Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Hearing that he hasn’t been happy causes another tear or two to slide down my face. My heart pounds in my chest as I nod. When I hear a knock at the bathroom door, I quickly say, “I gotta go.”
“Oh! Okay. Love you.”
More tears fall. “Love you.”
I hang up just as the door opens, and Quinn’s eyes widen at the sight of me. “I didn’t know where you— Wait, are you crying?”
I shake my head, wiping away the evidence as I stand up. “No, I had a sneezing fit,” I say, moving past him. But he stops me, snaking his arm around my waist. Our chests line up, his broader and hard against my small breasts. Heat explodes in my chest, my heart going wild as we lock eyes. This has happened so many times, and I can’t keep the tears at bay. One falls freely, happiness at being in a situation I crave hitting me tenfold.
He catches the tears, and with a stern look I’ve never seen on his face, he demands, “Try again.”
My bottom lip trembles, but then I flash him a wide grin. “I’m just so happy to be back with you.” His eyes darken, his brows pulling together, and my grin only widens. “My bestie.”
I tap his chest and move away, even though I’d rather get lost in his blue gaze. I know if I don’t get out of his proximity, I’ll disrespect his engagement seven ways to Sunday.
And I’m not to that stage of Operation Get Quinn Back.
Yet.
Chapter
Five
Quinn
Owen: Mom just told me something very interesting.
Owen: LOL. #QuinnIsScrewed
Shelli: Do tell.
Posey: Please do. I’m having a shit day.
Evan: Sorry your day sucks, P.
Evan: Please tell me he left Ava.
Owen: Nope. And there is only one way to say this.
Owen: Emery is back.
Fuck my life.
I rub my temples as I close the locker in the break room of the Tennessee Athlete Surgery Center, where I am currently doing my residency. I was lucky to be chosen by Dr. Abrams to work under him. It may have helped that I’m from hockey royalty and he’s worked on a lot of my family, but the main reason is probably because he is also my fiancée’s uncle. While, yes, I was top of my class, I know the only reason I got the residency is because of Ava. Which she so sweetly reminds me of whenever I chide her for how she acts. One would think since I’m a walking genius, I wouldn’t be in this position.
But it’s obvious I’m an idiot when it comes to my love life.
And boy, does my family love to rib me for it.
As I look down at my sibling group chat, I groan loudly.
Posey: No way!
Shelli: What! Aiden didn’t tell me!
Evan: Oh, this is going to be awesome. Ava is done for.
Shelli: Dingdong the witch is dead. The Wicked Witch!
Posey: Did Emery kidnap Quinn? What’s the ransom?
Owen: His heart and soul! Mwahahahaha.
Evan: Are we taking bets on how long he’ll stay engaged? I got a thousand on a week.
Posey: Please. Our baby brother has way more restraint and willpower. He’ll last a solid nine days.
Shelli: I think he’ll wait till the wedding and then have them switch out. Emery is crazy enough to do it.
Owen: Nah, she’ll kill her before that happens.
Shelli: True.
Posey: Oh yeah. Or, like I said, kidnap our baby brother for herself.
Evan: Either way, I hope she succeeds. Quinn, she’s your person.
Leave it to Evan to be all sentimental and shit. I roll my eyes, clicking out of the group chat to just Posey.
Me: Hey, I saw you’re having a shit day. You good? Need me to stop by?
Her text comes through immediately.
Posey: Shouldn’t I be asking you that?
Me: I’m fine. Are you?
Posey: Not really. And of course you can come by. Zac misses you as always.
Me: What happened?
Posey: The doctors don’t think I can have a viable pregnancy. I know we can adopt or even do a surrogate, but IDK. I’m just a bit sad about it.
Me: Understandable. I’m finishing up at the clinic, and I’ll grab us some dinner on the way over.
Posey: Don’t you have better things to do?
I scoff. If only she knew that I needed the distraction from who is at my house. I’m sure by now my whole apartment smells of Emery. Cherries and bergamot. Her shit will be everywhere, and I just can’t face her right now. Because if I do, I’ll enjoy the sight of all her shit mixed in with mine. Of her draped along my couch or sitting at her desk on her computer. It’ll bring me back to our old times. Fuck, she makes me crazy. Emery knew exactly what she was doing. Coming into my space, intoxicating me with… All of her.
She knew I couldn’t resist.
No. I gotta go anywhere but home right now.