Chapter 66
Anna
I hadn't said which home I meant. And Flynn hadn't asked.
Instead, he'd silently guided me back to his car, helped me into the passenger's seat, and then claimed his usual spot behind the wheel.
Now, from the looks of it, we were heading back to his place,notto the apartment that I shared with my mom and Becka.
Was I relieved?
Maybe.
I was in no mood to deal with my mom. Unfortunately, I wasalsoin no mood to deal with Flynn. I wasn't even sure what I was feeling – other than embarrassment tinged with shame, and yes, lingering anger from our encounter with Mackenzie.
But my other feelings? Especially the ones related to Flynn? They remained a swirling mass of darkness that washed over me like a giant sewage leak after a storm.
Already, I was drowning in it.
I stared out the window, watching the landscape pass in a blur. Vaguely, I wondered just how fast we were going. And yet, I wasn't about to check the speedometer, because that would involve looking in his direction. And I'd been avoidingthatlike the plague this day had become.
Damn it.
From the moment I'd spotted Mackenzie, I should've realized it was the beginning of a steep downward trend – a plummet back to Earth after getting way too close to heaven.
I gave a silent scoff.Oh yes.Whether I wanted to face it or not, ithadfelt heavenly to be held in his arms, to make the fiction feel like a reality, to throw myself head-first into this twisted little act that we'd been putting on for the world.
This might've been fine enough, if only I hadn't fallen for the act myself in spite of the fact that Iknewit was based on a lie.
Or fakery.
Or whatever you wanted to call it.
But what did it matter? It would be over soon enough.
I was still looking out the passenger's side window when he drove through his big iron gate and up to the turnaround in front of his house. Through the passenger's side window, I stared at the place I'd been calling home for the past three months.
We'd had some good times there. And some terrible times, too.
Now, a dreadful silence settled over the car as neither one of us spoke. I might've fled the car entirely, except for the fact that I wasn't even sure I had my house key, which meant that I'd probably just make a fool of myself all over again.
I could practically see it now, me standing on the front porch like a total idiot while he watched from his car.Laughing?Nowthatwould be a good joke.
On me.
I was still contemplating that sorry scenario when Flynn said, "So, are you gonna tell me what happened?"
I shrugged. "Nothing you didn't see for yourself."
Even though I couldn’t see him, I swear I could feel him watching me with that penetrating gaze of his. When he spoke again, his voice was very quiet. "Tell me."
"Tell you what?'
"What's wrong?"
There were so many things wrong, I didn't even know where to begin. But I wasn't one to play games, and hehadasked. He'd even asked more politely than I might've expected.
With a sigh, I turned to face the front windshield and said, "I just wish you hadn't said it, that's all."
