Cherished ✔️

Chapter Eleven - Wicked

Evie's P.O.V -

"I love you."

I feel like I'm about to spontaneously combust. Maybe that would be for the best. Flynn is just sitting there with his mouth hanging open and I can't figure out what he's thinking.

"You're not kidding, are you?"

"I'm not kidding," I tell him.

"Oh wow."

I knew it. I knew it was too early to tell him I loved him. I'm so stupid!

"I love you too, Evie."

"Wait, really?"

He laughs. "Yeah. I love you."

I don't know why but suddenly my eyes start to fill with tears.

"Are you crying?"

"No! I'm just... Okay, I'm crying."

Flynn hugs me tightly. "Did you really think I wouldn't feel the same way?"

"I don't know. Sometimes you're just impossible to predict."

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologising?"

"I don't really know."

We don't let go of each other. We stay there on the grass hugging and I never want to stop, but I have a dinner to go to.

"Flynn..."

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to be late..."

We let go of each other. I feel cold now, as if he stole the warmth from me when he stopped hugging me.

"I'll take you home."

- - -

"Rebecca, this is my daughter, Evie."

"Stevie and Evie? That's sweet." Rebecca's voice is high pitched. It grates on me already.

"Yep. My little Evie."

"Hey," I say.

We're eating in awkward silence. Neither of them know what to talk to a teenage girl about.

"So how was your day with Flynn?" My dad carefully avoids the word "date".

"It was good. We went into the woods."

"The woods?" Rebecca thinks I'm weird already. Great.

"Yeah, we climbed trees and stuff."

"Aren't you seventeen?"

"Yes, I am."

I don't like Rebecca. She's cynical, her voice annoys me, she's snooty. To put it simply, I think she's a bitch.

"And Harry was like 'These croutons are not up to standard!' so I said to him-"

"May I be excused?" I need to get out of here. Too much adult conversation.

"Where are you going?" Dad asks.