by S. Nelson
“If there’s no one else, then why won’t you give me a second chance?” The slight flare of his nostrils mixed with the deep crease forming between his brows was proof he was upset with my refusal. Todd liked to be in charge, and although he never tried to control me, he didn’t like losing. And his reaction right now proved as much. “Why, Quinn?” He raised his voice and slapped his hand against the door. “I said I’m sorry. You have to believe me.”
“I believe you’re sorry.” His features softened, if only slightly. “I believe you want me back, but I don’t believe for one second you won’t do it again. I’m sorry. I can’t.”
He pressed his body flush with mine, burying his face in the crook of my neck. “I know if you just give in, you won’t regret it.” His lips rested on the sensitive spot just below my ear.
With my hands on his chest, I tried to push him back, but he didn’t move. I was caged between him and the door. No escape.
I wanted to keep my involvement with Nolan private, but I had no other choice but to blurt out, “I’m seeing someone. He’s a cop, and if you keep this up—”
“You’ll have him pay me a visit?” He finally took a step back, allowing me to breathe and attempt to gather my composure. I appeared calm and collected on the outside, but my heart was beating so fast, I could hear the thrumming in my ears.
“I’m not threatening you. I just want you to accept that our relationship is over.” How many times do I have to say the same damn thing?
He retreated another step, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Can’t say I didn’t try.”
I wasn’t sure if he said that for my benefit or his, but either way, I gave him my back and finally walked out the door.
Avery was right.
Closure was overrated.
26
Nolan
Waiting to hear back from Quinn drove my apprehension to a whole other level. Just the thought of her with him, someone I didn’t even know, had never laid eyes on, drove me insane. I had no control over the situation, and I didn’t like that feeling.
For as much as I willed my phone to ring, for her to be on the other end and tell me she was desperate to see me after her encounter with her ex, the device stayed silent.
“Can you tell me what you saw?” I asked the young man who called in the traffic accident.
“The Volvo ran the red light and slammed into that minivan. He never even pressed on his brakes.” His story checked out as there were no skid marks on the road. If there had been, it would’ve shown the Volvo at least attempted to slow down. My guess was that he underestimated the time of the yellow light and gunned it, not knowing, or possibly just not caring that the light on the corner of Henderson and Broadway was one of the quickest lights.
After taking a few more statements and calling for a tow truck for both vehicles, thankful no one was injured, I sat in my patrol car and began writing up the report. I placed my cell on the passenger seat so I wouldn’t miss Quinn’s call. We spoke an hour ago, agreeing to meet up for a bite to eat, but the longer she went without calling, the more I suspected she might not be as over her ex as she thought.
After losing my train of thought for the fifth time, I stared out the window at the passing cars, people frustrated with the slowdown of traffic because of the accident. My mind began to drift back to that night, as it often did whenever I had to respond to a crash. Before the first memory popped in, however, my phone rang. Quinn’s name popped up.
“Hi,” I answered, too quickly to be casual, cursing my impatience and hoping she didn’t notice.
“Hi.” Her voice sounded strange, even with the one-word greeting.
“Are you okay?” All thoughts of me sounding too eager were gone, replaced with concern her encounter hadn’t gone as planned, whatever that might mean.
“Yeah.” There was a small bout of silence. “Can you still meet for lunch?”
“Of course. How about Leo’s on Grand?”
“I’ll see you in a half hour.” She hung up before I could ask her anything else, but I supposed that was for the best. I wanted to look at her when she told me about the encounter.
Those thirty minutes dragged by. Because I had already been close by, I arrived at the pizzeria ten minutes after we spoke, pulling into a parking space in the small lot. This place had some of the best Sicilian around, but they also had an array of other items on their menu in case Quinn wasn’t up for pizza.
Most days, I’d wolf down a sandwich by noon, but seeing as it was almost two in the afternoon, my stomach rumbled, the delicious aroma wafting from the vents, and making my mouth salivate.
After clearing my lunch break with dispatch, not an issue today as there weren’t many calls pending, I turned down the volume on my patrol radio, keeping it at a level I could hear in case there was an emergency. Eighteen minutes later, a black Audi pulled up next to me, the driver side facing mine as I’d backed the squad car in instead of pulling face forward.
I exited my vehicle and opened her door before she could. “Hi.” As soon as she stepped out, I couldn’t help but stare at her. I swore she was more gorgeous than the last time I saw her, and I didn’t think that was at all possible. “You look beautiful,” I said, leaning down to kiss her cheek. “And you smell amazing.” I meant to keep that last compliment to myself, but the words escaped before I could rein them back in.
Pink tinged her cheeks. “Thank you.”
I extended my hand to her, and she readily accepted the gesture, her palm resting over mine. If someone would’ve told me even a week ago that I’d be holding hands, albeit innocently-ish, I would’ve thought they were crazy. But here I was, with a smile on my face and Quinn’s hand grasped securely in mine as we headed toward the entrance to Leo’s.
