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She sucks in a breath. I know she wants to say no, but it's not going to happen. She's going to follow my lead this weekend, even if it means I throw her over my shoulder and force her. She needs it. She just doesn't know she does. "Sure. What is it?"
"After class, I want you to pack a bag. We're getting out of town for the weekend."
Her eyes finally find mine. They're bloodshot, the circles beneath them darker than I've ever seen them.
"W-where?"
"You've got nothing to worry about. Security will come with us. I've got it all planned."
Her lips part as if she wants to argue, but she must realize that it's pointless, and it is. We're going this weekend, no matter what she says. She needs the break, and it's time to lay some of Q's secrets to rest at last.
* * *
"Where are we going?" Mia asks from my passenger seat later that afternoon.
"To visit my sister," Alex pipes up, poking his head between the two seats.
"Hadley?"
"Yeah, unless you know of any others Q are hiding."
"Not right now, no." She manages a small chuckle, but it’s strained.
"We’re meeting them at a beach house on the outskirts of Sterling Bay. It's the perfect place to just chill out. You're going to love it."
She blows out a breath, not committing to anything.
Most of the drive is in silence, and I crank up the music to allow everyone to focus on their thoughts without feeling guilty. I have no fucking clue what Alex is thinking right now about going to confess to Hadley, but this was all his idea. Well, Sterling Bay was his idea. Getting Mia out of town for a few days was all me. But it's perfect. We're meeting Hadley and Cole later on this evening at the beach house they've booked for us, and Remi and Ace are joining us tomorrow.
Hopefully, by the time we leave on Sunday, Hadley and Alex will have come to terms with who they really are to each other, I'll have had time to finally give Remi the apology she deserves, and Mia will have had some rest.
I keep telling myself that it will go that smoothly, because right now I can't allow myself to even consider an alternative.
"Whoa, this place is insane," Alex says as I pull into the driveway of the beach house.
The sparkling blue ocean spreads as far as the eye can see as both Alex and Mia press their noses to the windows. It's easy to forget that they didn't grow up on the coast.
"Come on, apparently the inside is even better. There's a hot tub."
We let ourselves in and do a lap of the place before pulling beers from the refrigerator and sitting out on the deck to watch the sunset while we wait for Hadley and Cole to arrive.
"You know, this weekend would be so much more fun if I wasn’t a third wheel to all you couples."
"Aw, Rexford. I'm sure you can make good use of your right hand."
"Fuck you, man," he barks, throwing an empty bottle at my head, which I easily catch. I might not play anymore, but I guess some things are just ingrained.
I think of Cole playing college ball for the Colts, and my chest grows tight. I wanted that so fucking bad in years gone by. I thought for sure the NFL was where my future was. It's crazy how much can change in only a few short years, months even.
Football is barely even on my radar anymore. I wasn't even aware that Cole was on a bye week when I called Hadley to see if we could organize something.
I shake my head and slouch down in my chair, keeping my eyes on Mia as she picks at the label on her bottle.
11
Mia
“Bexley said I’d find you out here.” Hadley joins me at the edge of the water.
