Chapter Fifty-One
Quinn - Present Day
He loves me?!
He loves me?!
OH MY GOD, HE FUCKING LOVES ME!
We’ve cancelled the rest of the ketamine therapy for the day.
My brain is fried. I’m overstimulated, and I think I just need some fresh air.
So we’re taking Ted to the beach. The days are getting warmer, but still not warm enough to swim in the sea.
So, I’ve donned a pair of cycling shorts, my vans, and of course, one of Bones’ trusty hoodies.
Today’s is Sleep Token themed, and probably my favourite so far.
“I’ll give you one thing, you look fucking sexy in my clothes.”
“Is it a kink for men to see women in their clothes?” I ask.
“I don’t know. Is it a kink for women to see men in a white T-shirt and grey tracksuit bottoms?” he retorts.
“Touché, motherfucker.”
“My mother is dead, in case you forgot; that sounds unhygienic."
He has this smirk that makes me want to equal parts wipe it off of his face, and equal parts sit on his face with the hopes he suffocates just so I can give him the kiss of life.
I’m such a fucking goner for this man; it’s unreal.
He opens his car door for me to slide in, and Ted jumps into the back. We’re stocked with a picnic basket, fresh water for Ted and plenty of balls to play fetch. Towels to lie on, and there’s a box inside the picnic basket with my name on it. I hate surprises, but I love presents.
He turns the key, cranks the engine, and it roars to life. Holy fuck, it sounds sexual. “I have a confession to make,” I say.
“What’s that?” he asks.
“I would one hundred per cent leave you for this car.”
He pretends to look offended. “Good job that what’s mine is yours then.”
“You really mean it?”
“Magpie, there is nothing I want more in this lifetime than to share everything with you. But first, you need to feel the sea breeze in your hair, eat sandwiches with sand in them and snuggle with me on a towel until the sun sets.”
We’re almost at the beach when I realise I forgot my book. “Damn it! My book is at the house.”
“Don’t worry, Little Magpie. I have something that can keep you occupied.”
I quirk my brow. “Really? In public, already?”
He laughs at me. “Now who’s the pervert?”
“Well, what would you think?”
“I would think you meant we could play Hopscotch or Hangman.”
“Yeah, okay. I believe you; thousands wouldn’t.” He smiles that devastating smile that has my pussy throbbing and my underwear soaking.
“There’s a gift in the box for you. Open it.”
I unwrap the ribbon on the box and open it. Inside is another box. I open that one and find another. Funny cunt. I glare at him, and he pisses himself laughing. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”
“Asshole.”
I open two more boxes before a brand new Kindle Coloursoft, complete with a clear case, a packet of stickers and a Kindle charm in the shape of a Magpie, is staring at me, and I burst into tears. “Wait! I didn’t mean to make you cry!”
I hide my face in my hands because I’m utterly fucking mortified, and he pulls them away. “These are happy tears. I’ve missed my Kindle so much. I love to read an actual book, but being in hiding has meant less access to books, and I’ve really missed it.”
“I’ve got you a gift card so you can buy some books, but I’ve pre-loaded it with some smutty goodness, horror and lots of dark romance.”
“You’re actually the best. I love you so much.”
“I love you too, Little Magpie. It’s just a token of my appreciation.”
“Appreciation for what?”
“You being you.” We turn into the car park for the beach, but I’m too busy looking through the pre-loaded books to notice. He’s picked some good ones. There’re even a couple of cowboy romances on there.
He opens the door and holds out his hand to help me out of the car.
We make our way with Ted and our things to the beach.
The temperature is starting to drop, so I grabbed the blanket out of the boot, because once we’re here, we’re not leaving until the sun has set.
Sunsets are my favourite thing in the entire world.
Before, I loved them, but they didn’t make me feel alive.
Now, that’s exactly what they do. Watching the sun go down on another day and knowing I’ll be choosing to wake up the next day fills me with a joy that I never knew I was capable of.
We settle on the beach and eat lunch while Ted runs us ragged with the ball before we lie back, and I get to test out my new baby.
“How did you know which books to pick?” I ask him.
“Because I pay attention. And I know you. Read to me,” he says.
“Really?” I ask.
“Yes, really.”
And that’s that. We spend the rest of the evening on the beach, decompressing from the day I’ve had before I have to start thinking about what’s next.
My need for revenge is getting bigger; it’s an itch I need to scratch, and the more memories that come back, the sharper the knife it’s gonna take to scratch it.