his eyes. He knew Flynn was messing with his head. “I don't need relationship advice from you of all people.” He shoved him out of his way and headed back upstairs.
“I'm trying to help!” Flynn yelled with Caden stopping his track.
He grabbed the railing from the staircase. Turning around to see Flynn looking up at him. “Funny, who's going to help you when you keep screwing up? At this rate you'll be so far up your ass nobody will be there to dig you out.”
Ouch. He thought to himself.
Caden's words burned echoing inside his head.
《***》
Flynn knew he was right. Caden turned around heading upstairs without another word. “As much as I hate to admit it, he's right.” Flynn tried to lighten the mood.
Kate groans out of frustration sitting back down on the bottom step. “How the hell did this get complicated? Your brother hates both of us. I can't ...” She buried her head in her hands.
Flynn joins her sitting down. He rubbed her back. “Look, it's my fault anyway. Blame me for all this. I'm used to it.”
They both laughed as he cheered her up. The doorbell started both of them with a curious Flynn ponders who it could be.
《***》
”Ivanna?” Flynn tilted his head indeed seeing her standing there. A small smile formed on her face, betraying her friends was something she didn't want to do.
Ivanna felt cagey even standing in front of his doorstep.
“I'm going to go.” Kate started to walk past her, but Ivanna blocked her path.
“Please stay Kate. This actually concerns both of you.”
Flynn and Kate glared at each other wondering what the secret urgency this was as Ivanna closed the door.
“Ivanna what's going on? Is Tiffani?” Flynn played the role of the fake caring boyfriend much to Kate's dislike.
“I need to talk to you two.” Having doubts about going through with this. She knew Tiffani was going to lose her gasket if she found out about this.
“If this isn't about Tiffani, then why are you here?” A stumped Flynn asked.
Ivanna takes a deep breath. No, she couldn't go through with this. “Forget why I came in the first place. It—” Ivanna started to storm out of the house.
Flynn blocked her path. “Ivanna? We aren't going to do anything but, one way or another we will find out.” Flynn said.
Ivanna knew that was true they will. If she doesn't come out and say it. “It's about Tiffani's slumber party tonight.” Ivanna started to say glancing from both Kate to Flynn.
“It's okay Ivanna,” Kate said reassuring her everything will be fine. Nothing will happen.
Ivanna nods. “You said you wanted to know when another one was going to happen right? She’s having one in a few hours.”
“Thanks for letting me know Ivanna.“
As Flynn raised his brow. It sounded like she had a plan in motion.
Chapter 25
A flashlight lowered with the Rubey sisters by sight as they gawked at their damaged faces.
“What the hell happened to you guys?” Torrie blurted out of concern.
“How'd you find us?” Ethan was grateful no question about it since they had no communication as he became curious.
“Christian told us where'd you be. That and he's sorry for what happened.” Eileen explained as she walked up close to how wounded they both are.
“You mind helping me with him?” Ethan asked as he needed a break. Plus, he knew he'd get some brownie points with Michael.
Eileen nods as they switched positions. Ethan made sure she supported her weight before he rubbed his sore shoulder.
“Thanks,” Michael whispered.
Ethan hoped he could work up the courage to say something after all the chaos tonight. “You got him?” Ethan closed the door behind him as Torrie took Kasper to her place once they separated. He watched Eileen guide him to the couch.
“Yeah, go I'll be fine with the big lug here.” Eileen rubbed his back.
Michael laughs out a cough. Ethan smiles as he left, he sent Michael a message by eye contact, when he headed to get the first aid kit.
Eileen stumbled a bit as they both fell down on the couch. She ended up on top of him. “This isn't exactly what I had in mind.” She giggles as she felt her cheeks getting warmer.
Michael couldn't stop gazing into her beautiful hazel eyes. For the past few minutes, he was safe with her. “I'm not complaining,” Michael whispered because part of him wasn't. He brushed a strand of her hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear.
She blushed at his comment. Michael felt her breath on his lips as they were inches apart from her mouth. He wanted to steal a kiss from their first encounter. Eileen's hands shook as she tried to keep her composure. Michael finally felt the urge he needed to kiss her. After everything, they have been through tonight. He needed this distraction. He craved it for the longest time.
A beaming Ethan chuckles not to disturb them. ‘Finally, that's my boy’. As he walked away for a bit to let them have this moment.
It was a long time coming for both of them. Michael released the kiss. He caught his breath as the adrenaline came back into his body after that.
“W-wow,” was the only thing Eileen could manage to blurt out.
Michael chuckles that was the same thought he had as well.
“Found it,” Ethan counted to five as he came out moments later.
Michael stared at Ethan who put the first aid kit on the kitchen table.
Ethan returned the look with a smirk of his own. “Oh, I can see I'm interrupting something?”
Eileen stumbles to sit up without hurting him. Michael helps her up as she cleared her throat.
“N—no not uh,” they try to say without blushing.
“Uh-huh,” Ethan snorted an
d tried not to laugh at their cute discomfiture. “I'll go get ice for your knee.” Ethan figured that was his cue to leave again.
Eileen walked over to grab the kit and brought it over to fix him up. Michael needed to say something soon to break the ice. She came back over to clean the cut on his forehead. “At least the cuts aren’t too deep.” Eileen tried to see what needs to be cleaned first.
Michael studies her every move, not taking her eyes off her beauty. Eileen noticed the urges were coming back. He wanted it just as bad as she did. Her lips still tingled from moments ago. Getting the stuff she needed to clean his cuts. Michael blocked her hold her wrist in his hand for a moment.
True Love:Follow Your Heart Page 19