He barked out a laugh. “No fucking way.”
“Yeah! Anyway, she took him back and they were happy as ever. Been that way since.”
He blew out a long breath of air. “Well fuck. I’ve missed out on a lot. They’ve been through it all, but so have you. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when you needed me.”
I held my palms on my cheeks and shook my head. “You were there when I needed you the other night. I’d never needed you more than I did then, and you came through for me. Besides, I understand why you left back then.”
He reached over and rested his hand on my thigh. “I’m still sorry.”
“It’s okay.” I put my hand over his and squeezed. I loved how the warmth spread from his touch. This would be a long drive, but it’d be worth it to be there for him when he needed me.
We’d talked the whole way to the hotel. He told me some funny stories of when he was serving. Stories about Oliver, their friend King, and a few other guys he said I might meet at the funeral. It was good to know his time in the Army wasn’t all terrible. We checked into the hotel a little past nine. It was dark and cold outside, so we were thankful to be in the room.
The hotel was advertised as quaint and comfortable. The room was covered in a tan, worn carpet. The walls were white, and two single beds took up most of the space in the room. The bathroom was right beside the door complete with a small sink, toilet, and standing shower.
I pulled my hair out of the messy bun. “I’m going to hop in the shower before I head to bed.”
He glanced up at me as he rummaged through his bag. His eyes wandered over my body before he snapped his eyes up to meet mine with a redness creeping up his neck. “I’ll wake up early and shower. I’m going to change and get some rest. That drive wore me out.”
I couldn’t hide the smile as I went over and grabbed my night clothes before heading into the bathroom.
I stripped my clothes off and put them in a pile in front of the sink before I stepped into the shower. My toes flinched as they touched the chilled ceramic floor. I turned the dial, releasing thousands of cold drops that turned warm in a matter of seconds, darkening my hair and trickling down my back. Steam filled the bathroom as I washed myself.
My mind kept wandering to Flynn, who was only steps away. I’d known how I felt about him since the day he left me. It never changed. I was in love with him then, and I was in love with him now. Not a day went by that he didn’t cross my mind. Every interaction with him kept me falling deeper in love with him. Each time harder than the last. I wanted to ask him about us, if there was an us—but it felt wrong. We were here to mourn his friend, not explore our relationship.
I’d finished my shower, gotten dressed, and by the time I went back into the room, Flynn was sound asleep. I crawled into the bed beside his and fell asleep without much effort. I was exhausted from the drive, and from the nightmares. Being with Flynn gave me a sense of comfort that nothing else could give me.
It was the day of Oliver’s funeral. Evelyn woke me up so I had time to get a shower before I got dressed.
Evelyn was fucking breathtaking. She wore a loose black dress that hit below her knees. It was made of soft, satiny fabric. She wore black heels that gave her some height. Her hair was a perfect shade of red that tumbled in curls below her shoulder blades. I’d sworn her chocolate brown eyes could swallow galaxies. Her pale skin was scattered with freckles around her nose.
I knew she was nervous for today, hell so was I. But her emotions weren’t able to be hidden on her beautiful face. Her hesitation was evident in the crease of her brows and the down-curve of her full, pink lips. What was going through her head? I’d been trying to play it cool, but being around her was hard. I didn’t know what she thought about the way I’d snapped on that fucker. Was she afraid of me now?
“Flynn?” Her angelic voice brought me out of my head.
“Hmm?”
She blushed. “You look really good in your dress blues.”
I smirked. “And you look stunning.”
The pink in her cheeks deepend to red and I chuckled. I turned back to the mirror and went to pin my purple heart on. It slipped through my trembling fingers, and she grabbed it from the ground.
She stepped closer. “Let me help.”
“I don’t need help.” I went to pluck the pin out of her hand but she moved it.
“I want to help.” Her lips pursed.
I sighed, nodding. “Put it here.” I pointed to the left side of my chest.
She gave a soft smile before pinning it in the place I told her. Her fingers brushed the navy blue coat and sent hot tingles through me. I wanted nothing more than to grab her and kiss her senseless but it wasn’t the right time or place.
I cleared my throat, and she stepped back with a sheepish smile. We gathered our bags, checked out of the hotel, and left for the funeral without saying much to each other. I was sure she’d felt my mood shift.
We pulled up to the funeral home, and I took a few moments to gather my thoughts. Evelyn sat, patiently, beside me until I was ready to get out. We hopped out of the truck and headed inside the large, white building filled with mourning friends and family of Oliver.
We’d arrived just in time for the funeral
