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“Pleasure to meet you. Y’all can sit here while I go grab my sister.” He motions to the couches in the living room as he walks down a hallway to a different part of the house. I’ve settled onto the couch and am studying the family pictures on the mantle when they return.
“It is you guys! I watch your vlogs.” A pretty blonde, who I assume is Flynn’s sister, squeals as she steps into the room. “I’m Jess. It is so cool to meet you guys!” she exclaims, but I notice her appreciative gaze is solely resting on Will. Something ugly churns in my gut as I watch him throw his signature smirk at her.
Will gets right to business though, so I’m able to curb the ugly feelings that rise with each giggle Jess throws Will’s way. Jess quickly is able to eliminate this Susan Smith as my dad’s Susan Smith by showing my dad an old photo of her. After that, Will asks his usual follow-up questions about this Susan’s life and Jess is more than happy to answer Will’s questions. Hell, if he asked her to sign over this house to him right now, she probably would. The rest of us might as well be invisible as she talks to Will, so when Flynn offers to get me a drink from the kitchen, I follow him just to get away from Jess’s high pitch laughing.
“I would love to come visit you in New York.” I hear Jess say, her voice insinuating that she would love to more than just visit. I roll my eyes and resist the urge to stomp back to the living room and mark my claim on Will, as weak as it is.
“She can be a little overzealous.” Flynn chuckles as he catches my expression and I blush. I find Jess annoying, but I didn’t mean to offend anyone, certainly not Flynn, who has been nothing but polite since our arrival on his doorstep.
“It’s okay. The last Susan was a bit of a cougar, so I’m used to it.” I say, trying to play off the jealousy that still itches within my chest as I watch Flynn fill two glasses with water.
“Some guys get all the girls.” Flynn says with a smirk and the ways his eyes land on me, I have to fight the desire to blush again. You’d have to be blind to not be attracted to Flynn Smith, and I am not blind. With me being a country girl, he was basically a manifestation of my preteen daydreams in all his rugged cowboy glory.
“I’m sure you don’t struggle in that department.” As soon as the words are out, I want to slap myself for letting my thoughts fall out of my mouth like that. Flynn chuckles at my obvious embarrassment and hands me a glass of water.
“I don’t, but the best girls always seem to be taken.” Flynn responds with a wink, and I’m so flustered I almost spill my glass of water as I take a sip.
“That is always the struggle of small-town dating. All the good ones are claimed by middle school.” I joke, trying to seem more at ease than I am. Flynn is attractive and charming and part me can’t help but be excited that he is flirting with me, but the larger part is still obsessed with a complicated writer and doesn’t have any desire to see the situation go from complicated to catastrophic.
“I’ve found that the prospects aren’t much better in the city. I’m studying in New York right now and while I don’t have a lot of time for dating, I’ve found most of the prospects underwhelming.” He explains, but from the way his eyes flit past me to the living room, I can’t help but wonder if he is hoping I will find a certain New Yorker underwhelming as well.
“What are you studying?” I ask, trying to steer the conversation to safer waters. I’m all too familiar with Will’s shortcomings, but that doesn’t mean I want to hash them out with a practical stranger.
“I’m in medical school at Columbia.” Flynn answers.
“Really? I just got accepted to Columbia for undergrad. I’m transferring this next semester.” I say excitedly. I immediately feel guilty for telling him so easily when I choke on the words when I even think of telling Will.
“Well, we will have to meet up. Let me grab your number.” Flynn says, and I pass him my phone, so he can put his number in.
“Thanks. It will be nice to have one friendly face in New York.” I say as he hands me back my phone.
“Will isn’t a friendly face?” Flynn questions, his eyebrows raised in interest. Inwardly, I curse myself for not realizing that would sound off.
“Hah, it depends on the day whether I can describe Will as friendly, but yeah, I guess he will be there, too. I imagine he will be too busy with work and writing to have time for me.” I explain, cringing at how pathetic I sound, but I don’t want to admit to myself or to anybody else that Will and I are just a summer fling and that I’m not sure what type of contact he will want with me come the end of summer.
“Well, I’ll make time for you, Hannah.” Flynn says with a smile that I can’t help but return. We continue talking and I find that I like Flynn. Not in the ‘you aggravate me so much I want to kiss you’ way that I like Will, but in a simple, uncomplicated way. The conversation is mundane, but Flynn is easy to talk to and his laugh is deep and rumbly, unlike his sister’s shrill cackle, which is a point in his favor.
We are both laughing about a story Flynn was telling me about a lady in New York not understanding his accent when Will walks in. He pauses at the entrance to the kitchen, his eyebrows pinched together as he watches us, but the expression quickly vanishes to impassiveness.
“What’s going on in here?” Will’s eyes bounce between Flynn and me as if he can see something the two of us can’t.
“Oh, Flynn was just telling me about how the New Yorkers can’t understand his accent. He got into Columbia’s medical school.” I place my glass in the sink and walk over to stand by Will.
“Impressive.” Will comments dismissively before continuing. “We’ve wrapped up the interview, so we’re going to get back on the road. Thanks for your help, Flynn.” Will wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him. His embrace feels stiffer than normal, more possessive.
“My pleasure. Let me walk y’all out.” Flynn leads us back to the front door. Flynn even gets my car door for me, which is so sweet that I want to smack the incredulous look off of Will’s face as he stares pointedly. He has obviously never seen a southern gentleman in action.
“My pleasure? What is he, a Chick-Fil-A employee?” Will scoffs as we pull out of the drive.
“I thought he was nice.”
“I noticed.” Will says flatly, and the pinched expression is back on his face.
Not wanting to hash this out in front of my dad, I stay quiet. Will’s pinched expression fades as the drive continues, but he still doesn’t talk. The ride to the hotel is tense and silent.
Chapter 22
After saying goodnight to my dad at the car, I follow Will as he walks to his room. I catch Will as he is unlocking the door to his room. When he notices me, he sighs and turns to face me.
