Quinn with her.
Closing her eyes, Evie tried to take deep breaths and calm herself. She couldn’t take everyone with her. She just wished Woodland Creek wasn’t the dangerous place she knew it to be.
She looked up when she felt Quinn’s small hands on her shoulder. A hesitant smile came to her lips as she turned to Quinn, putting a hand above hers.
Quinn’s eyes grew wide. “No freaking way!”
Evie snatched her hand back, hiding her engagement ring behind her other palm. She bit her lip, looking up at Quinn sheepishly.
“Why are you trying to hide that boulder on your finger? He proposed? When?”
Quinn’s eyes were still wide, and so was her smile.
Evie nodded. “This morning.”
Quinn squealed, tossing her arms around Evie in a tight hug. “I am so happy for you. Congrats, girl. When can we start looking at dresses, and venues, and cake makers, DJ’s, the whole shebang?”
A half-hearted giggle escaped Evie’s lips as she looked at her friend’s genuinely pleased face. Quinn was beautiful, kind and loyal. She’d miss her more than anyone in her family.
That was a sad truth.
“Have a seat,” Evie said, motioning to the empty chair across from her at a red table in the back of Geek Beans.
Quinn raised a brow. “Uh-oh. I know that tone.” She sat down, smoothing her pink sweater dress. “What’s up? Adelaide give you shit about marrying Parker? If she did, I’ll set her straight for you.”
Evie couldn’t help but smile as she looked Quinn in the eye.
Loyal to the end.
She knew that Quinn was dead serious. She didn’t care if Adelaide was her mother or not. Evie knew all of Quinn’s secrets as much as Quinn knew hers, and the girl could take care of herself.
“It’s not that, Quinn. I wish that was the only thing bothering me.”
Quinn picked up the mocha latte that Evie had ordered for her, hooking her thumb through the green ceramic mug. “Then what is it? I know something is wrong,” she said, sipping.
Evie sighed, folding her hands on the table before her. “Quinn, Parker and I have decided to leave Woodland Creek.”
“Big surprise,” Quinn said, shrugging. She took another sip. “You’ve been saying this for years. When are you leaving?”
“Tonight.”
Quinn set her coffee mug down. For a moment, there was silence between the two as Quinn took off her glasses and wiped her eyes.
Evie felt tears sting her own eyes as she watched Quinn. She reached a hand out for Quinn’s, stroking her soft skin. “I’m sorry.”
Quinn shot her a pained look. “You’re keeping something from me. What is it?”
“I just need to leave. Woodland Creek is not the place for me.”
“Why don’t you stop lying to my face?” Quinn pulled her hand back, tucking it under her arm as she folded her arms across her chest.
“What do you want me to say?”
“The truth,” Quinn hissed as she leaned across the table.
Evie sat back in her chair. She sighed as she took out her ponytail and shook her head. “Fine. I’m tired of this war between my family and the Prince family. I’m tired of all of the death. I want Parker and I to start fresh, somewhere that no one knows me or my father and all of the terrible things he did. I want live somewhere where no one gives me dirty looks or whispers about me because they think I’m evil or cursed. I’m tired of fearing if someone is following me or out to kill me.” Evie wiped tears from her cheeks. She glanced up at Quinn to see her do the same.
“I just want to be free,” Evie said, her voice cracking.
Quinn leapt from her seat. Ignoring the looks from the only two other people in the coffee shop, she wrapped her arms around Evie and held her tight. “I know,” she said, stroking Evie’s hair. “I know. You deserve that life, Evie. I’ll do whatever you need to help you get it.”
Evie closed her eyes against Quinn’s shoulder.
“Thank you, Quinn. Thank you for being my only true friend.”
Quinn sucked her teeth. “Silly
Closing her eyes, Evie tried to take deep breaths and calm herself. She couldn’t take everyone with her. She just wished Woodland Creek wasn’t the dangerous place she knew it to be.
She looked up when she felt Quinn’s small hands on her shoulder. A hesitant smile came to her lips as she turned to Quinn, putting a hand above hers.
Quinn’s eyes grew wide. “No freaking way!”
Evie snatched her hand back, hiding her engagement ring behind her other palm. She bit her lip, looking up at Quinn sheepishly.
“Why are you trying to hide that boulder on your finger? He proposed? When?”
Quinn’s eyes were still wide, and so was her smile.
Evie nodded. “This morning.”
Quinn squealed, tossing her arms around Evie in a tight hug. “I am so happy for you. Congrats, girl. When can we start looking at dresses, and venues, and cake makers, DJ’s, the whole shebang?”
A half-hearted giggle escaped Evie’s lips as she looked at her friend’s genuinely pleased face. Quinn was beautiful, kind and loyal. She’d miss her more than anyone in her family.
That was a sad truth.
“Have a seat,” Evie said, motioning to the empty chair across from her at a red table in the back of Geek Beans.
Quinn raised a brow. “Uh-oh. I know that tone.” She sat down, smoothing her pink sweater dress. “What’s up? Adelaide give you shit about marrying Parker? If she did, I’ll set her straight for you.”
Evie couldn’t help but smile as she looked Quinn in the eye.
Loyal to the end.
She knew that Quinn was dead serious. She didn’t care if Adelaide was her mother or not. Evie knew all of Quinn’s secrets as much as Quinn knew hers, and the girl could take care of herself.
“It’s not that, Quinn. I wish that was the only thing bothering me.”
Quinn picked up the mocha latte that Evie had ordered for her, hooking her thumb through the green ceramic mug. “Then what is it? I know something is wrong,” she said, sipping.
Evie sighed, folding her hands on the table before her. “Quinn, Parker and I have decided to leave Woodland Creek.”
“Big surprise,” Quinn said, shrugging. She took another sip. “You’ve been saying this for years. When are you leaving?”
“Tonight.”
Quinn set her coffee mug down. For a moment, there was silence between the two as Quinn took off her glasses and wiped her eyes.
Evie felt tears sting her own eyes as she watched Quinn. She reached a hand out for Quinn’s, stroking her soft skin. “I’m sorry.”
Quinn shot her a pained look. “You’re keeping something from me. What is it?”
“I just need to leave. Woodland Creek is not the place for me.”
“Why don’t you stop lying to my face?” Quinn pulled her hand back, tucking it under her arm as she folded her arms across her chest.
“What do you want me to say?”
“The truth,” Quinn hissed as she leaned across the table.
Evie sat back in her chair. She sighed as she took out her ponytail and shook her head. “Fine. I’m tired of this war between my family and the Prince family. I’m tired of all of the death. I want Parker and I to start fresh, somewhere that no one knows me or my father and all of the terrible things he did. I want live somewhere where no one gives me dirty looks or whispers about me because they think I’m evil or cursed. I’m tired of fearing if someone is following me or out to kill me.” Evie wiped tears from her cheeks. She glanced up at Quinn to see her do the same.
“I just want to be free,” Evie said, her voice cracking.
Quinn leapt from her seat. Ignoring the looks from the only two other people in the coffee shop, she wrapped her arms around Evie and held her tight. “I know,” she said, stroking Evie’s hair. “I know. You deserve that life, Evie. I’ll do whatever you need to help you get it.”
Evie closed her eyes against Quinn’s shoulder.
“Thank you, Quinn. Thank you for being my only true friend.”
Quinn sucked her teeth. “Silly
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