Flynn shifted uncomfortably, dipped his head, and looked briefly sideways at me before he turned back to my brothers.
"Jeez, guys, I was only trying to make her feel good. She's only fifteen, for Christ's sake."
I was instantly crushed by his comment. His words stung, but he had the grace to look embarrassed when he glanced back at me.
Martin slapped Flynn on the back. "So long as we're clear - Val's off limits." He chuckled and pulled him in for a one-armed man hug. I'd been standing on the other side of the car watching the whole thing, and I was furious. I'd seen my brothers do that before, but that was the first time I'd felt belittled by them.
I was mortified that I'd fallen for Flynn's insincere flirtations as well. Hearing his comment about making me feel good about myself had done the opposite. I suddenly realized he saw me as an immature girl, and instead of wanting to go and cheer Adam on, I just wanted to go home.
Tears threatened to burst past the lump in my throat. I swallowed several times in succession as I fought to stay in control of my feelings. The last thing I wanted to do was flip out because I knew they'd guess I had a crush on him, and they would have highlighted my immaturity to Flynn.
My pace was slower than theirs after that, and I hung back, suddenly reluctant to be around them. Kayden turned and called out to me, "Come on Val, move it. Only five minutes until the game starts," and I knew there was no way out. I had to suck it up and put on a brave face for everyone's sake, including my own.
Heidi was one of the first people I recognized when we reached the bleachers, and my stomach formed knots.
"Oh, great. That's all I need," I muttered, slowing my steps as I hugged myself. Kayden gave me a pitying look, which annoyed me.
"Ignore her," Martin said flatly.
"What's the deal?" Flynn asked.
I could have died when Martin straight out told him what had happened, and I was humiliated all over again.
"Fuck. Way to go, Valerie. You need to pick your friends and boyfriends more carefully in the future," Flynn said.
I glared at him, shocked that he'd actually had the balls to state the obvious. He didn't even know me. I sneered.
"You think? Thanks for your advice. I may be young, but I'm not stupid. I'm not one for making the same mistake twice."
Stepping forward, he put his arm around me, and I immediately felt comforted. "I'm sorry. That was a stupid thing to say. I didn't mean it like that. I was just mad at the thought of someone hurting you like that."
Flynn tilted his head and looked over at Heidi before turning to Martin and Kayden. "I think that girl needs to be taught a lesson."
Martin immediately bristled in his stance, narrowing his eyes as he warily glanced at Flynn.
Turning to me, he said, "You've been out of town since this happened, right?"
I nodded but felt embarrassed and horrified that he knew my business.
"Alright. What better way to get back at her than to get even? She did you a favor by exposing that douchebag. And you weren't all that bothered, were you? Because you moved on with me."
"Hey, that's not happening, Flynn," Martin protested.
Kayden was nodding and smiling with Flynn. He obviously thought it would be a great idea, but Martin continued to argue his point.
"Nah, dude. I don't want our sister to look like she's dating a much older guy, or you with a young girl for that matter. It doesn't look right."
"Jesus, Martin. She's what... four years younger than me?"
"Nearly five," Martin corrected.
"Lighten up, Martin, this is pretend. You don't have to worry. I'm not going to fuck your sister. I'm supporting her so that when she goes back to school, she does so with her head held high, and it kills the buzz around what happened before."
My mind was centered on Flynn's comment: "I'm not going to fuck your sister." Hearing him talk in sexual terms about me made my heart flip in my chest. Even though he'd said it was something he wasn't going to do. Why did he choose to say that something so crude to my brother in the first place?
Kayden slapped Martin on the back and tilted his head. "Sounds like a plan to me. Let him do it. Heidi needs to be taught a lesson. Bradley too. It will send a message to everyone that Valerie has moved on."
"Better that it's Flynn, right?" Martin said, his voice still sounding less than impressed with Flynn's plan.
"Hello? This is me we're talking about?" Flynn turned and grinned widely. There was a playful look in his eyes, and my heart flipped over inside my chest again then raced excitedly.
"Exactly, Valerie. Do you want to face them when they're still ambiguous about your feelings, or do you want to send them a 'fuck you, look-at-me' message?"
There was a plea in his eyes, as if he was willing me to say yes, and I'd wondered why he was so eager to make a show of himself on my behalf. I wondered if it was to impress Martin and Kayden rather than anything directly to do with me.
