Page 74 of How to Kiss a Movie Star
“Oh hey, I almost forgot,” he says. “I got a couple new pictures for you this morning.”
I sit up a little taller. “Of the squirrels?”
He nods. “There was a fourth one with them this morning, and I don’t think I’ve seen this one before. His tail looks a little bushier than the other two.”
“You can tell them apart?”
He smiles. “I couldn’t at first, but I like watching them. And the more I do, the easier it gets.” He nods toward his phone sitting in the center console. “Here. You can just pull them up if you want. They’re the most recent photos in my Favorites album.”
I reach for his phone, then hold it up to his face to unlock the screen. It only takes a little bit of scrolling to find his photos and pull up his favorites.
“See how the one on the left has a tiny gray spot between his eyes?” he says. “I’ve been calling him Coal Dust. The one on the left I’m calling Colleen.”
“Colleen? What kind of a name is that?”
“Are you kidding? It’s a perfect name. She looks like a Colleen. Don’t tell me you don’t see it.”
I chuckle as I swipe to the next picture. “And this is the new one?” This photo is of a slightly smaller squirrel with a much bushier tail.
“Yeah. I haven’t named him yet. But he’s new, right? Have you seen him before?”
“I’ll have to compare to my photos just to be sure, but I don’t think so.”
I scroll through the photos one more time, but then I swipe one too many times, and a new photo comes up. My breath freezes in my throat. The photo is of me, clearly taken that day we were in the pool together, only in this photo, my face is visible. I’m smiling, one hand lifting my wet hair off my neck and holding it up in a makeshift ponytail, and I’m looking over my shoulder with an expression that seems just on the verge of laughter.
Flint looks over and must see why I’ve fallen silent. “Oh, geez, Audrey. I’m sorry. That—I should have asked before I kept it. I just thought—” His words cut off, and he lifts a hand off the steering wheel to run it through his hair. He swears softly. “I must look like such a creep.”
I breathe out a chuckle. “I knew you were taking my picture, Flint. It’s okay.”
He nods. “I just—” He clears his throat. “I really love that photo of you.”
I swallow.He loves a photo of me?
A rush of heat flies through my body, reaching all the way out to my fingertips and down to my toes. Logically, I know it’s only a surge of adrenaline and norepinephrine that’s making my skin feel tingly and hot. It’s hormones, not logic, and I shouldn’t let it influence my thoughts.
But the guy saved a photo of me on his phone. He likes the way I look enough to save it and add it to hisfavorites.
“Thank you,” I say softly. I breathe in, hoping he doesn’t notice the way my words tremble. “It’s okay that you saved it.”
He lifts his brows, his eyes flashing with something that almost looks like hope, which shouldn’t surprise me. Flint told me he was interested.
Or, hesort oftold me. He told me that wanting to kiss me wasn’t fake. Now that I really think about it, those two things aren’t necessarily the same thing. He could absolutely want to kiss me without wanting to have a real relationship. But that doesn’t feel quite right either. Flint doesn’t really come across as the kind of guy who is into meaningless flings. I could be wrong—but I would be surprised if I am.
We park the truck in an overnight lot in front of the airport where Flint’s brothers will pick it up later. Before climbing out, Flint puts on a baseball cap, then pulls his hoodie upoverthe hat. He slides on a pair of sunglasses to complete the look.
I’ve got to hand it to him. If I didn’t know it was him, I might not recognize him. But then, I’m probably not the best judge since a month ago, I didn’t even know who he was.
He pulls my suitcases out of the truck, as well as one of his own, and I begin to wonder how we’re ever going to get all of this inside. But before I can even ask the question out loud, Nate appears with a luggage cart.
“Thanks, man,” Flint says before helping Nate load everything up. He holds out his hand to me as we start to move, giving my fingers a quick squeeze as he laces his through mine. “Just trust me, okay? I’ll get us through everything.”
I nod, realizing that Idotrust him.
And I might be more scared of that than I am the paparazzi.
Chapter Twenty
Audrey
