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“Stop bull-shitting yourself.”
“And what do you care about?” I asked. “You’re no better than me.”
“Quinn is a good girl, and she doesn’t deserve any of this. If you don’t realize that, then you never deserved her in the first place,” he insisted.
My brother’s words hit me harder than I was willing to admit. I wanted to explain to him that I didn’t want to do any of this, but it was out of my hands, that I cared about her more than he could tell. But why waste my breath? Klaus wasn’t going to believe me anyway. He was just like everyone else in the world who saw me as a cold-hearted bastard.
“You’re going to watch Paige for me while I go and pick up Quinn.” It was a statement, not a request.
He was frowning at me. “I wish that I could say no.”
I didn’t respond. Instead, my eyes darted back to the clock. Her flight would be landing soon, and I needed to get to the airport. I stared at Klaus a little bit longer, contemplating his words before letting out a deep breath and walking outside. I picked one of my faster, sleeker cars before putting my seatbelt on and putting the key in the ignition, hearing the engine purr as the car came to life. She sounded absolutely beautiful.
I had to enter the instructions to the GPS, and I couldn’t stop myself from wondering how Quinn expected to get her car back, considering that she’d driven originally. I wondered if she had even thought about that before she got onto the plane. Stressful situations often left people making rushed decisions without thinking them all the way through. Well, I figured that I’d help her out with that too and get something worked out for her.
The airport wasn’t a far drive from my house, only a good half hour or so, which was why I didn’t rush when I saw the time. For some odd reason, the traffic was never bad in this area, so I’d known that I was going to get there in time. Besides, I wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t incredibly punctual.
When I parked the car, I found my heartbeat picking up the more that I thought about actually seeing her. Why did it feel like it had been years when it had only been a couple of weeks? How was I going to handle being away from her for the foreseeable future?
The answer was simple. I wouldn’t.
I didn’t wait long in the lobby before passengers started streaming out of the exits. She came out, and I was hit by how beautiful she was. Had she gotten more attractive while she was away? Her hair seemed like it’d gotten longer, although I knew it was her by those big green eyes I’d come to enjoy seeing daily.
She headed right over to me with her suitcases dragging behind her. She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me.
“It’s been way too long,” she told me, a huge grin on her face. I was astonished that she was so happy to see me. And I let out a deep breath when I realized that it wouldn’t last, not after I told her the truth.
“It has been a long time,” I said into her ear, finding myself actually hugging her back. So unlike me. That was the thing about Quinn. She made me a different person even if I didn’t realize.
“Did you miss me?” She asked playfully.
“Don’t get your hopes up. Now, grab your bags and let’s go.”
She didn’t seem that fazed by my words as she took her suitcase and followed me to the car. I helped her load them onto the truck before I opened her door and allowed for her to get inside of the car.
While she settled in, I put the car radio on low, so that it wasn’t blasting out the window.
“How’s your mom?” I asked, sending her a quick glance as I got back onto the road and began driving home. I was hoping to hear nothing but good news.
“She’s doing exceptionally well,” Quinn told me, grinning as she thought about it. “We got her all moved into the retirement home, and she loves it.”
“I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks.” She looked at me. “How’s Paige?”
“Missing you,” I answered truthfully.
“Well, I miss her too.”
The car ride home was full of small talk, with her telling me all about how the trip had been. I wanted to be happier for her, but all I could think about was the fact that this would be the last time that she willingly spoke to me, that she actually liked me. When I told her the truth, I was already convinced that it meant I was going to lose her forever. I wish that I didn’t have to, but unfortunately, it was a risk that I was willing to take.
And I felt worse about it with her asking about Paige. Their relationship wasn’t fake, far from it, and I was going to mess that all up just because I couldn’t bear to work with her. I wished, so badly, that I didn’t have to make this decision. But my mind had already been made, and once it had, there was nothing that could change it.
Once we got back to the house, I opened the door for Quinn before taking her bags out of the car. But I didn’t dare walk them to the house. I didn’t want her getting any ideas that I wanted to be more than friends with her, which was also the reason I hadn’t carried her luggage at the airport.
Maybe I should have, just to help her out, but I couldn’t have Quinn thinking of me as some prince charming, not with what I was about to do. Quinn took the hint and brought her own bags inside although she didn’t seem to mind, in the slightest. Perhaps, she hadn’t expected me to do it anyways. What did this generation of women know about chivalry after all? Absolutely nothing which was a sad fact within itself.
My mother had taught me how to treat a woman, and I had remembered her lessons. That was the reason that I always opened the door for Quinn. I knew that I didn’t have to, but I couldn’t stop myself. Plus, I had seen the little light in her eyes every single time I did it.
