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“It’s alright. No offense, but your parents’ opinion of me doesn’t really matter to me. I know that I’m a good person and that there’s more to life than money,” I assure her.
“No, it’s not. I don’t even know why I came, let alone why I dragged you here. They don’t really like me either,” she admits, and I frown down at her.
“I’m sure that that’s not true.”
“It is, or, well, they don’t know me well enough to decide if they like me or not. I just wanted them to stop pushing their choice of men on me. I don’t have anything in common with them, though. Maybe it’s better if I let this relationship go. I seem to be the only one really trying here.”
I hold her closer in my arms, rubbing her back slowly.
“I’m sorry, Quinn. They’re idiots if they can’t see how awesome you are.”
She nods against me, and I try to think of something to lighten the mood.
I hate that Quinn is upset with her parents and how this night is going, and I wish I could do something. I know that nothing short of me going back in time and being born to a different family, a well-off one that runs in the same social circles as them, is going to make them accept me.
She had tried to warn me on the drive over that her mom and dad can be a little pretentious, but I guess that I was hoping deep down that I could win them over. As soon as we walked in here, I knew that wasn’t going to happen.
“Did you grow up here?” I ask Quinn as we sway back and forth to the classical music.
“Yeah, well, sometimes. I was mostly away at boarding school and then college,” she says with a shrug.
I nod, looking around at the ornate room. The entire house I grew up in could fit into this one room. There’s so much space and so many different rooms, but the décor remains the same throughout. Every room and crevice screams old money and power. There’s this vibe though, that none of the furniture is really there to be used, just envied. Like it’s not practical, just expensive.
Tripp steps back over to where Quinn’s mother is glaring at me, and Quinn moves closer to me.
“Do you want to get out of here?” I whisper in her ear, and she nods right away.
“Yes, please.”
I take her hand in mine, and she giggles as we run out of the house and down the hill to the valet. I pass him my ticket and wrap my arms around Quinn as he goes to get it.
“Are you hungry?” I ask, and she shakes her head.
“My stomach is kind of in knots still,” she says quietly, and I nod, moving to open her door as my car is parked out front.
“I’ll take you home.”
I help her into the car and then go around to the driver’s side, tipping the valet before I slide behind the wheel.
The drive back to Quinn’s place is silent, and I hate it. I wish that tonight wasn’t ending so soon. I don’t want to leave her, not while she’s upset, but it’s more than that. I like Quinn, really like her. I think she could be the one for me, and I’m afraid that she’s going to call this whole thing off. Maybe our fake relationship isn’t worth the fight or headache that she’s sure to get from her parents.
“What can I do to cheer you up?” I ask as we idle at a red light.
She takes a deep breath, mulling over the question, and I tighten my grip on the steering wheel as I wait for the light to turn green.
“I just want to forget about them and how disappointed we are with each other for a little bit,” she finally says, and I nod.
“I can do that.”
She turns in her seat, arching an eyebrow at me.
“Really? How?”
I just grin at her as I hit the gas.
EIGHT
Quinn
