“You.”
I watched as the temper was knocked out of her. “Wh-what?”
“You asked what I wanted. It’s what I always wanted. You.”
“Gray?”
Rolling my eyes, I stood and pulled her into me. “I’m a dick, I have a bad temper, you piss me off, those fuckers make me want todo time for what you went through, but all I ever wanted was you.”
Quinn looked up at me, the uncertainty and confusion clear in her eyes. “You’re insane.”
“I know.” Dipping my head, I caught her lips in a soft kiss. “Doesn’t change the facts.”
Quinn’s teeth scraped over her bottom lip as she watched me, and then, with almost hesitation, she reached up and traced her fingers over the side of my face. “I thought you hated me,” she whispered.
“Sometimes I do.”
“Really?” She drew her hand back and tried to step away, but I pulled her closer.
“There’s a thin line, they say, between love and hate. Some days, I’m on one side; some days, on the other, but every day, it doesn’t fucking matter which side I’m on, all that matters is you.”
“You were horrible yesterday.”
“I’m not going to apologize, don’t expect me to. You need to hear things. You’re not weak, stop hiding.”
“What if I’m just scared?” she asked.
“We’re all scared, Quinn. I’m scared I never stop them and they keep doing this shit to others.”
Her head dropped onto my chest as she embraced me. “I’ll tell you everything I know.”
Kissing the top of her head, I held her close. “Thank you.”
We stayed like that for a while before Quinn pulled back and looked up at me. “You love me?”
“What, you think I’m this much of a dick just because we’re friends?”
She smiled and I marveled at how beautiful she was. “Youarea dick,” she teased as she reached up to brush her lips against mine.
“Yeah, well, I never claimed to be anything else.” I kissed her before she could say anything further.
Chapter 21: Quinn
Sitting in the cafeteria, I was reading my textbook when I heard the chair scrape back, and looking up, I smiled in greeting at Ava. “Hi.”
“Hey.” She lowered to her seat and placed her tray in front of her. I looked at the plate of fries and the bowl of grated cheese, which she unceremoniously tipped over her fries. She looked up and saw my nose wrinkled in distaste. “What?”
“How are you so slim?” I asked her as I looked her over. Her loose gray sweater over black leggings emphasized her curves, but she wasn’t plump in any way. “You eat terrible food, you don’t exercise, and you still look good.”
Ava shrugged as she started to eat. “I eat better at home. Mia’s always on a diet of some kind, so at home, I make nice healthy food. Here’s my place to gorge on the not so good stuff,” she said with a grin as she held a fry out to me. “Want some?”
“No.” I shuddered as she shrugged and popped it in her mouth.
“What did you bring?” Ava asked as she nodded toward my containers.
“Chicken breast, salad, and a few crackers.”
“Dull,” Ava commented as she ate more of her lunch.
