Page 404 of How to Kiss a Hawthorne Brother
I have to wonder if everything has fallen apart forus,too. As a couple.
“We’re going to get through it though, right?” I say, willing myself to cling to whatever optimism I can muster. “It’s going to be okay. You’ll stay here and get through your stuff, I’ll go home and get through my stuff, and everything will work out?”
He frowns. “Audrey, my stuff isyour stuff,too. We haven’t really talked about this part yet, and it really, really sucks, but the next few days are not going to be easy for you. You’re probably going to be bombarded with emails, voice mails, text messages. Gossip columnists will do everything they can to try to get a comment out of you.”
Joni nods. “He’s right, Audrey. There would have beensomemildinterest when everyone thought your relationship was real. But now that people think it was all staged, they’re going to want your side of the story. They may even reach out to your sisters or parents. All of you should probably block calls from unknown numbers, at least for the next couple of weeks.”
“And you shouldn’t go anywhere alone until you’re sure there isn’t anyone in Silver Creek who doesn’t belong there,” Flint says. He looks at Nate. “I want you to travel home with Audrey, Nate.”
“Nate isn’t staying with you?” I ask.
“No,” Flint says, his expression stern. “I want him with you.”
His words settle over me like an itchy wool blanket. Somehow, I’d forgotten to consider the fact that the other half of Flint’s fake relationship isme.Enduring all the attention when I have Flint around to help me through it is one thing.
I don’t know how I feel about enduring it on my own.
“What about your security?” Nate asks. “I’m happy to go, but I don’t like the idea of you out here by yourself.”
“Honestly, I can fly home by myself,” I say, but Flint is shaking his head no before I’ve even finished my sentence.
“You aren’t traveling alone. That’s not up for debate. If I can’t be with you while all this nonsense blows over, then Nate has to be.” He looks at Joni. “Call the security agency we used to use and have them send someone out to cover me until I fly home.”
“I assume I’m staying with you?” she asks, and Flint nods.
I sink back into my seat, my brain split between worrying about my lack of funding and stressing over the unknown attention and drama I’m facing because of stupid Simon. This isn’t how my trip with Flint was supposed to end. This isn’t howanythingwas supposed to end.
And now we have to say goodbye with all this tension between us, all the conversations we haven’t had still lingering in the air.
How do we even move on from our last conversation? We both know it didn’t end well, but how else could it have ended? Ican’tbe with Flint without considering my safety—my privacy—in new ways. It doesn’t matter whether I like it or not. Reality is reality. End of story.
But what am I supposed to do if that reality makes me uncomfortable? It was simple to think I could handle Flint’s celebrity life when everything was easy and perfect, but the second it got hard, I freaked out. That can’t be a good sign.
We pull up in front of LAX, and Nate and Joni both jump out, probably to say their own goodbyes in private. Our driver gets out to retrieve our bags, leaving Flint and me alone.
Flint must feel some sense of hesitation—or maybe he’s just picking up on mine—because he makes no move to touch me. “Call me when you make it home?” he says. “I don’t care how late it is. I just want to know you’re safe.”
I nod. “I’m really sorry I can’t stay.”
“I’m sorry Ihaveto stay.” He lifts a hand like he wants to touch me, but then it falls back into his lap. “And I’m sorry you lost your grant. I wish there was something I could do.”
Joni opens the passenger door behind me. “Time to go, Audrey.”
“Just one more second,” I say, and she nods and closes the door.
I sniff and wipe at the tears streaming down my cheeks. I hold Flint’s gaze for a long moment, and then suddenly, whatever tension keeping us apart snaps, and I throw myself into his arms.
His hands lift to cradle my face and he kisses me, his thumbs wiping away my tears. When he finally breaks the kiss, I melt against him, my head falling on his chest while his hands run up and down my back.
“Why does leaving you feel so hard?” I whisper.
He presses a kiss to my temple. “We’ll talk soon, all right? We’ll figure things out.”
Joni knocks on the window, giving us another heads-up that we’re out of time.
I reluctantly pull away and gather my things, then slide across the bench toward the door of the SUV. I look back one last time. Right now, Flint doesn’t look like a movie star. He looks tired and worn down and as frustrated as I feel.
I follow Nate into the airport, through security, and toward our gate, keeping my head down to avoid eye contact just like Flint taught me.
