Chapter 22 – QUINN
QUINN
“I’ll have a decaf pumpkin spice latte with enough whipped cream to kill a cat and a drizzle of caramel over it.”
I choke on a laugh, and Skylar throws me a side-eye.
“What? Cats are lactose intolerant.”
“I know. Continue with your order.”
She shrugs at me and returns to the barista. “And two blueberry muffins, please.”
“Anything for you?” the lady asks.
“A venti coffee with cream and no sugar, please.” I push Skylar out of the way. “It’s on me. Your money is no good here.”
I get a wet kiss on my cheek. “You’re the best. I’ve got you next time.”
“Name me godmother, and we’re good.”
She laughs only to wince and grab her belly. “God, this girl loves to kick me.”
“Go sit down. Get off your feet.” I point to our friends who are tucked around a large table in the corner already with their coffees since they got here before us. “I’ll bring it to you.”
She heads to the table, and I move over to the side where pickup is. My phone vibrates in my purse, and I pull it out only to groan.
Russel: What are you doing tonight?
Seriously? I’m at my end with this. The guy doesn’t know when to quit. Since opening night, he’s texted nearly every day. The number of times his father has texted since our date? Zero. I haven’t replied to Russel, but this is getting out of hand.
Me: Why do you keep texting me?
Russel: Because I miss you and want to hang out. We could get dinner at that little Greek restaurant near where you used to live. You loved that place.
Me: I’m not going on a date with you.
Russel: Whoa, slow down, friend. Who said anything about a date?
Despite myself, I laugh.
Me: I’m washing my hair tonight.
Russel: Need a hand?
Me: Nope. All set.
Russel: It’s just dinner, Quinn. Please. I asked your brothers, and they said they were good with it.
I narrow my eyes at that.
I turn my head and yell out, not even caring that we’re in a decently crowded Starbucks on a Friday evening. “Yo, Crew, were you chatting with the jackhole?”
He looks puzzled. “Jackhole?”
I roll my eyes and pan my hand around the shop. There are children here. “Your least favorite sport boy.”
He grunts and lifts his protein shake that he’s not technically supposed to have in here but since he’s Crew Reyes and he has a game this Sunday in Cleveland, no one is going to stop him.
“Yes,” he grumbles. “He gave me the 'I just want to be her friend’ speech. I don’t like that either, but at least he’s not going to hurt you.”
My eyebrows hit my hairline, and he tosses a hand up.
“What? I’m trying to be a team player. That’s what Coach said we all had to be. I also told the jackhole that if he touches you or looks at you too much or says anything he shouldn’t or even comes within a foot and a half of you, I’d break his fingers one by one.”
I shake my head at my brother and return to my phone.
Me: I’m at Starbucks in Back Bay with my friends. Maybe another time.
“Order for Skylar?”
“Thanks.” I grab our order and head over to the table. I set everything down and take a seat beside Hayes, who’s texting away on his phone, his expression tight and aggravated. “Drug deal go wrong?” I tease.
“Huh?” He looks up and chuckles. “Oh, no. It’s Helene. She’s asking when we can announce the engagement.”
“The what?” all of us cry out at once.
He sets his phone down and drags his hands through his hair. “Why do you think I wanted us to meet somewhere public? It’s safer for me this way.”
“Because you knew we’d kick your ass?” Roman questions, sipping an espresso.
“Something like that. Stop giving me those looks. She makes sense. Marrying her is what I have to do, and she’s not that bad. Some moments she’s decently great.”
“Wow,” Braelyn deadpans. “Decently great.” She smacks Roman’s chest. “How come you never say such loving and romantic things about me?”
He sputters out a laugh and quirks a brow at Hayes as if to say, yeah, that was pretty bad.
“Whatever. It’s done. We’re engaged. We’re also considering a New Year’s Eve wedding just to be assholes like that.”
“Can it be somewhere warm at least?” Forest asks, “If we have to watch you make the mistake of your life and marry the wrong woman, at least we should get somewhere warm and tropical out of it.”
Crew points at Forest. “What he said. Though I have a game on the second so somewhere not too far.”
Hayes sighs. “It’s local, and there’ll be two weddings. One here and one in Paris.”
“Paris,” Forest repeats. “Yeah, that won’t be awkward.”
“Well, I’ll be there since we open my Frankfurt restaurant next month, and after that it’s on to Paris for me.” Roman drops his arm around Braelyn. “I bet I can even convince Brae to come too. You won’t be alone.”
“Thanks, man. You have no idea how much I appreciate that. But can we please talk about something else? Anything else? You know about it. You’re my best men. It’s going to be a massive event that already makes my skin crawl. I need your support.”
I put my hand on his shoulder. “You’ve got it. We’re here for you. We get it. We just wish you were happily getting married instead of doing it for empire reasons.”
He shrugs, holding his coffee between his hands as he stares down at it. “We don’t always get to be with the one we want.”
