His face scrunches up and he says, “I’m not sure what you’re talking about. Do I know your father?”
Shit.
I’m an idiot.
“Oh, never mind. It’s not a big deal. I guess I’ll talk to you later.”
The shock registers on his face and I can tell he’s figured it out. My dad keeps a picture of me on his desk, so it’s no secret who I am. It has nothing to do with me or any sort of relationship between us. It’s for appearances. The public is well aware of how Olivia James died and it would be weird if Carl Wilson didn’t show love to his only child.
“I’ve been in your dad’s office a million times. I can’t believe I never put it together. Why the hell are you signing with me? Your dad could have made you stars a long time ago.”
This whole time, Erin has been bouncing her eyes back and forth between us.
After some serious eye whiplash, she asks, “What are you two talking about? Flynn, who’s your dad? You always said he was a nonexistent parent that didn’t care. Is he in the industry or something?”
I cringe when Oliver says, “His dad is Carl Wilson.”
The cat is out of the fucking bag.
I hope everyone is able to keep their mouths shut because the backlash of the guys finding out isn’t remotely worth it.
I don’t wait for a response. “Listen, it’s my business why I don’t want that information out there. I want to make sure you both can be professional and that this information doesn’t leave this room.”
After they agree, I turn to leave. Out in the parking lot, I find the guys standing around with stupid grins on their faces. Forgetting what just went down, I plaster a smile on my face as well.
Shit just got real.
It’s one thing to have a dream but it’s different for your dreams to start coming true and unfold in front of you.
Hudson breaks the silence and says, “Okay, why don’t we go to my dad’s office and make sure he gets the contract. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m ready to get things going.”
Jax offers to drive since their dad’s office isn’t that far away. We hop in his car, still buzzing with energy. It’s wild that everything is happening so fast, but I don’t want the momentum to stop.
Chapter 15
Ashtyn
I check the time on my my phone again. Sadly, it hasn’t changed in the twenty seconds since I last checked it. The meeting just got started. I’ve been like a cracked-out chipmunk all day, and not in a cute way.
I’m excited the guys could be moving in a great direction with the band, but the label is in Portland. I don’t have to be a genius to figure out they’ll need to move there.
It sucks.
Flynn’s going to leave me.
We could do the long-distance thing, but I’m not sure that would work. He’s not the cheating kind, but with constant temptation, slip-ups can always happen. In the beginning, we’d try with constant phone calls, texting, Skyping, and weekend visits. Slowly the visits would stop and so would all forms of communication. Either one of us would slip up or we’d break up. In the end, we don’t end up together.
If this were next summer, I wouldn’t think twice about following Flynn wherever he goes. I’m pretty sure there’s no way in hell Mom would let me move to another city five hours away with my boyfriend while I still have a year of school left. If I had a daughter, I’d feel exactly the same way. Still, it sucks, and I hate thinking about it. Hopefully, they won’t have to leave for a while.
I start pacing my room. The knots in my stomach continually tighten. There isn’t a book boyfriend in the world that would be able to hold my attention long enough to calm me down. I don’t know how long I’ve been pacing—I’m surprised I haven’t worn a hole in the carpet—when Chloe comes in and finds me.
“Ashtyn, what are you doing? Stressing out isn’t going to help anything. Why don’t we go binge-watch something on Netflix or lay out by the pool for a while. Who knows how long the guys will be gone and it’s only going to feel longer if you keep looking at your phone.”
“What are you talking about? I’m not.”
“Okay, either you’re flat out lying or you’re oblivious. In the five minutes I’ve been standing here, you’ve looked at your phone no less than twenty times. Everything is going to be fine. Stop worrying.”
“You don’t get it, Chlo. You and Jax are just having fun. It’s different for Flynn and me. The man I love is in a meeting right now that could take him five hours away from me. I can’t help it if I’m a little stressed out.”
At the mention of Jax’s name, Chloe’s shoulders droop and she wraps her arms around herself. I open my mouth to ask her if there’s more going on than she’s letting on but she straightens her posture and plasters a fake smile on her face.
I brush it off.
If she wants me to know what’s going on, she’ll tell me. I have too much to worry about right now and I don’t need to be focusing on Chloe drama. Besides, after the salon incident, I don’t feel like getting into another Jax-induced fight.
“Well, I’m not going to sit here while you drive yourself crazy. If you need me, I’ll be off in Tree Hill, while Haley and Nathan fall in love all over again.”
“I do love when the nerdy girl gets the bad boy, but I can’t focus on that right now.”
“Suit yourself.”
She leaves me to continue my pacing and my compulsive phone checking. If this is any indication of how my day is going to go, it’s going to be a long-ass day. I just hope they get through the meeting quickly so Flynn can let me know how it went, and we can have the inevitable conversation.
***
Flynn: on my way over
Ashtyn: I can’t wait to hear how everything went.
The meeting should’ve been over hours ago. What the hell has he been up to? I wouldn’t imagine they went through all the legal stuff and signed contracts yet. Things wouldn’t move that quickly. Would they? Why did I push him to take this meeting in the first place?
Not even five minutes later, he walks into my room and sits on the bed next to me.
