Page 26 of Turning Back

“Almost.”

“I think it went well.”

“If you say so,” she whispers. I hear rustling, then some hushed shushing, like she’s trying to walk away from the baby without upsetting her. And then she’s back, talking normal. “Smith? What the hell was that?”

“I have no idea,” I say truthfully. “I really have no clue why he was so angry.”

“And the money? I feel dirty, Bric.”

“Don’t be dumb. His money’s just as good as Quin’s.”

“But it’s the reason why he sent it. Stay away. Fuck him. Just fuck him.”

“Anyway,” I say, changing the subject. “I think Quin’s on board.”

“With me?”

“No.” I laugh.

“Why is that funny?”

“Because you hurt him, Rochelle. I’m pretty sure he came to see you just for the baby. And he thinks it’s his. One hundred percent his. So we probably should let him do that DNA test.”

“If he’s not coming around for me then… he’s coming around for you? Are you guys getting someone else?”

She sounds worried. Maybe genuinely worried that this might not work out the way she’s planned.

When she told me she didn’t want to take part in my plan down in Pagosa Springs yesterday I thought, OK. Well, I tried. But then she explained. She didn’t want me taking her back, presenting her like a gift, making things right. Starting the game again, just the three of us.

But she had her own plan. It’s not much different from mine, except she wanted to show up in Denver herself, call Chella—whom I knew would go straight to Quin—and Quin would show up at her hotel room and have the confrontation. For lack of a better word to call it.

She didn’t want me to bring her into the game because that would make me number one. Which makes sense. I’m not her number one, Quin is. He needs to be the guy to make the first move.

I didn’t count on Smith being so dead set on going over there with him. Or dragging me along, for that matter. I figured it would be a one-on-one. Just Rochelle and Quin. I imagined some tears from Rochelle. Quin comforting her. Then some make-up sex.

Bam, we’d set the stage for me to propose a new game. Quin would object, but I know he misses it. And he admitted that to me before we left the Club. So he’d give in.

My life would be back on track. Maybe not the quad I’m used to, but a threesome arrangement is almost as good. It’s practically what we had before, right? Smith was never around. It was just me and Quin. But last time I wasn’t invited into their relationship much. Every once in a while, but not often.

This time it’ll be different.

And if Smith didn’t interfere like that, we’d probably be on our way.

But he did. Asshole. And now we’re not quite there yet.

Rochelle came here expecting to be let back in. So it would be a big blow if she had to leave town with her tail between her legs. Worse yet, if she tried to stay and was overlooked when it came to Quin’s choice in the new game.

“I don’t know, Rochelle. We kinda had a talk today and I admitted I’d like him to play along again. Of course, no mention of your name. That was before we left the Club. But he was willing to give it a try. Just me and him and whomever we decide to choose.”

“So you might choose someone else?”

“Was I just speaking another language?”

“Don’t be an asshole. And ease up on the swearing-in-front-of-the-baby shit. It’s not like you to care about things like that. You’re only saying that because I said something to you yesterday.”

“But you didn’t correct Quin or Smith today.”

“I didn’t have a chance. You started being weird about it.”