They made their way to the front of the room, where Lyle read off a short introduction. “But what am I doing talking when you can watch it on video?”
Quinn settled his arm around Ginny. She didn’t snuggle into him, but she leaned his direction, sharing body heat and personal space. There was an issue keeping them from fully coming together, a conversation they’d have to get through.
Lyle motioned for the movie to start. Quinn watched with interest, hoping he’d see the woman he fell in love with falling in love with him.
The movie started with pictures of them in college. They were standing in front of a car they’d filled with popped popcorn, his arm around her shoulder, the two of them grinning. Other images followed of them studying late at night, eating ice cream, roasting marshmallows, and watching a football game with their faces painted. Those images faded away and were replaced with Ginny surrounded by a group of kids; the wordorphanagecould be seen behind them. Quinton jolted. What followed was a montage to her travels and service across the globe. She stiffened and pulled away from him as she was memorialized on screen as this decade’s Mother Teresa.
He grunted. “I thought tonight wasn’t about advancing our careers.”
Ginny whispered back through tight lips. “I had nothing to do with this.”
He wanted to believe her. He did. But the last set of images proved her statement false. They were pictures only Ginny would have of their time together, including one of them in front of the Pinball Museum. The whole thing made him feel used and stupid for not seeing the real Ginny. In that video, he saw that he had been the trophy husband all along.
He moved his arm and put some space between them. Ginny glanced at him, her eyes full of questions. After the show was over, the lights went back up and they weren’t alone, weren’t in a position to talk about their future together or what had happened tonight.
Lyle handed Ginny the microphone. Her cheeks lifted and she waved to everyone. “Thank you all for being here tonight to celebrate our engagement.”
A wave of refined clapping swept through the room.
Quinton swallowed the disgust building inside of him and smiled.
“I’ve never met anyone like Quinton before, and I couldn’t be happier to marry my best friend.” She passed him the mic.
Quinn looked down at it for a moment. The delicate words of love he’d crafted tasted like lies. “Thank you all for coming. We hope you have a wonderful evening.”
As soon as the band struck up a song and the attention shifted, Quinn made a break for the back door. Ginny hurried after him. He could hear her greeting people and promising to come back and chat, her voice high as she forced cheerfulness into her tone. He followed a server into the kitchen and hurried around the island to where an exit sign glowed green above a heavy metal door.
“Quinn!” Ginny grabbed his arm, pulling him to a stop. “What’s going on?”
He spun on her so quickly that she stepped back, startled. “I wasn’t sure, but I think I finally have it figured out.”
“Fill me in, then, why don’t ya?” She folded her arms.
No place like the beginning. “I’ve been in love with you since Stanford.”
She gasped and her eyes glistened with tears. “Really?”
“Yeah. But that girl I fell in love with got lost somewhere along the way.”
“No.”
“She would have sold that formula, Ginny. Heck, she would have given it away if it would have helped one mother. But you turned Lucas down with cold-hearted glee.”
She sputtered. “There’s more to consider.”
“Than a life? Fine. You have hard decisions to make. I understand that. I do. But I don’t understand your indifference. The woman I loved wanted to make a difference. And then to see you use those orphans to improve your image? I don’t know you, Ginny. And I certainly can’t marry you.”
Her hands shook as she reached to take off the ring.
He held up a hand. “Keep it.” His body deflated, unable to stay angry at her for long but still resolute in his decision. He’d trusted and cared about two people who had both let him down. The trouble was, he still cared about them. “I hope it makes you happy.”
He shoved the door open, setting off some sort of alarm that followed him into the alley. Three seconds later, the door shut behind him and he was shrouded in darkness, his shoulders wet from the rain.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ginny
The guests were gone. The large screen was dim. Glitter littered the floor, along with crumpled napkins and a few dishes. Ginny sat at a table, a glass of water in front of her, her shoes on the floor next to her feet. A small pile of forgotten purses, handbags, and glasses sat on the table next to her. Lyle would take them home and make sure they were returned to their rightful owners.
