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“Holy shit!”
Instinctively, I lift my hands to cover my face—just in time, too, since there’s a loudsmackas the ball connects with my palms, and a burning sensation spreads under my skin as the ball bounces on the floor. I clasp my hands tightly, my eyes falling shut.Damn, that hurts.
“Hey, are you okay?” A hand touches my back, gently rubbing between my shoulders.
Pushing through the pain and ringing in my ears, I open my eyes and look up at Quinn’s worried face. “I’m good.”
He takes my hands into his for inspection. The skin is red, but there are no scrapes, so that’s good.
“Miss Dawson?” I look down at the sound of the soft voice to see Stacy standing there, holding onto the ball, her wide eyes filled with unshed tears. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Pulling my hands out of Quinn’s, I crouch down, so I’m on the same level as her. “You didn’t hurt me, Stacy. I was just surprised, that’s all.” I show her my hands. “See? All good.” I tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Next time, try to warn me before actually throwing the ball, okay?”
Stacy sniffs softly but nods. “You wanna come and play ball with us? The big boys were playing before, but now it’s our turn.”
“I’m sorry, honey, but I’m not really dressed for playing basketball.”
She gives me a once-over and shakes her head. “You should really wear more practical shoes, Miss Dawson.”
With that, she’s off to join her friends who have been watching us all this time. Thankfully, once the ball is on the court, their attention shifts back to the game instead.
Kids.
I stand up, smoothing my hand down over the skirt of my sundress.
I must make a face because Quinn’s eyes narrow on my hands. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. Who’d have thought that little girl had so much strength in her throw?”
“She’s something else,” Quinn agrees, his face relaxing. He just stares at me for a moment before one corner of his mouth curls upward. “Hey, stranger.”
I’m not sure if it’s that sentence, that half-smile of his, or the fact that he’s standing next to me half naked that has my stomach curl. Maybe it’s all of him.
“I’m the stranger?” I lift my brows, trying to act nonchalant when I’m anything but. I don’t know if it’s the fact that we slept together or what, but every time I’m near him, I feel unsettled. “If I remember correctly, you’re the one who left the other day.”
Damn, I did not plan to blurt that out.
Hell, I didn’t plan to mention it at all. I was fine with Quinn leaving. Like I told him, I wasn’t ready for anything serious, not after wasting the last few years on John. I needed time to regroup and figure out what I wanted to do with my life, regardless of that clock at the back of my mind constantly ticking and reminding me that the big three-oh is just around the corner.
You have a plan; I remind myself.
Although I promised Kiara I wouldn’t make any decisions, I’ve started researching IVF online. I didn’t say I wouldn’t look at all my options before making the said decision, did I?
Quinn’s smile widens as if my discomfort amuses him. “I left a note.”
True.
The note was short and to the point, but then so was our agreement.
God knows I didn’t even leave him that when I sneaked out of his apartment.
Quinn moves closer, his voice dropping. “I wanted to stay, but I had to drive to Boston for a meeting for a few days.”
That’s about as much as the note said too. “How did that go?”
“Coach!” We both turn around at the sound of Stacy’s voice. Her hand is leaning on her hip. I swear that girl is all sass. “Are you coming or what?”
Her question brings attention back to us, and I can feel the color rise into my cheeks.
