Possessed Soul

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

I was sitting in the dining room with Flynn. It was just the two of us. I didn't feel uncomfortable around Flynn, but I was desperately hoping Kaden got out of the shower soon, I just wanted to be close to him right now, and I needed him to rescue me from this awkward conversation.

I've never been the best at lying; so when Flynn asked me what was going on with me and Emma, I should have realised it would be easier to lead with the truth. But me being me, I said it was nothing. From the way Flynn looked away almost immediately, I knew that he could see right through me. He didn't press me for more, but I couldn't leave it there. I felt compelled to tell him the truth, he deserved that much. So I told him everything.

"So, it was just a horrible misunderstanding?" he asked, throwing a kind smile my way.

I nodded and looked down at my fingernails, noticing that my nailbeds were raw and red. They weren't bleeding; but I knew if I continued biting them at this rate, blood would spill.

"It was my fault," I confessed.

Flynn surprised me by nodding." Yes, " he agreed." But that doesn't mean the two of you should live off of your enmity with each other. And I think the two of you could be great friends."

"But we're so different from each other," I pointed out. "We'd get into a squabble at every opportunity."

"That doesn't seem to stop you and Kaden," Flynn reasoned.

"Well Kaden and I aren't exactly friends," I argued.

"So, you're dating?" Flynn cocked his head to the side.

"I don't think so." My answer came out as a stutter, so I was unsure if Flynn had been able to make out what I was saying. I assumed he had because he continued talking.

"Friends with benefits?" he teased, playfully nudging me. Flynn's personality was difficult to pinpoint; of course everyone loved him, but the way he came across was distant, yet polite. He preferred to talk about others instead of himself. I could hardly expect him to open up to me, but it would have been nice to know how he ended up in crime. If I saw him walking on the streets, in one of his crisply ironed suits, I would assume he was a father and not a gangster. But maybe that's why he was so good at what he did: nobody suspected him of being a criminal.

"We haven't defined our relationship yet," I said in reply to his question.

"All I'm saying is that Kaden intends to keep you around for a while, so it might be in your best interests to make peace with Emma."

I wanted to tell him he was right and I would try to do what he suggested, but I didn't get the chance; Aaron bounded in, making sure his arrival was heard. It would be a lie to say I wasn't startled. My heart practically leapt out of my chest and, from the look on his face, I saw that Flynn was just as disturbed as me. He was leaning further back in his chair and his hands were on his temple.

"Guess who I found?" Aaron yelled through the house, his voice echoing off every surface.

"Derek," Flynn said. He hadn't asked because he must have been pretty certain that no one else had been hanging around by the Warehouse.

Aaron's outburst seemed to result in everyone gathering in the dining room. Holden was first to enter, followed by Emma, Kaden was close behind her.

I gave Emma a sheepish smile; and from the flick of her hair, I deduced that she had seen me but was choosing to ignore me. I had only just started school, so I had no experience with how to deal with teenage girls. Emma hadn't seemed like a mean girl when I first showed up. In fact, she had been quite welcoming: letting me wear her clothes and giving me tampons, even though I didn't really need them. But I guess I couldn't blame her for being cold towards me; I mean she was handling it pretty well, all things considered. I would have expected her to take a swing at me.