Defy the Stars by Sophie McKenzie Page B

help his mum and he’d only hurt me because he was a mess last year, not because he meant to be cruel or because he wanted someone
else. He’d left Bentham, so he was trying to put that mistake behind him. And he still loved me. He always had.
    ‘How are we going to do this?’ I said, leaning into him as we turned the corner on to the street where the party was being held.
    ‘However you like,’ Flynn said softly. ‘Maybe I could see you tomorrow? Take you out for tea?’
    ‘Take me for tea?’ I laughed. ‘You make us sound about ninety.’
    ‘Okay, then tell me what you want,’ Flynn said. ‘And we can do it next week or next month if tomorrow’s too soon.’
    ‘You’ll wait?’ I asked, gazing up at him.
    ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Forever.’
    We were just a few doors away from the party house now. I glanced over. No one was outside. I reached up and kissed his lips.
    His mouth opened hungrily and soon I was lost in a burning kiss, my whole body melting into him.
    It was several minutes before we finally stopped and I drew away. Flynn rubbed his forehead. His face was flushed, his eyes lit up. I filled with delicious pride that I had such an effect on
him.
    He looked up and shook his head. ‘Kissing you, Riv, it’s not like anything else in the world.’
    ‘Good.’ I smiled. ‘So tea . . . tomorrow?’
    Flynn nodded eagerly. ‘Where? Will you be back in Norton by then?’
    ‘No,’ I explained. ‘I’ll still be at Mum’s. Dad isn’t picking me up until evening.’
    ‘Okay, so somewhere near your mum’s then?’
    We stood talking for a moment, fixing on a time and a place, then we kissed once more and Flynn let me go. ‘Don’t forget I’ll still be watching over you,’ he called out
softly as I walked away.
    I went back into the party and wandered through the throng of people dancing, one minute thrilling with excitement at the memory of our kiss and the prospect of seeing Flynn properly tomorrow,
the next full of anxiety about how going out with him again could possibly work.
    Well, I wasn’t going to worry about that now. Tomorrow was just a toe in the water, a chance to see how we were outside all the drama of Cody and the debris from our previous
relationship.
    I saw Grace and James dancing in a group and headed over. For a moment I wondered where Flynn was right now. Was he really outside? Standing guard over me somewhere close by? Hidden from
everyone in here? Then I let the music take over and got lost in the dance.
    It was fun. More fun now that I knew where I stood with Flynn. I was actually surprised when Grace leaned over and said it was nearly 2.30 a.m. and she and James were going to go home and did I
want to share a cab?
    I agreed, somewhat reluctantly. Still, once I was safe back at Mum’s at least Flynn would hopefully get some rest from being my bodyguard.
    Grace went to say goodbye to someone while I waited with James at the front door. As I stood there, Emmi wandered over. She looked a bit tipsy, her lipstick smudged.
    ‘Can I have a word, River?’ she asked.
    ‘Sorry, Em, we’re leaving,’ I said. ‘Do you want a lift with us?’
    Emmi shook her head. She narrowed her eyes at James, who took the hint and backed away.
    As soon as he was a few metres across the room, Emmi leaned in close, whispering in my ear. ‘River,’ she said urgently. ‘What’s going on?’ Despite that smudged
lipstick, she didn’t sound drunk at all.
    I frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
    Emmi lowered her voice. ‘I saw you outside, walking up the road with Flynn.’ She narrowed her eyes. ‘You were kissing, like . . . like you were
totally
back together,
but you said you’d hardly seen him. What’s going on?’
    I stared at her. Of all the people in the world, Emmi, who had betrayed my secret about James and the nano-kiss to such devastating effect last year, was the last person I would have chosen to
confide in.
    ‘We’re not back together,’ I said, looking her straight in