Chapter 5
Quinn
H er scent precedes her. It kept me awake at night while I was overseas in a fucking tent with the rest of my unit.
I'd close my eyes and think about Cecily, the life we were going to have, and the future we should've had.
Since we were teenagers, that scent has been the same: coconut with a touch of spice.
It used to get me hard when I'd catch a whiff. Still does.
"Are you cooking?" Cecily asks as she comes through the back door, putting her bag on the catch all. She comes over to the island and stands on her tiptoes to watch as I finish seasoning the potatoes and then put the lid on the pan.
"Yeah, it's one of those things I learned how to do once we broke up." I smirk at her over my shoulder. Never mind that I had to. It was either that or starve. "And I'm hungry. Since you weren't here when I got home, I figured you took my advice."
She sighs heavily, closing her eyes. "I did, and I'm not going to lie. It pissed me off, what you said. But you also had a good point. I've been running scared..."
"Ehhh, wouldn't call it running, considering you were okay just to stay in this house."
"You know what I mean." She throws a dish towel at me. "I've let them get in my head. I've let them break me. That's not me. I never should've done that." Her jaw tightens.
Walking over to her, I grip the back of the chair so that I don't reach out and touch her.
"It's okay. We all have times in our lives when we'd rather curl up on the couch and wish the morning wouldn't come.
But the fact of the matter is, we need each other, Cec.
If I'm gonna fight, I need you to do it, too. "
"I know." She lifts her shoulder. "That part of me got lost. It's been that way since you left, Quinn.
I've put on a brave face, don't get me wrong.
People who know me well might not even notice, but I knew if you ever came back, you would.
" Her tongue slips from between her lips and travels over the dry skin there.
My fingers grip the chair harder.
"What's wrong?" she questions, giving me an odd look.
"I'm trying to remind myself that we aren't together anymore. That I don't have the right to kiss you. Old habits die hard, I guess."
Her eyes grow darker, and that tongue comes out again. "You do have the right, though, don't you? We're still married."
"What are you saying?" I whisper, scared of what might come out of her mouth.
"If you want to kiss me, Quinn? I wouldn't say no." Her voice is just as soft as mine.
Letting go of the top of the chair takes superhuman effort. "For old times’ sake?"
"If that's what you have to tell yourself, then sure. But I think there's still something between us that isn't finished. That night we broke up? It was the only time we ever fought and we went overboard. We walked away from each other. We weren't done, were we?"
The fuck I was. That night, right after I walked out that door, I wanted to turn around and go back in.
It was my pride. My stupid goddamn pride that kept me from apologizing.
She hadn't wanted me to join the military, but it was the only way I could see that we'd be able to make it.
In the end, because I walked away, it didn't even matter. "No, we weren't done."
Reaching forward, I cup her jaw with my palm, softly at first. Then I can't slow it down.
I tunnel my hand to the back of her neck, grab hold, and pull her mouth to mine.
Leaning down, I take the kiss. Working my lips against hers, forcing hers open so that I can sweep my tongue along hers.
She grips my waist with her fingers, digging her nails into my flesh.
We might have kissed for minutes or hours.
All I know is when we finally pull apart, Cecily puts her hand over those lips and runs for her bedroom.
As I turn, I know I should follow her, but unlike before, I think she needs this time alone. Cecily needs to come to grips that we aren't done, and so do I.
The next day I'm still thinking about that damn kiss. In fact, I was up most of the night thinking about it. Although we had dinner and acted like nothing happened or changed, everything has.
"How are you liking it?" Cam asks as he stands next to me in the library. "I started out as an SRO."
"It's not bad. The kids are interesting. The questions they ask blow my mind." I laugh, thinking about one I got this morning. "Like is there a database that has everyone's cell phone numbers in it and we can just search it willy-nilly. It's crazy."
"I know. Some of these kids are more conspiracy theorists than the adults."
I rock back on my heels as I watch the library door open.
"Ain't that right? Looks like they're coming in.
" I tilt my chin at where JT walks in with Emma, Cody, Troy, and his new baby sister.
Cam stands at attention, giving a wave to the family as JT takes a seat behind the table with his family behind him.
The space is decorated in blue and white, the colors of the University of Kentucky.
On the table there's a letter of intent, and in front of it is a group of media that's gathered around.
As I watch this go down, all I can think of is how amazing it would be to follow in my dad's footsteps the way JT's going to. Except, my dad gave up on me, which is why it hurt so much when Cecily did the same thing.