Summary: MC (Shay) spends some more time with Flynn. An alternate ending for chapter 5.
Riding away from the marina on Flynn’s motorcycle, Shay finds herself hoping she can do it again soon. There’s an undeniable rush to it, the wind whipping past them, the speed and the way he revs the engine after a stop that makes her almost laugh giddily from the sheer adrenaline of it.
Then there’s that split second where Flynn leans into a turn or as they go around a curve. Just as it feels like he’s leaning almost too far and she’s about to scream, he leans back the way other way and straightens them out. It makes her stomach drop and makes her grip his shirt more tightly, but it also makes her heart race delightedly faster.
The way he so easily maneuvers around traffic and the way his chest and his back feel as she holds onto him makes her wish they could just keep going. But eventually, too soon, he pulls up in front of the B&B. Shay sighs, holding onto him another second longer. Flynn turns to look at her with raised eyebrows, and her cheeks warm.
“Do you ever just want to keep going?” she asks him, pulling her helmet off.
“All the time,” Flynn says, a bit regretfully.
Shay climbs off the motorcycle, looking up at the B&B.
“You gonna be okay?” Flynn asks.
The sight of Tanner’s body flashes back through her mind, and she shudders, wrapping her arms around herself.
“I think so,” she says, but she doesn’t even sound convincing to herself.
She really doesn’t want to be alone, but she can’t bring herself to ask Flynn to stay. No matter how undeniably she’s drawn to him. She forces a smile on her face.
Flynn frowns. “You sure?”
He hesitates for a second before saying, “I was gonna head home, have a beer. You can come over, if you want.”
She wants to. Before she can answer, a sour expression crosses his face and he says, “I should warn you, though, my apartment is no Sterling Manor.”
Shay nudges his shoulder. “Hey. That’s even better.”
And it is. She longs for somewhere where she doesn’t worry that she’s sullying the lush carpet and the walls just by breathing. Shay slips the helmet on again and climbs back on behind Flynn. This time, as they head down side streets, she finds herself leaning against him even more.
She can feel his muscles contract when she lets her hands wander a little higher up his chest. Apparently, his simple invitation to his apartment has made her braver. His hand lingers on hers when they get to his apartment and he helps her off his bike.
It lingers on hers again when they get inside his apartment and he hands her a beer. For a second, they just stand there. It’s not awkward, exactly, just uncertain.
Shay sips her beer, and watches Flynn’s throat work as he takes a drink of his and swallows. His apartment is almost bare, and it makes her feel lonely for him. He watches her glance around, like he’s expecting her to say something cutting or dismissive.
“So…what do you do? When you’re not working,” is what she does say, breaking the silence.
Flynn looks startled by the question. “Uh…nothing, really,” he answers. “Go to one of the bars in town to shoot pool. Ride. Watch TV sometimes.”
He shoots her a look. “What do you do?”
Shay grins. “Also pretty much nothing. I bake. Play video games.”
Flynn shakes his head.
“What?” she asks.
“You’re just…not like anyone from here,” he answers.
“I’m hoping that’s a good thing,” she replies.
“It is,” Flynn says sincerely.
He tilts his head towards the TV. “Want to watch anything?”
Shay shakes her head. “Not really. The quiet…the talking, I mean, is kind of nice.”
“I’m not usually much of a talker,” Flynn says, and she grins.
“You sure about that?”
A smirk crosses his lips. “Like I said. Usually.”
They sit together on his couch. Her brave side is really in full force tonight, because she sits right next to him, her thigh pressed against his. She leans into him, sighing softly when he tentatively brings his arm up around her shoulders.
“Okay?” he asks quietly.
Shay nods and turns into him a little more. It’s nice, a brief reprieve from everything going on, to just sit here with him. His t-shirt is soft, and he’s warm, and it makes her feel the most relaxed she’s been since she got to Birchport. They start talking again after a few minutes, about New York and her job and where she grew up.
Flynn offers up very little about himself that he hasn’t already told her. He deflects her first few questions, until she finally says, “We don’t have to talk, if you don’t want to.”
Flynn sighs. “It’s not that. I just don’t talk about myself. To anyone.”
Shay tilts her chin up, and realizes just how close they are. His breath is warm on her face, his nose nearly brushing hers.
“Why not?” she asks softly.
He shrugs. “I just don’t.”
Strands of his hair fall over his forehead when he looks down, and she reaches up to brush it back. His hair is soft, slipping like water through her fingers.
“You’ve been talking to me,” she points out in a soft murmur.
“I know,” he murmurs back.
After a minute, he says, “There’s just something about you, Shay.”
She swallows hard at the way he’s looking at her. If she were really feeling brave, she thinks she’d urge him even closer, bring their lips together, slide her hand around his neck and bury it in his hair. She wants to, but she also wants to know that he’s feeling this too.
It’s Flynn who takes that next step, closing the nearly nonexistent space in between them. Shay’s eyes drift closed, a soft exhale passing her lips when he leans in. His lips just touch hers, a hint of a kiss. It’s soft and gentle, a little tentative.
When she opens her eyes again, Flynn is looking at her with such an unsure expression that she can’t help but kiss him again. She wants him to know that she wants this, wants him to really kiss her, wants to feel the warm pressure of his lips on hers and his arms around her.
As soon as she kisses him, pressing herself closer and running her hand through his hair, she feels Flynn’s uncertainty melt away. He kisses her a little harder this time, his teeth just grazing over her lower lip. His tongue brushes against hers when she moans quietly, and it sends a pleasant jolt straight to her belly.
One of his hands rests against her waist, a barely there touch. He slides his hand around her back when she makes a quiet noise of encouragement. Flynn’s stubble tickles over her skin as they kiss, his warmth surrounding her as he holds her close. He groans her name when she lightly bites his lip.
Shay doesn’t think she’s ever been so thoroughly kissed. She’s been with guys who are good kissers before, but this is something else entirely. The way Flynn kisses her is somehow both exhilarating and reassuring. It makes her feel incredibly wanted but also completely safe with him.
They pull part finally, just long enough to suck in a few breaths. Flynn’s eyes are dark, his pupils dilated. She can feel how kiss-swollen her mouth is and brushes her fingertips over it. Flynn watches her, his free hand coming up to cup her cheek.
He leans back in without hesitation when she brings her lips back to his. Their kisses are slower and deeper this time, and she shivers when he trails his fingers down her arm. Shay wouldn’t have taken Flynn for the affectionate type, but when his fingers reach her hand and she laces them together, he doesn’t resist. He squeezes a little, then brings his hand back up to caress her cheek.
She’s breathing a little raggedly when they separate again, and so, she’s flattered to realize, is Flynn. It’s tempting to kiss him again, but instead, she takes a deep, calming breath. She likes him, faster than she’s liked anyone before, but she’s not ready for this to go any further. Not yet, anyway. There’s so much going on, and they’re both worried about Kate, and she feels like she’s been on a roller coaster of every human emotion possible the past two days.
Flynn slowly lowers his hand, and Shay smiles at him softly. She can feel how warm her cheeks are, both from kissing him and the way he’s still looking at her.
“I should probably get back,” she murmurs, then adds, “Before I don’t want to leave.”
The corners of his mouth tilt up in a hint of a smirk, but it’s full of warmth. Outside the B&B, Shay pauses before she heads inside and before Flynn gets back on his motorcycle.
“Thank you,” she says. “For tonight.”
“You’re welcome,” Flynn replies. “I’m glad you came over.”
After a beat, in which her eyes flutter down to his lips almost without her thinking about it, Flynn adds, “Maybe we could do it again.”
Shay smiles warmly. “I’d like that.”