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)
My siblings look at me with pointed expressions, but I don’t care what they have to say.
With a wide grin, I tell them the truth. “He’s mine.” They all gawk at me. “If I broke his heart, I’ll fix it. He’s not moving on because we belong together. Yeah, I left because I was young and scared. I made a mistake.” I shrug. “And he’s not marrying anyone but me.”
As I turn, I hear my dad mumble, “We need to find another place to stay.”
I can’t help the chuckle that escapes when my mom agrees, “Yup, Elli and Shea are gonna throw us out on our asses.”
I glance back at them. “No way. They wouldn’t do that to their future in-laws.”
Aiden glares. “They’re already their in-laws because of me.”
I wave him off. “But we all know Quinn and I are everyone’s favorites.”
With that, I get into my car. Instantly, my confidence fades. It’s easy to put on the mask of a badass, but the truth is, I’m beyond scared. I’ve come back to Tennessee with one thing on my mind, and already, I’m hitting roadblocks. I know Quinn won’t turn me away. As mad as he is that I didn’t want to be with him, no matter what, we have each other’s backs. I just need to prove that’s still the case and make him fall in love with me again. Because there is no way in hell I will watch my best friend, the love of my life, marry anyone but me.
I wasn’t ready before and I went about it the wrong way, but none of that matters.
Quinn Adler is mine.
Chapter
Three
Quinn
Is it pathetic that I want to call my mom to ask what to do?
Knowing her, she’ll laugh at me and say, “You made this bed. Now, lie in it.” My mom is the greatest woman I know. She is strong, confident, and the most loving person on earth. She loves me the most because I’m her baby and I’m better than my other siblings, but she also loves everyone she meets.
That being said, I don’t think she loves my soon-to-be wife. Which is surprising since I thought my mom would love anyone I brought home. That’s not the case, and I think she sees right through the ruse. No, I know she does, but I’ve done my best to deflect all her questioning. Hell, I don’t even know how I would explain it. Everything is so out of my control.
And it’s not going to get easier with Emery here.
Three years. Emery’s been gone for three years, and I’m still head over heels in love with her. I lean my hand into the doorjamb, my head falling forward as I draw in a deep breath. I can feel her on the other side, which I know is silly, but it’s true. I know she’s there. I think I had that dream because she was coming for me.
Damn it, why can’t I let go of these feelings? Nothing I do can stop how I feel. I’ve slept around, I’ve been in relationships, but every time I tried to fall in love with someone else, I couldn’t. I never let anyone get close to me. I never let anyone know me. I’ve worked and furthered my education. That’s it.
Now, I’m getting married.
And the girl I love is at my front door.
The knock at the door sounds again, and I close my eyes, praying that God has mercy on me. Why did I cross that line? Why did I let her kiss me all those years ago? We had a great friendship, and I let my desire for her take over. I should have said no, but it’s hard to say no to someone whom I just want to see smiling at every turn. Fuck me, why can’t I fucking shake this unyielding love for her? I can never be her friend again because I want everything. I want her heart, her soul, her body, and most of all, I want her love.
I want to hear her say she loves me.
No. I don’t.
If she says it, I’ll leave Ava in a heartbeat, and that can’t happen.
My heart is like a kick drum in my chest as I close the distance to the door. I throw the latch to the lock open, and instantly, my eyes meet a pair of gray ones. Emery leans on a suitcase, her lips curved up in a sneaky little grin while her curly hair is falling from her messy bun. Her pupils dilate as they meet mine, her lips parting ever so slightly. Neither of us says a word. My heart is trying to pound its way out of my chest, and all I can think is how much I’ve missed her.
I’ve missed her thick lips.
Her round face.