family, and accept that we make one another happy. But if they can’t?” He smiled for her, even though it felt crooked to him. “If they can’t, then we’ll still find a way to be happy.”
Quinn’s lips tilted slightly, though her eyes were shining. “All I’ve ever wanted was someone I could be myself with…and with you, I’ve finally found that person.” She bit her lip. “I don’t ever want to lose you. I like being me.”
Jonah pressed his forehead to hers. “I like you being you, too. Even if sometimes you burp during our movie marathons.”
“I do not!” She reddened. “At least I didn’t fart in the theater last week.”
Raising both hands, Jonah chuckled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Princess.”
She stood and wrapped her arms around him. “You know, Jonah Walker, you’re really lucky I like you so much.”
Jonah breathed in her scent, and thought about how even though the rest of the night hadn’t gone according to plan, there was nowhere else he would ever want to be right now. “I know, Quinn. I tell myself every day how lucky I am.”
Chapter Seven
“We’re here.”
The words jolted Quinn out of a memory so close and vivid, she didn’t open her eyes until her heart stopped pounding. When she did, the images from the day she met Jonah faded, becoming hazier every second, until they were transparent, and then gone entirely. Instead of a diner, she was in the hospital parking lot. Instead of flying on the back of a motorcycle, holding onto Jonah Walker tighter than was necessary, she was about to be late for an appointment with her doctor. Paige wanted to check on her leg and see how the compound fracture was healing three weeks post-surgery.
“Thanks, Dare. I was…somewhere else.” Quinn tried to smile, but she didn’t have to see the expression to know how weak and thin it was.
“No worries.” Darren got out, and came around to the passenger side door. Despite how often she insisted she needed to be using her crutches, her cousin wanted to do all that he could for her. He helped her out of the car as if she was something fragile, and then got her settled before he locked the car doors. “Quinnie,” he started, and then paused, raking a hand through his hair. “Were you thinking about Jonah again?” He expelled a breath.
Quinn stalled, inhaling as evenly as she could. Her mind was a chaotic place these days. When she wasn’t worrying about her dad, or struggling to work through estate details following her mother’s death, Jonah was on her mind. And in her dreams. Every night, she relieved their relationship, and every morning, the ache in her chest felt more and more real. “I—maybe.” She eyed Darren. “Why do you ask?”
“Lanie says you’ve been dreaming about him again.” Darren didn’t look down or away as he answered her, but there was something in his eyes she didn’t want to see. Something that looked too much like sadness to her. “Says you’ve been callin’ out for him.”
Quinn bowed her head to avoid looking at Darren. She hitched her crutches firmly under her arms and took off as quickly as she could toward the hospital. Darren let her think she was out-pacing him for a few steps, but by the time she got to the door, he was there already, holding it open for her. She growled at him as she hobbled inside, and would have kept going, but he put a gentle hand on her arm.
“Quinn. Look, this isn’t easy for me to say.” Darren wasn’t looking at her this time, she noticed, as she tilted her head up to meet his gaze. “But you get this look about you when you’re thinking about him. Your whole face just kinda softens, and you look happy , and miserable.” She opened her mouth, but he kept going. “I’m not advocating for you to do anything rash. God knows I don’t like him for what he did to you. But maybe you should talk to him.”
Somehow, Quinn extracted herself from her cousin. It took much more effort to
Quinn’s lips tilted slightly, though her eyes were shining. “All I’ve ever wanted was someone I could be myself with…and with you, I’ve finally found that person.” She bit her lip. “I don’t ever want to lose you. I like being me.”
Jonah pressed his forehead to hers. “I like you being you, too. Even if sometimes you burp during our movie marathons.”
“I do not!” She reddened. “At least I didn’t fart in the theater last week.”
Raising both hands, Jonah chuckled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Princess.”
She stood and wrapped her arms around him. “You know, Jonah Walker, you’re really lucky I like you so much.”
Jonah breathed in her scent, and thought about how even though the rest of the night hadn’t gone according to plan, there was nowhere else he would ever want to be right now. “I know, Quinn. I tell myself every day how lucky I am.”
Chapter Seven
“We’re here.”
The words jolted Quinn out of a memory so close and vivid, she didn’t open her eyes until her heart stopped pounding. When she did, the images from the day she met Jonah faded, becoming hazier every second, until they were transparent, and then gone entirely. Instead of a diner, she was in the hospital parking lot. Instead of flying on the back of a motorcycle, holding onto Jonah Walker tighter than was necessary, she was about to be late for an appointment with her doctor. Paige wanted to check on her leg and see how the compound fracture was healing three weeks post-surgery.
“Thanks, Dare. I was…somewhere else.” Quinn tried to smile, but she didn’t have to see the expression to know how weak and thin it was.
“No worries.” Darren got out, and came around to the passenger side door. Despite how often she insisted she needed to be using her crutches, her cousin wanted to do all that he could for her. He helped her out of the car as if she was something fragile, and then got her settled before he locked the car doors. “Quinnie,” he started, and then paused, raking a hand through his hair. “Were you thinking about Jonah again?” He expelled a breath.
Quinn stalled, inhaling as evenly as she could. Her mind was a chaotic place these days. When she wasn’t worrying about her dad, or struggling to work through estate details following her mother’s death, Jonah was on her mind. And in her dreams. Every night, she relieved their relationship, and every morning, the ache in her chest felt more and more real. “I—maybe.” She eyed Darren. “Why do you ask?”
“Lanie says you’ve been dreaming about him again.” Darren didn’t look down or away as he answered her, but there was something in his eyes she didn’t want to see. Something that looked too much like sadness to her. “Says you’ve been callin’ out for him.”
Quinn bowed her head to avoid looking at Darren. She hitched her crutches firmly under her arms and took off as quickly as she could toward the hospital. Darren let her think she was out-pacing him for a few steps, but by the time she got to the door, he was there already, holding it open for her. She growled at him as she hobbled inside, and would have kept going, but he put a gentle hand on her arm.
“Quinn. Look, this isn’t easy for me to say.” Darren wasn’t looking at her this time, she noticed, as she tilted her head up to meet his gaze. “But you get this look about you when you’re thinking about him. Your whole face just kinda softens, and you look happy , and miserable.” She opened her mouth, but he kept going. “I’m not advocating for you to do anything rash. God knows I don’t like him for what he did to you. But maybe you should talk to him.”
Somehow, Quinn extracted herself from her cousin. It took much more effort to
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