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Quinn isn’t just brilliant. He’s agoddamn genius.
CHAPTER7
London
“You’re kidding me?” Quinn says, cough-laughing into his napkin. “Lily was a ten-year-oldconspiracy theorist?”
Lily rolls her eyes. “It wasn’tthatbad.”
I try really hard to keep a straight face, but I can’t seem to manage it.
She was aborderlineconspiracy theorist. She was convinced that aliens had been here before. We just didn’t have proof. Or if we did, we just didn’t know it when we were looking at it.
“Oh, that’s just too good,” Quinn responds through fits of giggles.
Lily picks up her napkin and throws it across the table at me. “Thanks a lot,you.”
I catch it in mid-air, grinning like a goddamn Cheshire Cat.
I haven’t had this much fun in years.Hell, maybe ever.
I can’t even complain about having Quinn along for the ride. He’s managed to buffer the awkwardness between Lily and me and encourage a more natural conversation when things started to feel weird.
“Yeah, well, he’s a Trekkie,” Lily fires back, jabbing her index finger in my direction.
I narrow my gaze. “Ignore her. She’s clearly had one too many margaritas.”
She glances down, noticing her second strawberry margarita is nearly gone. “Shit, where did it go?”
“Youdrank it,hon. You’re clearly a tequila whore. If I find you laughing at the ceiling fans, I’m going to pawn you off to the nearest alien,” Quinn quips, bumping her left shoulder with his right.
She snorts into her empty margarita.
Quinn insisted he sit on her side. I only found out after she went to the bathroom that it was so she could focus on me better without cranking her neck sideways to get a look at me.
I wish I had a Quinn in my life. All I have are asshole friends. Don’t get me wrong, I’d take a bullet for every single one of them. But if they had heard Lily say I was a Trekkie at ten, I’d never live it down. I’d have to change my name and move to a different state.
Lily reaches out, grabs another chip, and dips it in her remaining guacamole. Despite having a Fiesta Burrito the size of her head, she’s still devouring the homemade corn chips from Mexico Lindo.
I kinda love that. She’s not afraid to eat in front of me—or Quinn.
“Well, shit,” Quinn mutters, glancing down at his watch. “Is thatthe time?”
I glance at my own watch, surprised like hell when the time is closing in on eleven.
“Holy,” I blurt, surprised I haven’t gotten any irate messages from Myles. Either she’s pissed, or it’s been too busy for her to realize I’m still gone.
Quinn turns to Lily and pats her on the shoulder. “Sorry, sweetie, but I need to get back home. I’m supposed to take Ma to the doctor in the morning.”
Lily’s eyes widen and she drops the chip she was bringing to her mouth. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize—”
She makes a move to get up, but Quinn presses her back down in her seat. “Sit,stay. You don’t have to leave on my part.” He turns to glance in my direction and shoots me a wink.
“Don’t you need a ride home?” I ask, wanting to make sure we’re not putting him out.
He waves off my concern. “Nope. I live a block and a half away on East First Street.”
“Are you sure? I don’t mind—” I begin, but stop when I get a death glare from him.