"Yes. I want that," I heard myself say decisively.
"Which one? Pick one."
"I want you to be my boyfriend." I blushed because, although the situation wasn't real, I had already developed a small crush – and my attraction toward him was real.
Seven minutes before the game started, we climbed the bleachers. Martin filed in first and sat down, followed by Kayden, Flynn, and then me. I'd never sat on the aisle seat before, and it felt weird not sitting next to Martin. Flynn served as a buffer zone between my brothers and me, probably so I would have the confidence to play my part with him. I just wasn't sure I was playing.
As we settled down to watch the game, Flynn slipped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me tight against him. His swift move took me by surprise, and I glanced up at his face. He wore the sexiest smile I'd ever seen as he winked and said, "Better make the most of the situation. We want this to have the maximum effect. This is how couples do it, right?"
Heat rose to my face. A rush of excitement flooded my insides and my thighs clenched together. My panties were soaked, and I smiled slowly and nodded. I was speechless and too mesmerized to answer. Flynn chuckled and planted a quick kiss atop my head before settling down to watch the game. I, on the other hand, sat trying to cope with the tingle in my scalp from his kiss, and my pulse racing to keep time with my breath.
The thrill of my surreal situation at sitting in the bleachers of my high school, wrapped in the arms of the hottest guy I'd ever seen, was the biggest turn-on of my life. The downside of it all was I had the hugest crush on him, and he was almost five years older than me. It wouldn't have been so bad had I been eighteen or so, but he was a man, and I was still only a girl. And he was my brother's friend.
Colleen, another friend from school, walked up the bleacher stairs with Simon Hutton, who was also in our same grade. From the way they were hanging onto each other, I suspected they were a couple. Then again, that's what Flynn and I wanted people to think about us, so it could have been an act too.
I'd watched her scanning the bleachers looking for familiar faces, and then her eyes settled on me and widened.
"Valerie. Wow. When did you get back?" Her curious eyes flicked between Flynn's and mine, as she began to stalk her way further up the wooden steps toward us.
"Only got back today," I said, not sure of what else I should add.
Flynn tugged me closer and kissed my head again. "Don't I get a mention, babe?" he murmured softly into my ear. I shivered. The heat of his breath tickled my ear as his intimate comment stole my breath for a moment. My heart pounded in my chest and accelerated when his thumb rubbed absent-mindedly against my bare arm.
"Of course," I stammered, turning toward him while I tried to clear the sudden fog in my brain. I found it hard to concentrate with his arms around me.
"This is Flynn... my..."
"Boyfriend," he explained, when I struggled for what to introduce him as.
Colleen was suddenly very interested in Flynn and focused her attention on him. Her eyes raked up and down his body as she introduced herself as one of my best friends. When she smiled at him again, it was much different than the one she'd given me. It was salacious.
"Hey, Flynn," she cooed, her voice almost an octave lower. Reaching up coyly, her hand found her hair and she twirled it for good measure. I couldn't believe she would flirt with him right in front of me, and after all the stuff with Bradley, not to mention poor Simon.
Flynn ignored her and looked out at the field where the boys were lining up to start the game.
"Oh, you won't get a response from him now, Colleen. Football is Flynn's passion. Isn't that right, honey?" I said, trying to sound as if I knew him that well.
"That and you, babe, but in the reverse order," he responded with a seductive growl as he turned to stare into my eyes for a second. His intense gaze almost melted my bones where I sat, and I sighed audibly.
"Well, I guess I'll leave you two lovebirds alone then," Colleen said wistfully, stumbling down the first step as she headed back to Simon. The poor sap had been waiting patiently at the bottom of the stairs for her. When she reached him, she glanced back up at us. I saw her take a deep breath and sigh heavily, and then turn to look at Simon in disappointment. I couldn't blame her for the effect Flynn had on her; he made me sigh, too. Watching her link arms with Simon, they began making their way over to Heidi, and I looked at Flynn. A smile curved my lips when he smiled back.
"Thank you," I said, and reached over to squeeze his thigh. It was solid muscle, and intense heat surged through me at how bold a move I'd made.
"Anytime," he replied, holding my gaze a bit longer than I felt comfortable with. I'd almost begun to look away when he winked and squeezed my arm. My heart skipped a beat. The guy tortured me with his flirting as I sat there with him, but I gave it my best shot and tried to focus on the football game.