Valorous(13)

Sue whispers in my ear, “I thought you’d want to know that your sexy friend has paid for breakfast and lunch for every kid in the school for the remainder of the year.”

I’m staggered by this information as Sue squeezes my arm and leaves me reeling.

Leah is the last one to depart. “I f*cking hate this,” she says with her usual bluntness.

“Me, too.”

“I’m going to miss you and Fluff so much.”

“We’ll miss you, too. Maybe you can come see us in LA?”

“I’d love to.” She pauses and clears her throat. “I want you to know… The way you’re handling this is so admirable. I’d be rolled up in the fetal position if any of this shit happened to me, but you… You’re amazing, Nat. We all think so, and I just wanted you to know that.”

I hug her tightly. “You’ve been the best friend I’ve had in years. Thank you for my little slice of normal in our cozy apartment. I’ll never forget it.”

“Me either. But you won’t get rid of me that easily. I’ll drive you crazy texting you every day.”

“Please do.”

I release her, and she hugs Flynn.

“You’re the nicest movie star I’ve ever met, and if I didn’t love Nat so much, I’d be green with envy.”

Laughing at her typical cheekiness, he says, “Thanks for everything today and for being such a good friend to Natalie. We’ll see you soon.”

“I’ll look forward to it.” She steals one more hug from me before she leaves.

Addie has taken Fluff out to pee, so Flynn and I are left alone in the room. I place my hands on his chest and look up at him. “Thank you so much for this. It’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

“Least I could do.”

“You’re not still blaming yourself, are you?” I ask with a teasing smile.

The deep sigh that escapes from him as he hugs me says it all. “I wanted you to have closure with the kids if things don’t work out with the school.”

“I’m so glad I got to see them and try to explain what’s happening. I’d hate for them to think I left because of them for some reason.”

“You were great with them. They’ll never forget you.”

“I hope not. And you… paying for breakfast and lunch for every kid in the school… Flynn, my God!”

He shrugs. “You know how I feel about hungry kids,” he says gruffly.

I hug him. “You’re amazing. Truly. I love you so much for doing that.”

Wrapped up in his arms with his forehead resting on my shoulder, I feel the tension beating through him. He’s like a live wire that’s been set loose in a tight space. I worry what will happen when his rage boils over. But not for one second am I afraid for myself. Mostly I’m afraid for him.

Addie returns with Fluff. “Are you guys ready to go?”

Flynn glances at me.

I take a look around the room that was recently filled with people who mean the world to me. And then I take the hand of the man who has come to mean everything to me. “Yeah, let’s go.” Other than a few close friends with whom I’ll stay in touch, there’s nothing here for me anymore.





Seeing Natalie with her kids has toughened my resolve to fix this for her somehow, some way. I’m not used to being told there’s nothing I can do. There’s always something that can be done, and I’m going to fight the injustice that’s been perpetrated upon Natalie with everything I’ve got. I’m sure I’ve driven my friend and attorney Emmett to drink today with at least twenty phone calls looking for updates that have been slow in coming.

He’s been in touch with the Nebraska Bar Association about the scumbag lawyer, David Rogers. Emmett also has a private investigator looking into Rogers, and so far they’ve discovered that the lawyer was up to his eyeballs in debt until a large deposit recently landed in his account.

He probably saw Natalie with me at the Golden Globes and thought he’d found a way out of his financial crisis. Well, he f*cked with the wrong movie star if he thinks he’s going to get away with ruining her life to enrich his own. I’m going to destroy him.

Natalie’s yelp of pain makes me realize I’m squeezing her hand a little too tightly.

Cuddled into a ball in Natalie’s lap, Fluff raises her head and shows me her ten teeth.