“Sorry. That took longer than we expected. After the meeting, we went to Jax and Hudson’s dad’s law office to talk about everything that went down.”
“Okay. How did it go? What happened?”
Shaking his head, Flynn looks anywhere but my face. My gut is telling me that I don’t like what he’s going to say. I knew things would go well, I just hope I was wrong.
The next words leaving his mouth can’t be he’s moving to Portland.
“There’s a bunch of legal shit that needs to be taken care of but if everything goes as planned, we’ll be moving to Portland next week.”
And he said it.
He’s leaving me.
I try to put on a brave face and just nod my head. The moment I open my mouth to talk, the sobs I’m holding back will break through, so I say nothing. This is supposed to be a happy day for him and I refuse to ruin it.
“Are you okay, Ashtyn?” Flynn asks, pulling me into his lap. That’s all it takes. I burst into tears. I’m not just crying, I’m sobbing. My entire body is shaking as I clutch his T-shirt. I grip tighter, trying to keep him here. The moment I let go, he can leave.
Flynn rubs my back as I let it all out. “It will be okay, Ashtyn. We’ll be okay.”
How can he be so nonchalant about this? It will not be okay. I’m taking this much worse than he is. God, I didn’t think things could get worse, but this is worse. He’s leaving and he doesn’t even care.
Taking a deep breath, I look up at his face and I gasp. Flynn’s eyes are red and puffy, and there’s a continuous flow of tears streaming down his face.
He wants to stay just as much as I want him to.
Wiping my eyes and releasing a breath of air, I get out, “This is what you need to do, Flynn. It’s going to be hard, but we’ll make it work.”
His whole face lights up. “I’m so glad you feel that way. We ca
n do this. You’ll be out of school in nine short months and then you can join me.”
I can’t wait for that day. Going to sleep and waking up in Flynn’s arms every day will be amazing. “I’ll be counting down the days.”
I feel happy for the first time today, and all the tension releases from my body. I start falling asleep in Flynn’s arms. As my eyes get droopier, he lays me down on the bed, and starts to get up. I reach for his arm and pull him back down to me.
“Will you stay with me? I want to fall asleep in your arms tonight.”
He nods his head and leans down to kiss my forehead. He crawls into bed with me, and I finally let my exhaustion take over.
Chapter 16
Ashtyn
I’ve reapplied my makeup four times while getting ready for this party. I keep crying it off, but I think I’ve finally cried out all my tears. Chloe walks into the bathroom for the millionth time to check on me. I know she’s just worried about me, but all I see is pity.
She and Jax are just fooling around so the only thing she’s losing is her fuck buddy. Chloe doesn’t do relationships and never has. I’m the sap that believes in romance and fairy-tale endings. Damn those romance novels. Why do authors have to create those perfect men in the first place?
Overly bright and cheery she says, “We should get going soon. Tonight’s supposed to be fun and not about goodbye. We’ll do that tomorrow. So cheer up, buttercup.”
Rolling my eyes at her, I reply, “I know that, Chlo. I’m allowed to feel sad. I’m in love with him and he’s leaving me. I can’t imagine not being able to see him whenever I want.”
“Don’t worry, Ashtyn, the school year will fly by. Besides it’s not like they’re going off to war, just the other end of the state.”
“What about all the slutty ho bags out there? I told you how the starfuckers acted when I first got here. He can have his pick of the girls out there. He’ll get tired of a cold bed and find someone else to keep him warm.”
“How could you think that?”
I shrug my shoulders.
“He would never cheat on you. That boy is madly in love with you. You’re it for him. It’s written all over his face whenever you’re around.”
That gives me a burst of happiness, and I hope it’s true. “You think so?”
“Really, Ashtyn? I know so. No more crying. Let’s go to that party and have the time of our lives. That gorgeous boyfriend of yours is waiting.”
“Hey, you watch yourself there.”
“You know I don’t want Flynn. But I can appreciate a gorgeous man when he’s standing right in front of me.”
His ears must have been burning because there’s a knock on my French door. I quickly run into my room where Flynn is standing. At least he knocked before coming in. I throw my arms around him and hug tightly. Maybe if I don’t let go, he can’t leave me.
“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at the party already?”
He gives me a devilish grin and says, “I was just heading over there but you know what would make this night even better?”
Tilting my head to the side I ask him, “Um, what?”
“You riding over there with me. I want those pretty legs of yours wrapped around me and holding on tight.”
I lean back with wide eyes and gulp down the saliva in my mouth. “Motorcycles scare the shit out of me.”
His whole body sags as he nods his head. “Yeah, I know. Never mind.”
“I didn’t finish. Since it’s your last night, I’ll do it. Chlo, are you okay driving over without me?”
“Girl, what are you doing still standing here? Get out of here with your sexy man meat.”
Acting offended, Flynn says, “Jeez, Chloe, I’m not sure if I should feel flattered or offended. I’m going to take that one as a compliment. But I’m more than just a hunk of man candy.”
He grabs my hand and we head toward the front where his bike is parked. I’ve never been on a motorcycle before but they’re absolutely terrifying to me. Riding one seems like a death wish. I feel much safer riding in a car where you’re enclosed. Which is saying something, because I think cars are death traps.
