Page 17 of Flynn

Chapter Six

Chiara

Sixteen years old…

The moment the spinning bottle pointed at me, my heart thudded hard, and my breath trapped in my lungs.

No, no, no!

I so didn’t want to do this. What were the chances that the damn bottle would land on me with a crowd this big? Panic flooded my system as cheers sounded around us. The bonfire beyond the circle we were in was surrounded by laughing, drunk teens.

All eyes were on me, waiting to see how I’d react.

Ellis’s pale blue eyes met mine across the group, a pleased smile on his face, and I wanted to curl up and die. It wasn’t that I didn’twantto kiss Ellis. I’d thought about it a lot over the years. We were always thrown together, and everyone always said we’d end up together, that we were perfect, that we were meant to be. I wasn’t so sure, but I wasn’t against finding out either. But now? In front of everyone?

I’d never even kissed a boy before!

“Come on, Chiara. You gotta do it or start stripping!” Simone—a fellow classmate—shouted as she laughed drunkenly.

I swallowed hard and tried to smile, to not give away my pure panic, but I knew I was failing. “Uh, just… give me a minute,” I said, climbing to my feet.

“Where are you going?” Kate asked curiously.

“I… I need to use the bathroom. Be right back!” I cried and before anyone could say anything else, I spun on the spot and ran for the house. Pushing my way through the people partyinginside, I went to the nearest bedroom and slammed the door shut behind me.

My breath was fast and uneven in the quiet atmosphere of the cool bedroom. I leaned my back on the timber door and closed my eyes. What was I going to do?

“I can’t do this,” I whispered as humiliation and desperation clawed at my insides. Everyone would make fun of me. I’d be the prude who wouldn’t evenkissa boy at a party. People already made jokes because my parents had a strict no-dating rule, and it was rare I was even allowed to go to a party. Sneaking out tonight had already been a huge deal, but kissing a boy? I wasn’t even sure if IlikedEllis that way, but I knew he liked me. He’d asked me out several times already, but given my parents’ rule, I’d always had a reason to say no. Would kissing him now—even in a game—give him false hope? Or was I just being too tightly wound about a possible high school relationship?

“Can’t do what?” a voice asked softly in the darkness.

I gasped and my eyes flew open, wide and panicked. There was a small click, and the room brightened softly with a low light as the bedside lamp came on. My breath caught at the sight of Flynn on the bed, his dark hair dishevelled as if he’d been running his fingers through it, his green eyes on me. He was reclined, with his back to the headboard, one leg crossed lazily over the other.

My lower abdomen fluttered at the sight of him, and instant heat warmed my cheeks. Yes, Flynn was hot. Everyone knew it. Add to it that he was older, rode a motorbike, did whatever he wanted half of the time, and was the town bad boy. His image was complete with a tattoo and a tragic backstory.

“Flynn,” I whispered, still trying to understand what was happening.

“Good to know you’re not so drunk you’ve forgotten my name,” he drawled, the corner of his lips hitching up in a small smirk.

“I-I’m not drunk. I don’t drink,” I answered. Sneaking out wasone thing, but drinking? I didn’t want to be grounded for all eternity if my parents found out.

“Smart. So, what can’t you do?” he asked.

“Uh… we were playing a game. I-I thought you left already. Aren’t you heading off on some big cross-country road trip?” I asked, recalling him telling me about it not too long ago. He turned eighteen a month ago. He could go wherever he wanted now.

His eyes lost some of their mirth and he shrugged. “I’m putting the trip off for a little while. Iamleaving tomorrow, but there’s something else I’ve gotta do before the road trip.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Like?”

His gaze flicked up to me and he slowly stood from the bed. All at once I was reminded again that he wasn’t like Ellis. They may be brothers by law, but they were cousins by blood, and Flynn’s dad had been averytall man, genes that had passed onto his son. “I’m joining the military.”

My lips parted on a silent gasp. “The military?”

He nodded, but he didn’t look excited.

I pushed off the door a little and studied him closer. “I didn’t know you wanted to do that.”

He gave that same careless shrug and glanced away from me to the moonlight streaming in through his partially uncovered window. “It was… heavily recommended by Uncle Trevor. It’ll supposedly help me get my head on right and stop me doing stupid shit.”

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