Chapter 15: Sue me (Claire's POV)
So, apparently, Flynn never came home last night because he is nowhere to be seen and has not been seen by Leo or me since yesterday, which can only mean... he never came home and stayed with Aesha instead.
I was busy making a french toast while Leo sat at the counter when the front door beeped and then opened. I looked up and saw Flynn walking in, seeming zoned out, grinning like an idiot. Leo and I looked at each other knowingly. "Hey, Flynn," I sang.
He snapped out of it and noticed us, tripping over thin air but catching himself. "H-hi," he stammered.
"Hello," Leo nodded at him, "Where have you been my friend?" He arched an eyebrow at Flynn before chuckling and shaking his head. I smiled at him even though he wasn't looking.
"Okay, um what the hell did you do to him?" Flynn asked me while pointing at Leo.
"I stayed persistent and annoyed the shit out of him. French toast?" I asked, sliding Leo's plate over to him.
"Oh yeah, sure." Flynn sat beside him and they began chatting like long lost best friends.
I thought I'd go sit on the couch, give them a minute. Flynn was busy ranting on and on about Aesha. I smiled while grabbing my plate and going to walk past Leo. He listened to Flynn the whole time but before I could walk past him, he grabbed my wrist without even looking and pulled me back.
I looked at him in confusion and he nodded at the barstool opposite to his. I rolled my eyes with a smile and went and sat down, listening in to Flynn fangirl over Aesha.
I'm telling her everything he says. It's so cute.
I wish I could say I was paying attention to everything Flynn said, but I wasn't. I was staring at Leo.
Ohhh, don't do it. Don't do it, Claire.
I don't want to admit it.
Don't admit it.
It's not like not admitting it makes it untrue.
Try, sweetheart.
Go to hell.
I like him. Oh my god, I liked him. Like a lot. Like a lot a lot. I don't put in the effort to make someone smile like that, all right? Especially the amount of effort I put in for this idiot.
He's so stubborn and so annoying, but he's keeping me safe. He's making sure I'm comfortable here, he's paying attention to everything I do.
That's so you don't kill yourself on accident.
I don't care, at least he's looking.
I liked everything about him. Everything. Even the parts I wasn't supposed to. I liked how his eyes felt on me when I wasn't looking. But I know I have to get it in control. I'm not supposed to like him. The smile just pushed me over the edge. Sue me. I like Leo Jackson. Sue me.
After breakfast, I did the dishes as promised and then Flynn went to freshen up and Leo stayed downstairs. He walked over to me and stood behind me while I rinsed my hands and dried them before turning to him.
"I have to head out in ten minutes, Flynn already knows."
"Where are you going?"
"I have to collect some money and drop it off at my dad's and I'm meeting your dad as well."
"My dad?" My brows furrowed in confusion. He nodded in response. "Why?" I asked.
"He wants to see me. Ask about you in person and we have to plan something."
"Plan?"
"For your safety," he replied.
I rolled my eyes, "This is as safe as one can get," I threw the rag on the counter, "I'm sick of being locked up, I don't like being Rapunzel anymore," I whined.
"That makes you the long lost princess. Just relish that," he shrugged before grabbing his keys and phone. No wonder he got dressed as soon as he woke up. "I'll be back in roughly an hour. You are not allowed to answer the door at all. Flynn will do it," he glared at me.
"Yes, sir," I sighed.
"Bye," he nodded before leaving, the door locking with a click behind him.
"I don't have a Pascal," I mumbled to myself. I looked around, my eyes settling on the stairs. "I do have a Flynn though. Just not my Flynn Rider. Flynn!" I yelled.
He came rushing out. "What? What happened?" he asked, looking around in a panic.
"Nothing, I'm bored," I laughed. He came downstairs and walked up to me, glaring the whole time. "Call Aesha, please," I smiled.
He turned slightly pink, "No. Not today. Leo isn't here and I can't go get her."
"She can come on her own," I shrugged.
"Someone might follow her looking for you. That's why she's not allowed to come here on her own." He shot me a pointed look.
My mouth formed an 'O' as I nodded in understanding. "Mario kart?"
"I'm winning this time."
"The only person who beat me is Leo. And I beat him the second time too," I said while grabbing the controller.
"Challenge me in Call Of Duty and we'll see who wins," he scoffed.
"I think I'll stick to Mario," I laughed.
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Flynn and I spent the entire day playing Mario kart and him asking me questions about Aesha. He liked her, more than I thought he did. He actually really wants to get to know her and I bet she does too because she's called him about fifteen thousand times now.
I closed and locked the backyard door behind me. I went outside to get some air and I didn't swim but I did dip my legs in and hang out by the pool for a while. When I came back in and closed the door I heard a beep. The backyard door doesn't beep.
"What the-" I mumbled, looking at the door.
I heard someone laughing and when I looked forward, I could see Leo leaning against the front door, trying to stifle a laugh. I glared at him while he cleared his throat, coughing. "Hello," he nodded, hanging his keys on the coat hanger.
"Hello," I said mockingly, walking over to him.
"Where's Flynn?" he asked.
"Somewhere talking to Aesha probably," I shrugged while grabbing the grocery bag he brought. I opened it and grinned, "You got me M&M's and Cheetos?"
He shrugged, "He didn't bring them last time." I hugged him and he pushed me off. "We're not there yet, princess. Dial it down."
I rolled my eyes before taking out a packet of M&M's and eating them one by one. "Did you go see my dad?" I asked, following him to the kitchen.
You follow him around like a puppy, Claire.
But everyone likes puppies...
"Yes, I did."
"What'd he say?" I asked. He must have stopped walking because I looked up from my packet and crashed right into his back. I scrunched up my nose while stepping back. "What did he say?" I repeated.
"Not much. He was just asking if you're okay, if you trouble me," he shot me a pointed look.
"What did you say?"
"I said yes, you're killing me." I rolled my eyes in response. "And he said Theo dropped by looking for you."
I dropped my M&M. "What?" I looked up at him. He nodded while opening the fridge and grabbing himself a water bottle. "Why is he looking for me?"
"That's not the important question," he said while sitting down on a barstool. "The important question is: Why hasn't he told Seth that you're Jack Brookes' daughter yet?" He lifted an eyebrow at me like I would know the answer to that.
"I don't know," I shrugged, going back to enjoying my M&M's. He sighed before snatching the packet. "Hey, I-"
"Why do you think he hasn't told him yet?"
"How am I supposed to know?" I huffed, trying to get my M&M's back.
"You know him better than I do or your dad does. What do you think?" he asked.
I sighed and fell into thought. "It could be a few things," I shrugged.
He pulled the packet further away when I reached for it. "Like?" he questioned.
"Like," I huffed, "He's looking for information he needs from me."
"Or?"
"Or he doesn't want Seth finding me."
"Why wouldn't he want Seth to find you?"
I huffed, snatching the packet back. "Because as much of an asshole he is," I handed him a red M&M, "He's not gonna throw me under the bus. He actually liked me."
He glowered at me when I met his eyes.
"As a person," I narrowed my eyes at him. "We were friends before anything else. He's not a bad guy, just- yeah no, he is a bad guy. I'm just on his good side," I shrugged. He fell into thought. "Let me meet him," I said.
He simply scoffed in response.
"I'll be the bait. Get the information and actually interact with other humans on the planet." I looked up at him with puppy-eyes.
"That's not gonna work. Especially for this. You're not meeting him. Nope."
I guess not then.
Darn it.
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.
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Chapter fifteen
Leo did turn a full 180 tho. I'm glad I made him smile a little bit.
next chapter: permission
let's make him smile a little more