Chapter 21 #2
The stitch went away, and Quinn sighed happily, sinking back into the bed and going limp. “You’re not wrong, which is why I’m pretty sure I’m already fucking up by going through with it.”
Silence followed—and in that silence, Quinn and Bea stared at each other, allowing a moment for feelings to be conveyed through expression instead of words.
“The sex was good?” Bea asked.
“The sex was great,” Quinn admitted. “He was a lot more…willing to do things that he hadn’t done before.”
She nodded, and Quinn realized that this conversation was slowly shifting into an interrogation. “And you didn’t mind being around him? He didn’t give you the ick, or upset you in any way?”
Quinn shook his head, sending his hair scattering.
“If anything, he’s been pretty vulnerable around me.
He used to be arrogant and bullheaded, but he’s been sweet during all our conversations.
Yeah, sure, some of the stubbornness popped up, but never to the level it used to be.
I think he’s dealing with something—probably realizing that his freaky, religious mother can’t control him anymore.
So, I think seeing me reminded him that he can be his own person. Does that make sense?”
“It does,” said Bea. “And you think the reason he ghosted you was that his mother didn’t approve?”
Quinn had a list of reasons why August chose to stop talking to him, but it all boiled down to—
“His dad died the same day he ghosted me,” said Quinn.
“I thought that was the reason for the longest time. He didn’t come back to school, and no one knew where he was.
I wasn’t mad until I heard he moved with his mom to a different province and was dating a new girl less than a month after he slept with me. ”
Bea didn’t say anything. She waited patiently, allowing Quinn to say what he needed.
“He got drafted to the NHL when he was eighteen. I followed his socials for a long time because I wanted to understand why he threw me away, but when he started going through girlfriends every other week, I stopped paying attention. It fucked me up because I truly thought he loved me, but seeing him with so many people led me to believe he had been a psychopath the whole time, which turned the sadness into anger, and then into hate.”
“And you had no idea he was on Eren’s team?” Bea asked.
Quinn scoffed. “The night you and I met, and we took the kids down to greet their dads—that was the first time I’d seen him since he stopped talking to me.”
Bea’s mouth formed the shape of a perfect ‘O’, and Quinn gave her a weak smile.
“So, like, what possessed you to sleep with him?” Bea flipped her hair over her shoulder, as if she needed to see Quinn unobstructed to help her solve the mystery. “I know you said you’re doing it to get back at him, but you’re telling me you’re not a bad person, and I believe you, so why?”
Quinn had been asking himself the same thing, but he didn’t have an answer, so gripping his hair and growling in frustration felt like an appropriate response.
“Do you still love him?”
Wasn’t that the fucking question of the year?
“No?” Quinn grimaced at how unsure he sounded, so he cleared his throat and tried again.
“No.”
“Bullshit,” said Bea.
“Is not!”
“It is!” Bea jabbed him on the cheek, narrowly avoiding his eye. “You’re so cute, but so dumb. You can lie to yourself in the mirror all you want, Quinn Harlow, but I know the truth.”
Quinn was tempted to call Logan and tell him to collect his wife, but that would have been a petty move. He didn’t think Eren would be thrilled if one of his teammates showed up to carry her out, either.
“It’s hard to hate someone when they’re like…August. My memories built him into a monster who lurks inside my mind, and at the charity ball, I thought I would get that version of him, but…”
Quinn sighed and dropped his arms back onto the bed.
“He’s not like that,” he said softly. “He looks lost and scared, and I’m a fucking bleeding heart who always tries to take care of everyone.”
Bea hummed and brought her thumb to her lips to nibble on the manicured nail. “Did he apologize for what he did?”
“He did,” said Quinn. “And he told me not to forgive him.”
A noise of surprise caught in her throat. “Well, that’s…yeah, I can see why you’re so torn up about this.”
Good, so he wasn’t totally crazy.
“Here’s what we’re going to do,” said Bea, and she shoved herself onto her elbows so she could get back into a sitting position.
“We’re going to drink more alcohol, eat all the snacks, and finish watching our shows.
Then, when we’re sober, we’ll rehash this.
We’ll have plenty of time to talk once you enroll the girls on the local Timbits team, like I told you to. ”
“You did?” Quinn couldn’t remember that conversation, but he was a little messed up at the moment.
“Yup.” Bea clapped her hands excitedly. “I told you about my girlfriend, Indigo, and her little boy, who’s Emira and Alara’s age? She goes on the weekends, and she convinced me to sign Tate up. I know he’s young, but he wants to be like his dad—and the girls have said the same thing.”
They had. Multiple times. Despite Quinn trying everything he could to get them interested in arts and crafts instead.
“We can hang out every weekend when you’re not with Eren, and sort the mess that is your love life,” Bea continued, not giving Quinn a chance to wiggle out of it.
“All I ask in return for my investment in this situation is either the Maid of Honour role at your wedding, or permission to be your backup if you decide to break things off with August. I happen to be very good at writing strongly worded text messages and dishing out firm phone calls if need be.”
Quinn laughed and sat up so he could bump shoulders with her. “You’re working your way into my number one best friend position.”
He held his smile as he waited for Bea to process what he had said, laughing again when she glowered at him.
“Who the hell has first place?”
“Eren,” said Quinn, like it was the most obvious answer.
This time, he didn’t raise his arms fast enough when she threw a pillow in his face.