Ain’t that the truth.
“This is turning into a bad country song,” Crew teases. “We do get to do a bachelor party, right?”
“Now you’re talking.” Hayes fist bumps the guys, and Brae, Skylar, and I roll our eyes. Men.
My phone vibrates again, and I curse. I swear, if it’s Russel…
Thankfully it’s not. It’s my mother, but her text isn’t what I want to read.
Mom: Hate to do this to you, but the ortho from the opposing team has the flu. We’ll need you to travel with the team and cover since a doctor needs to be on the field.
I grunt in dismay.
Me: There’s this invention called Tamiflu.
Mom: Come on, Quinn.
Except I don’t want to travel with the team. The least amount of time I have to spend with them, the better. It’s been almost three weeks since my last encounter with Rhett, and I’m trying to let it all go. I’ve even thought about possibly going on a date or two just to shake him out of my system.
Me: Fine, boss. I’ll go. Remember this on my next birthday when you take me shopping.
Mom: Love you!
“What? What is it?” Crew asks, angling his body to see my phone.
“It’s Mom. Looks like I’ll be traveling with you tomorrow.”
A smile lights up his face, making his green eyes sparkle. “Nice. You're our good luck charm. We won our first two games with you there.”
“That was hardly my doing, but I hope my presence brings you luck.”
“You always bring luck,” a voice says from behind me, and I tense, knowing that voice anywhere.
“What are you doing here?” I ask without turning to look at him.
“You mentioned you were here and that’s why you couldn’t have dinner with me. I live a few blocks over, so it was perfect. Hi everyone. Crew.”
Crew gives him a slight head nod, but there’s no love between them.
“May I join you?”
“No,” everyone says at once, and I laugh. That’s love. That’s loyalty. I twist up to Russel with a what can you do shrug.
He grins. “Okay. Okay. I get it, and I deserve it. For what it’s worth, if it’s worth anything to you at all, I’m sorry I hurt your friend. I was stupid and selfish and young.”
Jaws drop around the table. Yeah, he’s been planting that on me too.
“I won’t ruin your coffee, but Quinn, can we talk? Two minutes? That’s all.”
I hesitate.
“Friends, remember? Please.” He holds his hands up in supplication and gives me puppy dog eyes.
“Ugh. Fine. Two minutes.”
I get up, leaving my coffee behind because I won’t be long, and follow him outside to the street. The weather is still mild if not pleasant, and we step off to the side and lean against the building.
“What’s up? What made you stalk me down here?”
“I told you. I miss you.”
I huff, feeling my frustration with this rise.
I’m a fool, me once, but never twice, girl, and I don’t like the idea of him worming his way back in.
Because yeah, I loved him. I did. And he’s saying and doing all the right things.
But that doesn’t mean I trust him, and that doesn’t mean I want to be that girl again.
“Russel, how can you miss me when I haven’t been part of your life for years? What are you doing with me? None of this makes sense.”
His soft brown eyes cling to me. “I always missed you, Quinn. The years apart and the distance never changed that. You’re the girl I should have always been with.
You’re perfect and I fucked up. Sometimes life has to teach you about your mistakes but I’m working to fix them all and you’re part of that. ”
I blink, unsure what that means, but he persists.
“You don’t return my messages, or you blow me off, so I have no choice but to show up.”
I fold my arms. Life can be so unfair. The wrong Jones is trying to get my attention.
“Dinner. One dinner,” he pleads. “We can make it easy and casual. I just want a chance to prove to you that I’ve changed.”
I shake my head, watching people as they go past us on the sidewalk.
“Think about it. Okay?” He tilts his head and peers at me through his lashes. “I want a second chance.”
I glare. “I thought you said friends.”
He gives me that insufferable cocky smirk. “Friends. With potential.”
“I’m not sure that’s what we are.”
“Listen, as you know, I’m leaving tomorrow—”
“I’m traveling with you. The opposing team’s ortho surgeon has the flu.”
A smile curls up his lips until all his teeth are on display. “That’s great! We can talk more tomorrow or after the game on the plane. Maybe grab some dinner.”
“I don’t—”
“You’re going to think about it. Remember?
” He pulls me away from the wall and hugs me, holding me impossibly tight.
Except it doesn’t feel the same as it does when Rhett touches me, and I fear I’ll continue to compare every guy to him for way longer than I should.
After a few seconds, I push him back, and he leans in and kisses the corner of my lips.
I glare and shove past him to head back inside.
I don’t want him kissing me like that.
I have no clue why he’s giving me the full court press. He hasn’t so much as reached out in four years, and before that, he walked away with a text. More than that, and I know this is crazy, but it almost makes me feel like I’m betraying Rhett.
The reality is, the Jones boys are bad for my heart and head. The sooner I’m done with this assignment and don’t have to see either again, the better.
I’m not looking forward to this weekend.