VALOROUS (A Quantum Novel)(59)

“It makes me feel even more exceptionally lucky than I already felt to have been born to Max and Estelle. Until I met you, the greatest stroke of luck in my life was having them as my parents.” He cups my cheek and runs his thumb over my face. “I don’t want you to spend one second worrying about me thinking less of you because of who you come from. I think the world of you. You have to know that.”

“I do, but thank you for reminding me.”

“Any time you need a reminder, you let me know.”

“I keep thinking about my sisters and what we said at the end of the interview. Do you think they’ll try to get in touch with me? What if they don’t even see it or if they haven’t heard the news about me?”

“They’ve heard, and they’ll see it, and they’ll call. Of course they will.”

“I can’t get my hopes up.”

“If you don’t hear from them, I’ll put someone on finding them.”

“You will? Really?”


“Yes, I will. What happened between you and your parents had nothing to do with them. We’ll find them and we’ll set the record straight with them. You want your sisters in your life, you’ll have your sisters in your life. Damn it.”

I smile at him, loving him for loving me so fiercely.

Our first morning as husband and wife was as sweet and tender as our first night. Like last night, he went out of his way to keep from doing anything that could possibly trigger a flashback. He was a perfect gentleman in every possible way. Despite the satisfying conclusion for both of us, I was left wanting more.

After seeing him unhinged and lost in the passion we generate together, I’m saddened to know that he’ll be holding that back every time he touches me from now on.

I think about the therapist who was so instrumental in helping me put my life back together after the assault. I spent two years seeing him three times a week before I changed my name and left for college. I haven’t spoken to him again since then, but I’m tempted to call him to help me navigate this new relationship with Flynn.

The first chance I get, I’ll reach out to him. I need all the help I can get in trying to be the wife Flynn needs and deserves.

Our arrival back in LA is uneventful. We land in a secure area of the airport, and after handing Fluff over to the security detail, we take off on Flynn’s motorcycle with helmets covering our faces and concealing our identities. As we fly down the freeway, I begin to understand why he feels so free when he’s driving and even more so on the bike. Pressed up against him, holding on tight to the man I love, I’m able to let go of a lot of the worries that have occupied my mind in recent days. It’s hard to think about anything else when you’re on the “four-oh-five,” as they call it here, with your legs wrapped around the biggest movie star in the world, who also happens to be your gorgeous new husband.

My life today might bear no resemblance whatsoever to the unassuming life I was leading two short weeks ago, but if I had it to do over again, I wouldn’t change a single thing about it. I’ve reinvented myself before and survived. This time, I’m not alone. This time, I have the love of the most exceptional man to hold my hand as I navigate my way through these uncharted waters.

Because Flynn’s house in the Hollywood Hills is overrun by reporters, we return to Hayden’s Malibu beach house. We pass a relaxing afternoon by the pool with Fluff. That evening, we throw together dinner on the grill and down a bottle of chardonnay before we settle in to watch the broadcast of the interview with Carolyn.

She has evidently filmed a new lead-in that includes the photo we released last night and the news of our marriage. “The Internet is literally on fire today with the news that the world’s most eligible bachelor is officially off the market as of last night. The word that Flynn Godfrey married Natalie Bryant in Las Vegas took Twitter by storm last night after his publicist released the news with a single sentence and a single photograph. I had the distinct honor and privilege to talk with Flynn and the amazing woman who is now his wife. After hearing her story, I think you’ll see why Flynn changed his mind about getting married again.”

Flynn holds my hand, and Fluff is curled up in her favorite place in my lap as I watch myself with a detached sense of disbelief. Is that really me on national television, being interviewed by none other than Carolyn Justice?

“You sound great, sweetheart,” he says. “The whole country will be as in love with you as I am after this.”

“I’m not sure how I feel about that,” I reply with a nervous laugh.

“You know, the upside is you can do anything you want, be anyone you want to be. The door will swing open to you in ways you can’t begin to imagine.”

“I’m not sure how I feel about that either.”

“You don’t have to decide now. The word ‘no’ becomes your best friend. You say yes to the things that interest you and no to the things that don’t. You can take full advantage of your newfound fame to promote the foundation. The bottom line is with fame comes opportunity. I’m sure my management team will be hit with a slew of calls about you.”

“Wow, seriously?”

“Yep. But don’t worry about it. They’ll screen it all and bring only the most interesting stuff to us.”

“I’m having trouble wrapping my mind around this.”