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“We went to school together. He was a year under me but he was in a couple of my classes. We did play on the team together, though.”
“Football team?” I asked.
“It’s the only team we have in Snow Tip Falls,” Titus said self-deprecatingly. “We can only afford one extracurricular activity here. So, I hope no one’s interested in women’s basketball.”
“Oh, that sucks!” I said feeling for the girls.
“I came from a small school too. Sports weren’t really a thing there either,” Quin volunteered.
“What about the math Olympics, or whatever it’s called? A school of geniuses would have to be able to crush at that, right?” I asked wanting Quin to feel a part of the conversation.
“We weren’t encouraged to do stuff like that.”
“Why not?” I asked surprised.
“We stood out enough. If we did something like that and won — which considering the kids at my school, I assume we would have — it would have increased the resentment people had towards us. We were always told to do our best not to stand out until we had to.”
“That’s a little sad,” I told him imagining what my life would have been like if I was told to hide who I was.
“It’s what we had to do,” Quin said with a half-smile.
“So, you couldn’t stand out in any way, you were crucified in the press whenever someone wrote about you, and you had to always worry about being kidnapped?”
“Yes,” Quin confirmed with sadness in his eyes.
I didn’t say it, but everything about Quin suddenly made sense. The first time we hung out was because I had promised to teach him how to be more social. Ever since, I’ve wondered how he hadn’t learned the skill. You didn’t have to be the life of the party to talk to people at one.
But, if you grow up being taught to fear everyone outside of your circle, how could you turn out any other way than Quin did? And honestly, it was admirable that Quin was as normal as he was.
“You two are gonna have to clue me in on what you’re talking about,” Titus said struggling to follow our conversation.
I looked a Quin. It didn’t seem like he wanted to talk about it.
“Maybe later,” I told Titus before changing the topic.
We finished dinner and chatted a little longer before we eventually settled the bill. Even though Titus had offered to pay, Quin insisted. Titus fought him on it until I stepped in.
“Just let him. Trust me.”
Titus was hesitant but conceded. I couldn’t tell what Titus was thinking, but it was obvious that he was used to being the big man. Perhaps I should have told Quin to let him do it, but the truth was that it felt unfair considering what I knew about Quin’s family’s wealth. Besides, it was something Quin wanted. I had a hard time not giving my boyfriend what he wants.
“So, what is this thing that Nero’s doing?” I asked as we walked to the trucks.
“It would be better if you just saw it,” Titus explained.
“Okaaaay,” I said looking over at Quin who was holding my hand.
Quin didn’t say anything about it until we were alone in the truck following Titus on narrow roads leading through the woods.
“Yeah, this is definitely not a book club,” he said watching the trees as they went past the window. “Do you think this is a good idea?”
“Do you think we should go back? I can still turn the truck around.”
“Do you?” Quin asked me. “We’re only going because we want to talk to Nero. We could easily come back next weekend or the one after that. You heard Titus, Nero works the weekend rushes.”
“Do you think we can trust Titus?” I asked Quin wondering if my assessment of Titus was off.
“He doesn’t seem to be a bad guy.”