Flynn hands me a helmet, and I stand there turning it around in my hands for a minute. The straps look kind of complicated, and I don’t want to get on this suicide machine without wearing my helmet properly. Flynn takes pity on me and puts it on for me. He leans down and kisses my nose before hopping on. Following his lead, I get on and quickly hug myself to his back.
He pulls me in closer. “Don’t be afraid to hold me tightly. I wouldn’t want you falling off back there.”
“I just didn’t want to squeeze too tight. You aren’t going to go super-fast are you?”
“I won’t go fast but just to warn you, it will feel faster than it is because you aren’t used to it.”
That scares me even more, and I squeeze him as tight as I can with both my arms and thighs. Chloe takes off first and Flynn follows right behind her. She’s never been a careful driver and it’s kind of horrifying from this perspective. I can’t believe I ride in a car with her on a daily basis. I squeeze Flynn even tighter, feeling safer and safer on his motorcycle the longer we ride.
Soon we arrive at the boys’ house, and I’m happy to get my feet onto solid ground. Flynn loves his motorcycle but I don’t think I could ever be comfortable on it.
We’ve come to enough of these parties already that I know Chloe’s heading straight for Jax. But when I spot him, Jax is surrounded by girls, and Chloe is nowhere in sight. He’s obviously already trying to live up to the rock-star persona and is milking it for everything he’s got. Not that he has to try that hard. These gold diggers threw themselves at the guys even before they signed with the label. Now all Jax has to do is throw the words record label around and the ho bags come running.
I spot Chloe chugging something straight from the bottle. I start to head to her when Hudson comes by and grabs it from her. A heated conversation starts but I refuse to get involved. This is my last night with Flynn, and I’m not going to waste it.
Turning back toward Flynn, I wrap my arms around his neck and lose myself in his eyes. I place my lips onto his and just hold them there. His warm breath passes over his lips, and I open my mouth slightly to nibble on his lip ring. He lets out a groan.
“If you want to stay and enjoy the party, you should stop doing that. Or else I’m going to find the nearest room with a locking door and have my way with you.”
“You keep talking like that and I’ll let you.”
“Don’t tempt me, Ashtyn. Besides, we already talked about this and decided we should wait.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m starting to rethink that decision. What happens when some hot girl throws herself at you? We haven’t even slept together yet, Flynn. I feel like I’m just setting you up to cheat.”
Closing my eyes, I start to break a little inside. I didn’t want tonight to be about this, but I can’t help the thoughts that are always in the back of my mind. I turned into a mopey wreck for the brief period of time when we were apart and that was shortly after we first got together. Now, after all this time, I can’t imagine losing him. He puts his hand on my chin and lifts my face up.
“Ashtyn, look at me.”
His eyes shine with love for me. I feel silly getting these doubts all the time when I know he feels the same way about me. It’s just hard when he will be so far away. Anything could happen. We can make our promises now but I have a feeling that something horrible is looming in our future.
“Get out of your head. I’ll never cheat on you. There’s no other girl for me and nothing will ever change that. You’re kind of stuck with me.”
“It’s just hard when you’ll be so far away. I’m going to be stuck down here in a classroom. Maybe you’ll decide you want a woman, not some high school girl.”
“Never going to happen. Stop worrying about nonexistent what-ifs.”
The way he looks at me causes my butterflies t
o start up. Is this going to be it? Is he finally going to say that four-letter word, that three-word sentence? I love you. Please say it. With a heavy sigh he looks away, and I can’t help the emptiness I’m feeling. I always feel like he’s about to say it but something changes his mind.
What is he waiting for?
Maybe he doesn’t want to say it because he’s leaving. That makes sense, but it doesn’t change the fact that I still want to hear it. I’m way too chicken to be the first one to say it, though.
“You’re right, Flynn. I need to stop worrying about stuff that doesn’t matter. Tonight is supposed to be about fun. So no more what-ifs or talking about depressing shit.”
I grab his hand and drag him behind me into the kitchen to make myself a drink. If I want to stop thinking, nothing will help that better than having a couple of drinks. Help me loosen up a bit and enjoy the last night we have together. The counter is stocked with a variety of liquors and mixers but I reach for Malibu and mix it with some Coke.
Taking my first sip, the delicious coconutty cola slides down my throat with the usual burn. With each consecutive sip, it slowly goes away. Soon enough, my face is a little warm and all my worries have disappeared. With a sigh, I relax into Flynn’s chest as he wraps his arms around me. I can’t imagine being anywhere else right now.
Leaning down and whispering in my ear, he says, “I need to use the bathroom. Are you going to be okay while I’m gone?”
I just nod my head and laugh. “I’m sure I’ll be fine for the couple of minutes you’re in the bathroom.”
“I’ll be right back. Don’t move so I can find you again.”
He leans down and gives me a quick peck before turning and walking away. It’s only now that I realize Flynn and I have been off in our own little world the entire time we’ve been here. I haven’t talked to anyone and Chloe disappeared after the bottle chugging incident earlier. I head off on the hunt for her.
Finding Flynn Page 13
