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Her chest squeezed painfully hard. Shame and fear brought stinging tears to her eyes.
She’d always wanted to be a mother. But what if she was a horrible one? What if, when she looked at her baby, all she could see was the abuse and violence Preston had subjected her to?
A shiver racked her body.
No, dammit. She couldn’t think like that.
She had to stay strong. To remember that despite its dark and heartbreaking conception, the baby washers. Not Preston’s.
She had to stay strong. She had to.
She finished drying herself off, repeating her mantra.
You have nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing. It’s time to let go of the guilt and allow yourself to move on.
When both her mind and spirit had calmed, she wrapped herself in the soft, fluffy towel and glanced at the fresh clothes Quinn had laid out for her. Donning the oversized garments, she caught her reflection and smiled, a miracle considering the darkness of her earlier thoughts.
Simply put, the clothes were ridiculous. The faded, tissue-soft T-shirt—which she imagined fit Quinn quite well—came down past her hips, and the sleeves past her elbows. The jogging shorts, even when rolled at the waist, hit below her knees.
After towel-drying her hair, she pulled on a pair of too-large socks, knotted the shirt at the small of her back, and chuckled at her outfit. It would do.
The aroma of something spicy and Italian tickled her nose as she left Quinn’s master suite. Her mouth watered and her stomach growled in appreciation. She entered the kitchen and came to a halt, her jaw dropping at the spread laid out on the dining table. A loaf of steaming garlic bread sat next to what had to be the best looking—and smelling—lasagna she’d ever seen.
“I hope you don’t mind.”
Shoulders tensing, she turned to find Roxie. A quick scan showed no sign of Quinn.
“I put together the lasagna earlier today as kind of a peace offering.” Roxie shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans and shifted on her feet. “I was hoping to have a chance to talk to you as well.” Abruptly, she went to a cabinet, pulled out three wine glasses, and began filling two with wine. “I know I can be a lot at work. I get stupidly territorial over my café. But that’s no excuse for the way I acted today. I’m really sorry I got snappy at you this morning.”
Alex waited. When someone apologized, there was usually a catch.
“It’s not an excuse, but Mrs. Green, the mayor’s wife, has me so freaking stressed out. They’re having a big party tomorrow night, and I know she took a chance hiring me for their catering instead of their usual people. God knows the woman’s told me enough times what a giant risk it is for her.”
Roxie pinched the bridge of her nose. “I didn’t realize things were off with you. I just thought you were being flaky. But that’smything, not yours. And... you really should know I hate doing this... but Iamsorry for being such a bitch to you. I’m also really sorry I made those jabs about you and Quinn. I was being a complete jackass.” Roxie shrugged. “There is one thing I can’t apologize for, though.”
Of course. Here was the catch. “And that would be?”
“Alex, I love Quinn. I love him with all my heart. I really do.”
Her breath lodged in her throat.
Holy hell.Shelovedhim? She could’ve sworn Roxie had said there was nothing between them. Damn. Did Quinn know?
Holy shit.
Did he feel the same way?
The possibility that Quinn was just messing around with her, that he didn’t care at all, that she really was his flavor of the month, had the blood draining from her face.
“W-wow,” Alex stammered. “I thought you said the two of you weren’t...” Swallowing, she willed her brain to find the words. Any words. “I’msosorry. I truly didn’t realize—”
Roxie gasped. “Oh, shit! No, no, no. It’s not likethat,” she said in a rush. “Listen, I love Quinn. I do—though I often wonder why—but not in the way you mean. Like I said before, he and I, as a romantic couple, would never work. But I’ve known him my entire life, and he’s my best friend. Don’t get me wrong, Alex, I like you. I really do. But Ilovehim. There are only a handful of people I truly love with all my heart. And Quinn’s one of them.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. Where was Roxie going with this?
“Alex, I know you mean a lot to him, and Isupposemy shitty attitude this morning may have included some petty jealousy. I’m sorry for that. But I’ll be honest with you”—a hint of challenge entered her voice—“in my own little way, I’ll test you, whether consciously or not, because Quinn deserves the best. I mean no offense at all, but I’m not sure yet if that’s you.”
Her brows hit her hairline. Well, then.
