38. Quinn
38
QUINN
I ’ve never seen Killian come at Lance so mercilessly, and as pain flashes across Lance’s face, I’m struck by the terrifying thought that my brother might truly try to kill his best friend. And all the while, Lance seems to be doing little more than protecting himself. Fending off Killian’s brutal blows and only throwing out weak jabs to make Killian back off.
“Killian, what is wrong with you!” I shriek. “Get off of him!”
I want to intervene, but I don’t know how to help. And if I put myself in harm’s way, I have no doubt Lance will take a hit in order to protect me. So instead, all I can do is scream. But nothing seems to be getting through to my hot-tempered idiot of a brother. I don’t understand why he’s being so ridiculous about this thing between me and Lance.
But unfortunately, Lance could not have picked a worse time to show up. I finally got Killian to calm down after hearing about the baby. We’d talked, and he’d decided to let me out of my room so I could eat with him and Natasha like a normal human being. I was hoping I could find a way to get in touch with Lance later today since Killian took my phone away.
And now here he is, my Knight in shining armor—in the flesh—getting his butt kicked by my hotheaded brother once again. I could throw something at Killian, I’m so mad. But I’m worried I might accidentally hit Lance.
“Killian, damn it, stop!” I shout, stomping my foot like a tantruming toddler.
“That’s enough,” Natasha says, her voice sharp as she enters the room and stops by my side. “Killian, can’t you see you’re hurting her?”
And to my intense surprise, Killian stops. Heaving for breaths, he slowly backs down as he glowers at his best friend. I don’t know what hold Natasha has on my brother, but I’ve never been more grateful to her in my life as he slowly turns to look at me. And his shoulders sink in defeat.
“I haven’t laid a finger on her,” he growls, casting Lance a murderous look.
“You’re hurting your sister all the same,” Natasha says gently. “Don’t you see how much she loves you both? And now you’re using her love for Lance to drive a wedge between you. Stop. I know you want to protect your little sister. But she’s not a child anymore. And Lance is the last person she needs protecting from.”
“He used her. He…” Killian’s eyes flash down to my stomach, and my heart flutters.
“I would never use Quinn,” Lance says, his expression pained as he looks toward me as if to plead his case.
And it breaks my heart if he thinks for a second that I doubted him.
“I fell in love with her,” he rasps, continuing his speech when Killian looks at him but remains silent. “And I tried to stay away, to stop it from the beginning, because I knew you would never forgive me.”
He looks at Killian, the pain in his eyes swelling with a visible sense of loss. “You’re my best friend. My brother. And I never wanted to do anything to disrupt that. So I never even considered looking at Quinn like that. But then, once I did, once I truly saw her, I couldn’t unsee how beautiful she is. I couldn’t go back to the way it was, because in my eyes, the sun and stars rise and set with Quinn. She’s the reason I wake up in the morning and my only desire to continue breathing. And when I’m not with her, I would rather not exist. So, that’s why I’m here. Because I would rather you kill me than to tell me I can’t be with her.”
It’s the most beautiful speech I think I’ve ever heard. And it’s the longest speech Lance has ever given—especially to anyone but me when we’re alone. It fills my heart with such joy to hear Lance say it. Because I was terrified that every day I didn’t call, he might decide to move on, to put me behind him in the hopes of mending things with Killian.
Killian seems stunned to hear Lance talk like that—particularly because he hardly talks at all. And never in more than short, limited sentences.
For a long moment, he doesn’t say anything at all. He just looks between me and Lance, as if he’s trying to decide how it’s even possible. His best friend and his sister. I agree, it’s not ideal, and I hate that it bothers Killian. But for me, it’s always been Lance. And I don’t know that I could ever find happiness with someone else. So why can’t Killian find a way to be happy for me?
“And you’re ready to take care of Quinn?” he asks. “You’re ready to take care of the baby?”
My stomach somersaults as Killian just drops a bomb on Lance. And I’m suddenly scared that while he said he wanted forever with me, he might not actually have been ready. Because Lance looks stunned, his blue eyes growing wide as the color drains from his face.
Oh God, what if he changes his mind?
I’m going to die of humiliation if Killian was right all along. But more than that, I’m not sure my heart can take losing Lance a second time.
“The…baby…?” Lance echoes, his strong brow buckling into a frown, and he finally meets my eyes again. “You’re pregnant?” he asks.
Fighting back tears, I nod.
And all the pent-up emotion in my chest comes spilling forth in a laughing sob as Lance brushes past Killian to sweep me off my feet. Stooping, he wraps his arms around my hips, lifting me from the ground as he holds me up and spins me in a circle.
It feels so good to be in his arms again, his beautiful blue eyes looking up at me like I’m the only thing in this world that matters. And his devastating smile is brimming with emotion. “We’re having a baby,” he says, this time more in wonder rather than as a question.
“We’re having a baby,” I agree, smiling so hard my cheeks start to hurt.
And Lance lets me slide down his body just enough to bring his lips to mine. He kisses me fiercely, passionately, his arms enveloping me as he holds me close against his heart. I can feel it hammering confidently in his chest.
“When did you find out?” he murmurs, pressing his forehead against mine as he closes his eyes.
“Yesterday,” I say. “And you’re happy?”
“Are you kidding? I meant it when I said I love you, Quinn. You’re my forever.” Lance pauses, his blue eyes deep and searching as he looks into my soul, warming my body.
And I gasp as Lance drops to one knee in front of me. My heart swells as he looks up at me adoringly. And pulls a ring box from his pocket.
“Oh my God, what are you doing? Where did you get that?” I gasp covering my lips with my fingers. Waving my hands in front of his face, I say, “Never mind, forget I asked that. You just keep going.”
Lance chuckles. “I know it might be fast, but I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. I was sure of it walking up those front steps to come find you this morning—before I even knew about the baby. And knowing we’re going to have a child together only makes me more certain that now is the right time to ask. So, will you make me the happiest man in the world? I want to prove to you every day that I can be the man worthy of your heart. I want to care for you and our little boy or girl. I want to come home to you every night and wake up to you every morning. Quinn King, will you marry me?”
Lance opens the tiny ring box, and inside is the most beautiful solitaire emerald cut diamond I’ve ever seen. It twinkles in the light, casting beautiful rainbows across the box and memorizing me. But even more significantly is the fact that Lance came here today wanting to propose to me. He wants to show me how much he cares for me. And God, I love him.
Giddy laughter bubbles from me along with my tears, and I can hardly wrap my mind around the roller-coaster ride of emotions I’ve been through lately. But I know without a shadow of doubt that Lance is the only man I want to marry.
“Yes,” I murmur.