Page 105 of What We Got Wrong

“I asked Mel if she would help me surprise you,” Liv replied simply.

“You asked Mel…when?” Quinn was even more confused.

“I got her number from Emma a few weeks ago,” Liv explained, and Quinn felt her own eyes go wide in surprise. “I took her to dinner last night and presented my case. To Mel and Emma both, actually.”

“Presented your case,” Quinn repeated back to her. She knew she sounded less than intelligent, but she was having trouble keeping up, especially with those bright blue eyes boring into her.

“I needed to practice my speech,” Liv said, matter-of-factly.

Quinn laughed. “Okay. Did they have any feedback?”

“Emma was far more generous than I deserved,” Liv admitted, and Quinn was pleased at the thought of them being in each other’s lives again. “And Mel…well, she told me it’s okay if I do it badly.”

Quinn groaned. “She did not.”

“She did, which was…not exactly the motivation I was hoping for, but not terrible advice, either,” Liv continued. She thought for a moment, and then Quinn watched as her face changed, like she’d remembered something that she wanted to say at the start. “First, though…I remember what you said in Chicago. I understand that you asked for space, and I genuinely don’t want to disregard your feelings on that. I know that I’ve not always taken your needs into account, Quinn, and if you want more time, I will leave.”

Quinn absolutely did not want Liv to go. “I’ll listen to your speech. You came all this way.”

“Thank you,” Liv breathed, a relieved smile overtaking her face, and Quinn didn’t bother trying to hide her own grin. Liv set the flowers down, interlacing her own fingers, and squared her shoulders. “So…I know that things between us have always seemed incredibly complicated. Mostly because I’ve made them incredibly complicated.”

“We both messed up, Liv,” Quinn said. She wasn’t going to let Liv beat herself up, not when Quinn had let her down, too. “I told you that I would always prioritize our friendship, and then I ghosted you when my feelings got a little hurt.”

“You had every right to protect yourself,” Liv insistently. “I was—"

“Also, in your own way, trying to protect yourself,” Quinn offered.

Liv nodded. “Yes, I think so. And I was wrong about so many things, and I made so many mistakes. I wish more than I can express with words that I didn’t hurt you. I don’t ever want to hurt you again. But I’m not that person anymore, and I guess what I’m asking for is the chance for us to get to know each other as we are now.”

Butterflies erupted in Quinn’s stomach, and she was not at all playing it cool as she stammered, “What…what might that look like?”

“It can look however we want it to,” Liv answered. “I want to spend time with you, with your friends, with your family. I want to be a part of your life again.”

Quinn was touched, but… “You live in Illinois?”

At that, Liv shook her head, the most nervous she’d been since Quinn had walked into the room. “I talked to my parents about you. About us, and my dad suggested I work out of the Detroit office for a while.”

“You’re moving back to Michigan?” Quinn asked, her throat thick.

“I moved back,” Liv corrected, and Quinn’s jaw dropped. “Last week.”

“So presumptuous,” Quinn teased.

Liv huffed, biting her lip, which Quinn found extremely distracting, before she started to ramble. “Quinn, I know this is a lot. I’m throwing so much at you, and if you need time to think, I totally understand. I just, I wanted to be clear with you what I want. I don’t think I was during the conference, I was just so glad to see you and be around you and touch you…”

There was a beat, then, when they stared at each other, when Quinn was pretty sure they were both replaying in their minds all the ways that they had touched each other those few days in Chicago. It was a wonder that she wasn’t throwing Liv down on the conference table, especially when she watched as Liv’s pink tongue darted out, licking her lips.

No, they needed to stay on track.

“So, to be clear,” Quinn said slowly. “What is it exactly that you want?”

Liv’s response was immediate. “I want us to try. I’d love to date you. But I can be patient. I missed you, and it was so good being with you again. It’s my turn to say to you, Quinn… I’ll take whatever you will give me.”

“You want to date me,” Quinn replied, and even with all that they’d been through, she still felt some semblance of wonder at that.

“I do,” Liv confirmed. “But I’m not trying to jump into what we had in college, or even what happened in Chicago… I think we should take it slow, take time to really get to know each other again, to build a relationship together. I’m not trying to play house with you. I want to be your home.”

Quinn had never once in her life been accused of being stoic—even if she was strong, self-assured, confident, butch—and at that moment she was about two seconds away from blubbering into Liv’s shoulder.