Once inside, I gestured toward the back of the establishment. “I’ll order for us if you can grab that table back there.”
“Okay. Just get me whatever you’re having. I’m not picky.”
With her parting words, Quinn turned and headed toward the small square table, pulling out the chair furthest from the wall. Did she know I wanted to sit facing the door? Or did she just assume that cops were always busy assessing our surroundings, and having my back toward whoever walked in instantly put me at a disadvantage? Maybe I overthought her choice. Maybe she simply preferred the chair she chose.
Leo’s was one of Sunnyville’s hidden treasures. It was a small pizzeria with only ten tables spread throughout, just enough to give a homey vibe without being cramped. Red and white checkered cloths draped over each of the tables, the black chairs all uniform. The floor was also checkered, but in black and white, and the same Italian décor littered the walls ever since I first started coming here over fifteen years ago.
Since there weren’t many patrons, our order was fulfilled within a couple minutes. All the server had to do was toss the four slices in the oven and pour our drinks. Sliding her plate in front of her, then her Sprite, I took the chair opposite her.
“I hope you like Sicilian.”
“One of my favs,” she responded, flashing me a reserved smile. Instead of eating, she picked at the overflow of cheese on one of the slices.
“Is everything okay?” Her reservation to eat halted me from indulging in mine right away. “Is there something wrong with the pizza?”
“It’s not that.” She looked to me, then back down at the table.
“Did something happen when you went to meet him?” I knew the guy’s name but refused to say it. When she didn’t answer right away, I automatically started to think the worst, my muscles coiling tightly beneath my uniform. “Quinn? You can tell me if something happened.” Mine was an open-ended statement because if she decided to give that asshole another shot, I didn’t want her to shy away from this conversation. I needed to know. I had a right to know. And just the opposite. If he did something to her, acted inappropriately even in the slightest way, I didn’t want her to be afraid to tell me that either. I reached acr
oss the table and grabbed her hand. Only then did she meet my gaze. “What happened?”
I thought perhaps she was going to remain silent, but instead, she pulled her hand back before rattling off all the details in quick succession, making my head spin with the barrage of information.
“He said he was sorry, that he’d never cheat on me again. I told him it was over, telling him numerous times I can never trust him again. But then he kissed me. Tried to kiss me, but I pushed him off me, but he wouldn’t let it go. Then he raised his voice and blocked me from leaving, pleading with me, asking me if there was someone else. And well…” She averted her eyes for a moment, and when she looked back at me, I barely controlled my expression because I was set to explode. “I told him I was dating a cop and that if he didn’t stop… well, he thought I was threatening him, but I wasn’t. Not really. I only wanted him to get it into his head that we are over.”
She finally stopped speaking; her eyes pinned to mine for the longest time. I didn’t know what to say. Fuck that, I did, but I had to choose my words carefully or else I’d probably scare her with my intensity.
“So, what you’re telling me is that he assaulted you and tried to keep you there until he got what he wanted?”
“Yes, I mean… no, not exactly. Well… um…” Her head tilted from side to side. “Look, it’s over now. I told him I’m not taking him back. He gets it.”
“Does he?” A fresh bout of anger rolled through me. “If he texts or calls you, I want you to tell me, Quinn. I’ve seen too many situations escalate because the woman doesn’t want to piss off her ex. He takes her complacency as a sign she wants him back, that she’s just playing hard to get. Promise me you’ll tell me.” Composure wasn’t my friend right now, but I tried, all the same, to keep it together.
“I’ll tell you.” An arched brow from me had her adding, “I promise. I will.”
“Good. Now, were you serious when you told him you were dating a cop, or did you just say that to get him to back off?” Her frown made me elaborate. “What I mean to ask is do you really think we’re dating?” Her lips parted several times, but she didn’t speak a word. Instead, she shifted in her seat, looking uncomfortable as hell. “I’d like to make it official if you would. We can say we’re dating.”
Where the hell did that come from? Was I ready to declare such a thing? Did that mean I had to tell her about what happened? I mean, I planned to but wanted to feel out if this thing between us was going anywhere first. My gut told me I wanted it to, but I’d been out of the game so long, I didn’t want to misread any signs from her. Oh shit! Now I was overthinking everything. I should’ve kept my mouth shut. Why did I say anything at all?
“I’m not pressuring you into saying that, am I? Because I just told him that as a means to get him to back off.”
“No, you’re not pressuring me.”
When she smiled, all of my internal chastising fell to the wayside. “Okay. Yes. I’d like that.” Her grin widened, reaching her eyes and making my heart thump faster.
“Good.” With a smile of my own, I gestured toward her pizza. “Now, dig in.” My appetite had vanished, but I placed the edge of the cheesy dough between my lips and took a bite.
Around a small mouthful of food, she asked, “Do you have any exes I should be concerned about? It’s only fair.” Her smile this time was more playful, having no clue how much her question hurt.
“No. You don’t have anything to worry about.”
