Page 73 of Polly

Chapter 24

Polly

Polly knocked on door 301.

Ryker sent a bodyguard to drive her to the hotel. She’d asked him to wait in the car and he’d ignored her request, but at least he’d waited in the lobby.

She stood alone in the hallway in front of Flynn’s door.

After a minute, the door opened, and Flynn appeared in front of her.

“Polly?” he asked. He stared at her like he wasn’t sure it was really her.

“Can I come in?”

“Of course, please.” He stepped aside to let her in.

She stepped through, and the door closed behind her. She turned to face Flynn. He watched her anxiously, like he wasn’t sure how she would act. He leaned back against the wall and pressed his hands flat behind him as he watched her.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I should have listened to you.”

“No, I’m sorry,” he whispered. “The first place your mind jumped when something happened was the possibility that I’d done it. I obviously did something wrong if you doubt me.”

What? No.

She shook her head and said, “It’s not you. You’ve been great. But I’ve had so much self-doubt since Grady. I’ve felt like damaged goods. Like no one could want me.” She blinked back tears.

Flynn scoffed, but didn’t move from his spot against the wall. “Not true.”

“I know.”

“I was a shitty friend and even shittier boyfriend if you ever believed that. Nothing could be further from true.”

She hated that he would take the blame like that when it was clearly her fault. He’d done nothing wrong.

“All I’m saying is my self doubts got us into this mess. I’m sorry I overreacted.” She sniffled and focused on him. His hands were still behind his back. “Why are you standing like that?”

“I don’t trust myself not to touch you. You’re still in your stage clothes, which I find practically irresistible, and I haven’t been intimate with you for a while. I’m trying to stay out of trouble.”

Polly stepped toward him.

“You don’t have to do that. I’m sorry, Flynn.”

He didn’t move, but his gaze met hers. She stopped walking.

He said, “I needed you to talk to me, Polly. If you were having doubts about anything. About me. About us.” He shook his head. “I lost my closest friend and the woman I love at the same time over something I couldn’t control. A stupid mistake. And I couldn’t even explain because the person I respect the most in this world — you — doubted me. It doesn’t feel good.”

Polly shook her head. Tears broke free and streamed down her cheeks.

Flynn continued, “Look at me, I’m a mess. A few days without you... I already look homeless, and I backed out on a concert. But none of it matters knowing that you’re done with me.”

“I’m not done with you.” The fact that she’d made Flynn feel so badly about himself tore her apart.

Flynn shook his head. “You blocked me, Polly. Even if you aren’t done with me now, you were before. I want to be with you. I want you to trust me. I love you. After all this, though, I don’t know if we can make a relationship work. We’d have to trust each other. People manipulate our lives every day to look how they want through the press. They lie. They blow insignificant moments out of proportion. Then the distance and separation will always be factors. I don’t know if we can move past the way things look and the half truths of the press when we’re apart. Maybe we can only ever be friends.”

Polly sobbed. “We can work on it. We can promise to always talk any problems out first. I’m sorry. Please give me another chance. I want to be with you. Do you still want to be with me?”

“Of course I do.”

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