Defy the Stars Read Online Free Page A

twenty-something bridesmaid. Was that his girlfriend? Hot, angry jealousy filled me to the tips of my fingers. I tore my gaze away,
staring down at my shoes.
    As Flynn passed I could feel he was looking at me again, but I forced myself to keep my eyes on the floor.
    The organ music finished and the guests headed out of the church. I turned to Michael.
    ‘I . . . I’d like to leave now,’ I said.
    ‘You mean go home?’ Michael frowned. ‘What about the party?’ he said.
    ‘I’m not feeling well,’ I lied.
    Michael nodded, his trusting face filling with concern. ‘It’s really hot in here. Why don’t we go outside for a moment, see if that helps you feel better?’
    We headed outside. The sun was high and bright in a clear blue sky, the air warmer than when we’d gone into the church. I kept my gaze down, hanging back by the church wall. Michael
disappeared to find the toilets, saying that if I wasn’t feeling better when he came back we should call my dad to come and pick us up.
    I closed my eyes letting the sun warm my face. It had been such a mistake to come here. What had I been thinking? Flynn was with someone else. He might still throw me an intense stare but that
was probably just curiosity. Or boredom.
    ‘River?’
    My heart jumped into my throat. I opened my eyes. Flynn was standing in front of me. His green-gold eyes were almost emerald in the sunshine. There was a small scar by his top lip. He was
looking down at me with a softness in his gaze that made my stomach flip over and over.
    ‘Hi there.’ The words came out all strangled: ‘hghnn’.
    Flynn smiled, a slow, easy grin. My insides melted. No, this was
awful.
Everything I had ever felt for him was flooding back.
    ‘I’m so glad you came,’ he said softly. ‘I told Siob she had to invite you.’ He paused. ‘You look the same, only better.’
    I stared up at his face. There were fine lines around his eyes that hadn’t been there before. His face was slightly thinner too. My head spun.
    ‘You look the same, only older,’ I said.
    Flynn laughed.
    The dark-haired bridesmaid appeared out of nowhere. She handed Flynn a small make-up bag.
    ‘Look after this, will you, we’re doing photos?’
    ‘Sure. Hey, Izzy, this is River.’
    Izzy smiled at me, clearly distracted. ‘Hey,’ she said.
    She turned away. My whole being filled with jealousy again. So much for imagining I’d be able to chat easily and happily with Flynn’s new girlfriend. I wanted to weep. All the
feelings I’d thought I had buried were rearing up again, consuming me: jealousy . . . desire . . . love . . .
    ‘Is that your . . . ?’
    ‘No.’ Flynn’s eyes widened. ‘No way. Izzy’s one of Siob’s oldest friends. I’ve known her since I was a little kid. I don’t have a
girlfriend.’
    ‘Oh.’ My heart leaped with joy, then with shame at the fact that I was so pleased. I could feel myself blushing. I chattered on, trying to cover my confusion.
    ‘Oh, I see. It’s just . . . um . . . in Siobhan’s note about the wedding she said you were coming with a friend?’
    ‘Yeah, that’s Cody.’ Flynn indicated a tall, straight-backed boy with spiky, pale brown hair, charting to two girls a few metres away. ‘He’s . . . we kind of work
together.’
    ‘Doing what?’ It felt surreal to be asking Flynn such questions but in the back of my mind I was thinking that it was good we were talking like this. Small talk. It was how we needed
to be now. There would be this short conversation, then I would go. And that would be that.
    Flynn waved his hand. ‘Stuff,’ he said. ‘Work’s boring. Tell me about you. How’s the commune? Your dad? Gemma? I heard they’re having a baby.’
    ‘That’s right,’ I said. ‘In a few weeks.’
    ‘What about Leo?’ Flynn’s face darkened slightly.
    ‘He’s fine,’ I said. ‘Everyone’s fine.’ There was a pause. ‘I’m busy at school. I help out at the commune, work most Saturdays in Norton at a