“Okay, let’s see.” Quinn squinted her eyes and stroked Riley’s shoulder as she looked up at the ceiling. “There was Jane when I was fourteen. She was my first love. Jane lived nearby on the farm by the T-junction, and she was mature for her age.” “She chuckled. “By that, I mean she had breasts before any of the girls in my class did, and I couldn’t stop staring at them.”
Riley laughed. “Was she your girlfriend?”
“No. I never told her about my feelings and suffered in silence each time she had a new boyfriend. We were sort of friends. Our parents were friends, so we saw each other regularly, but I think she knew I had a thing for her because she never suggested we did anything together without our parents around. I had a crush on her for years, until my attention shifted to Stephanie, who was here on holiday with her parents. She was a year older than me, the first ‘out’ girl I met, and I had my first kiss with her. She haunted me for a while after she left, but I never heard from her again.” Quinn sighed. “Then I went to college and had a string of girlfriends, most of them closeted. I realized women liked me, and I suppose I was a bit of a playgirl when I was younger.”
“I’m not surprised.”
“Really? Why?”
Riley grinned. “You just seem like the type.” She kissed Quinn softly and lingered against her lips as she continued. “You’re all about confidence, and that’s sexy.”
“I’m not that confident,” Quinn assured her. “Not when I really like someone.”
“Are you sure about that?” Riley arched a brow. “Because you seemed pretty confident with me.”
“It’s just a front. I can assure you, I had sleepless nights over you.”
“Okay…” Riley trailed a finger over Quinn’s stomach and bit her lip as she watched her shiver. “So, who came after your closeted college girls?”
“Mainly tourists and seasonal renters,” Quinn said. “Just women who happened to be around at the right time.”
“Were they all straight?”
Quinn winced. “Who have you been talking to? I feel like you think I have a bad reputation or something. Was it Lindsey?”
“No…” Riley felt her cheeks go pink. “I mean, I may have spoken to her at the bakery, but she didn’t mean it in a malicious way. We were just making conversation.”
“Of course. Lindsey is never malicious, but she needs to learn to keep certain things to herself.” Quinn rolled her eyes. “Anyway, to answer your question, yes, most of them were straight.”
“Is that your thing? Converting straight women?”
“Not necessarily,” Quinn said. “I just flirt with women in general and most women happen to be straight. You’d be surprised how many are bi-curious and looking for an opportunity to try it.”
“And Rebecca was one of those women…” Riley knew it was silly to even mention the woman, but for some reason, she felt a little jealous of her in particular. “Do you still have feelings for her?”
“No,” Quinn said resolutely. “I regret ever getting involved with her, but I suppose in a way, it made her life better because she’s happy with someone now, and I want that for her. But I feel bad for Martin. He didn’t deserve to be deceived, and I still feel guilty for breaking up their marriage, even though she would have eventually figured out her sexuality, with or without me. In a nutshell, we had fun, but I wish it hadn’t been me.”
Riley nodded. “Martin seems nice.”
“He is. At least, hewasnice to me before it happened.” Quinn shrugged. “I still have to face the consequences regularly when our paths cross, and I guess I deserve that. He generally ignores me. Sometimes he gives me a polite nod, but it’s that look in his eyes that stabs me through the heart every time.”
“Judgment?”
“Yeah.” Quinn smiled sadly. “Enough about me. It’s my turn now. Tell me about your heart condition.” She met Riley’s eyes, and Riley noticed there was a hint of worry in Quinn’s expression. “Because that’s whatIreally want to know. You don’t talk about it much.”
“My heart…”My heart belongs to you, Riley wanted to say, but she realized this was no time to crack a joke. “It’s called stress cardiomyopathy, and it’s rare. The condition causes severe heart muscle weakness under emotional or physical stress. It’s likely to be genetic, as my father has it too. He was admitted to the hospital after my mother passed away. In my case, it’s triggered by physical stress, and I’ve been admitted twice and spent weeks in ICU. I’m taking medication and I’m being monitored, so I’m hopeful it’s under control now, as long as I don’t take too much on.”
“Like renovating a huge house?”
Riley chuckled. “The renovation isn’t stressful. I find it relaxing, and I haven’t had palpitations since I moved to Mystic.
“Okay. As long as you’re careful. Have you talked to your father about it?” Quinn asked.
“No. He doesn’t even know I have the same condition. I was only diagnosed a year ago. I don’t want to worry him. It’s my problem, and telling him may causehimstress, leading to heart failure, so I don’t intend on telling him, ever.”
“What about your sister?”
“She doesn’t know either,” Riley admitted. “I haven’t told anyone in my family. It just seemed easier that way.”
