“Means they both have brains if not money,” Quinn spoke from the couch. “Is the friend on a scholarship too?”
Recognizing Quinn’s angle, I checked and shook my head. “No, she’s paying her way.”
“Can’t use that then,” Quinn thought out loud.
“Use it?” Ash questioned her before he looked at me. I returned his stare and saw his sudden understanding in his grin. “Nice.”
“The little bitch will talk or . . . she’ll walk, her choice,” I grumbled as I went back to reading about her.
“Gimme my laptop,” he told me, and I handed it over. With a few clicks, he was handing it back to me. “See what I see?”
Her Facebook page was in front of me, and on it was a photo. Grainy at best, it looked like it had been taken a few years ago. Ava was standing with a trophy. I didn’t give a fuck what it was a trophy for; what I noticed was what she was wearing: an Alabama Lions jersey. I looked up at Ash, and he nodded grimly.
“There’s yourwhy,” he said as his eyes narrowed in anger.
“Now I just need thewho else,” I said, passing the laptop to Quinn and Gray so they could see also.
“Son of a bitch,” Gray cursed as he looked closer.
“I see it now,” Quinn said quietly.
“What?” I asked as I stood, stretching.
“The attraction, she’s pretty.” She studied the photo more. “I didn’t see it today ’cause all I saw was her fleeing, but I see why you would pick her.”
“He didn’tpickher,” Gray said as he closed the laptop. “She pickedhim.” Gray’s knee was jittering again, and I knew he needed to let off steam.
“I need more,” I told Ash. “I need to know what she does when she’s not in class. She may be scholarship for the full ticket, but what else does she do?”
“Yeah, I have feelers out.”
“I can work on this,” Quinn said as she stood. “There won’t be a thing I don’t know about her by tomorrow,” she promised as she picked up her bag. “I’ll be in touch.”
When she had left, the three of us looked at each other. “So, she’s definitely back in?” Ash asked, his eyes on the floor, before he lay back on my bed.
“She was never really out,” I answered with a quick look to Gray, who sat quietly. “We’ve known her forever. Quinn could bury each and every one of us in this room in a heartbeat, and you know it.”
Ash huffed in derision as he stared at the ceiling. “So, she’s here in case she blackmails us?”
“Shut the fuck up, and don’t be an idiot,” Gray bit out as he stood. “Quinn’s like family.”
“And are you forgetting the other thing we’re doing?” I asked Ash. “ForQuinn?”
“That’s different.”
“How?” Gray and I asked at the same time.
“Because Quinn getting used and hurt is not the same thing as Quinn eating fucking dinner with us again.” Ash rose off the bed. “She shouldn’t get a free pass.”
“She hasn’t!” Gray said with more sting than I think he realized. “You’ve ignored her for almost two fucking years; we’ve kept her outforyou. But fuck, you’ve fucked more women than she has men, you’ve proven you’re over her, she gets it. Weallget it. Stop being a whiny bitch.” Gray shoved his hands deep into the front pockets of his jeans. “Move the fuck on.”
Ash and he stared at each other for a long time, and I sat between them, waiting for either the punch to be thrown or theacceptance. I hadn’t been in the middle of this shit at any time, and I sure as hell wasn’t starting now.
“Whatever,” Ash eventually shrugged. “We done?” he asked as he looked at me.
“Yeah.”
With a curt nod, he headed to the door.
