“Who?”
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly.
We both heard the front door slam open, and I felt her stiffen. “I can’t do this,” she admitted quietly.
“Course you can.” I kissed the back of her head. “I’m here, we’ll do it together.”
I looked up when the bedroom door slammed against the wall, and her dad was standing there, rigid with anger.
“If you could both come downstairs, I would like to speak with you.”
Quinn sat up, and I followed. As we headed down to the living room, she reached out for me, and I took her hand.
Anne was sitting in a chair, and George was at the window. He half-turned when we walked in, and Quinn led us to the couch.
“How long have you two been a thing?” he asked with scorn.
“Since I was ten and she was eleven,” I answered, and I saw Quinn dip her head and the small smile that broke free.
“I’m not in the mood for games,” her dad snapped.
“I’m not playing a game,” I answered him as I pulled Quinn closer. “Your daughter miscarried our baby. She’s not at fault here. She was eighteen when she was pregnant, an adult. Which is why the hospital didn’t notify you and why she never told you.”
“Gray,” Quinn murmured softly. “It’s okay, he deserves to know.” Quinn stood and approached her dad. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I was scared, I was really scared, and I know you would have been disappointed in me, but I also know I should have told you.”
“What happened?”
“I was giving the baby up for adoption,” she told him honestly, ignoring Anne’s gasp behind her. “But I couldn’t do it, and I changed my mind. I fell down some stairs — it was an accident — I tripped and fell. I woke up in Nashville Memorial, I had a concussion, a few stitches, and I . . . I wasn’t pregnant anymore.”
I saw her dad close his eyes before his head dipped to his chest. “I’m sorry,” he said to her when he looked back at her.
Quinn sniffled, and then I heard her hiccup. She wiped her eyes as she nodded. “Me too, Daddy.”
Her dad pulled her into his arms, and I heard her crying as he rocked her. Turning away, I met Anne’s sad look, and she held her hand out to me, which I gratefully accepted.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Yeah.”
“Come, let’s make some tea.” She pulled me to my feet, and we left Quinn and her dad alone.
The two of us were in the kitchen when my mom came running through the back door. I placed my cup down on the counter as I took a step toward her.
“I need you,” she told me urgently. “Jett’s going to kill him.”
We ran out of the kitchen, and I heard the raised voices coming from the pool. Running past my mom, I skated around the side of the house before I stopped in astonishment at the sight before me.
Jett was on top of Onyx and was literally banging his head off the concrete paving.
“Fuck!” I ran toward them and threw myself at Jett, knocking him off Onyx.
Jett growled as he got to his feet, and Onyx staggered to his. “What the fuck are you doing?” Jett screamed at me.
“Are you crazy?” I shouted back. “You’re going to kill him!”
“He’s a piece of shit,” Jett seethed.
“Yes, well, he’s our piece of shit.”
