The Flynn Effect

55.5 | slow dancing part II

Jo

DANIEL CORRIGAN STALKS towards us, looking entirely different in a black three piece suit and brown loafers with his blonde hair slicked back completely, no strand out of place. He's always dressed in some sort of sweater, shirt and pants so I'm a little surprised he doesn't look like a Valedictorian today.

"Josephine," he starts, completely ignoring Carter's presence next to me. "You look stunning."

"Thanks," I say genuinely. "You also look, um, stunning yourself."

He smiles that mega-watt smile but it doesn't do anything to me anymore. "Can we talk?"

"Sure."

When Carter doesn't move, he reluctantly drags his gaze to him. "Alone preferably."

I playfully shove Carter on the ribs and he sighs before raising both his hands and walking away.

"I just realized I didn't apologize for the last time."

My brows furrow against each other. "What last time?"

"At the game? I was so out of line and I apologize for that."

I shake my head. "I'd completely forgotten about that. Sure you were a dick for lying but that's all in the past now. You don't need to apologize."

He smiles uncertainly and rubs the nape of his neck. "Also I'm sorry for leading you on even when I knew you had feelings for me. I always knew and I took advantage of that sometimes."

"Right," I say feeling a little bit embarrassed. "If you'd told me this sometime ago, I could have been mad but I don't really care right now. It's all good. It's just not a nice thing to do, though. You shouldn't do it with other girls. I thought you were actually interested in my writing, you know? I didn't think you'd plan to use me or something."

He looks guilty now. "I—"

I cut him off. "I bet you never even took a peek at my work, did you?"

He sighs and curves his lips into an inconvenient smile. "It didn't cross my mind."

I almost laugh. "Sure it didn't."

I'm not angry or sad. I'm just a little bit disappointed at myself that I used to like him.

"Look, I just want to put all of that behind us. You seem like a great person, Jo. I think we'd be good friends."

"I'm not holding any grudges but I think I've got enough friends in my life right now."

He looks like I just kicked him out of my house and sent him away under the rain. He looks back at me and nods. "Very well, then."

He smiles again and I smile back and then he leaves.

"Well, that looked intense." I hear Carter say and when I turn around, he's not alone. Flynn's beside him and both of them are oblivious to the looks they're receiving from the girls around. Or they're aware and are just ignoring it.

Flynn pulls me towards him with a wanton grin and spins me around. "I hope you're not bored."

"I'm not," I say, placing my hands on his chest. "How's Ellie? Is she good?"