“Good.” She nodded, taking several more bites before placing the uneaten pizza on her plate. “Do you mind if I take the rest of this home? It’s very good, but I don’t have much of an appetite.”
“Of course. Eat it later.”
She took a sip of her soda, patting her mouth with a red cloth napkin afterward. Then she leaned back in her seat and smirked, her eyes roaming over me before landing back on my face. “Have I told you how handsome you look in your uniform, Officer Bennett?”
My grin matched hers. “I don’t think so.”
“Well, you do. Sexy in fact.”
“Is that so?”
We’d switched from an intense conversation to a bit of flirting, and I had to admit I preferred the latter.
“I bet you’re a big hit with the ladies.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“Come on, you can tell me. I won’t be upset or anything.”
“I’m being serious. I told you it’s been a long time since I’ve been interested in anybody.”
Her thumb jutted toward her chest. “Am I that anybody?”
“Yes.”
“So how long are we talking about?” I was aware she was only making conversation, her curiosity about me prompting her to ask questions, which was fine, but this line of inquiry made my breathing stutter, nonetheless.
“Years.”
“Years? Does that mean you haven’t…” Her words trailed off as she pursed her lips and shook her head a bit.
I wasn’t about to blurt out that I hadn’t had sex in over three years in the middle of Leo’s. And thankfully I didn’t have to because my break was over, and dispatch let me know as much as there was a 10-94 in progress, aka street racing, less than a mile away. I’d never been so happy to get called back to work before in my life.
“I guess I have to get back.” I stood and walked to the counter to get two boxes as I hadn’t finished my lunch either. On the way back to the car, I didn’t reach for her hand like before—my nerves still a bit rattled. But I was eager to see her again as soon as possible, which because of scheduling, wouldn’t be until this weekend. “Are we still on for Friday?”
“Yes.” She nodded as she answered.
I turned the volume back up on my patrol radio. “Good. I’ll call you when I get home tonight.”
“I look forward to it.”
Suppressing the urge to kiss the daylights out of her right now, I settled with a chaste press of the lips. I didn’t want to start anything, especially since I had to haul ass before anyone got hurt because some jackasses decided to show off with no regard for anyone else.
27
Quinn
Avery made me tell her three times what happened with Todd in case I missed any details the first two times. The entire situation was emotional, and it wasn’t because I still had feelings for him, but because it was going to take me a bit more time to come to terms that the relationship I’d been in for four years failed. I realized our demise wasn’t my fault, per se, but it was a failure regardless. I was thankful we weren’t married or had children. That scenario would be ten times worse than me just being able to walk away, even if my ego had been wounded and my dreams for our life together had been shattered.
Telling Nolan what happened wasn’t a walk in the park either. Not only had Todd’s behavior been fresh in my mind, but I’d managed to upset Nolan. He tried to suppress his anger about what my ex did, but I saw the way his hands clenched and the pulsation in the muscles of his jaw. I knew if I asked him to pay my ex a visit, he would have without a single question, other than to ask for his address. But I didn’t want to invite that kind of drama into my life. Nolan asked me to tell him if Todd continued to contact me, and I said I would… if he did it again.
When I came home after having lunch, I opened my phone to a message from my ex, telling me again how sorry he was for everything that happened. I wondered if he referred to the scene at his place or for cheating on me, or both. But I didn’t dare reach out because I didn’t want to encourage any further conversation.
When I wasn’t thinking about Nolan, looking forward to our evening phone call as well as our date this weekend, I focused as well as I could on work. I made sure my case files were all up to date before every court appearance as well as after every home visit. The families I was responsible for were important, and I treated them as such with my due diligence.
Now, if I could only stop daydreaming about a particularly sexy cop.
“Where are you off to?” Ave
ry leaned against my bathroom door, her attention split between her phone and me.
“Nolan invited me to his house. He’s making me dinner.” With a swipe of lip gloss, my makeup was done. I’d styled my hair poker straight, and now all there was left to do was to pick out what to wear. Since we weren’t going out, I didn’t want to be overdressed, but I also wanted to look good enough to entice him to make a move tonight. The big move.
Every night when we talked, I’d close my eyes and allow his voice to wash over me. His deep and gravelly tone had me conjuring up images of us in all sorts of positions. I had firsthand knowledge that he was an amazing kisser, but I wanted to put his mouth to other uses.
“Is that what he’s calling it?” She laughed when I rolled my eyes.
“I’m sure it’s just dinner.”
“Did you shave your legs?”
“Yeah.”
“And everywhere else?” Her left brow lifted.
“Yeah,” I answered tentatively.
“You’re gonna have sex.” She typed out a message before looking back at me. “I’m jealous.”
“Of what?”
“You get to fuck a gorgeous man and I have to hang around drunk people for the next six hours.”
“Do you mean work?” Avery shrugged off my correction with an eye roll of her own. “And who said anything about having sex later?”
“Me.” Whatever retort I had planned evaporated in my throat as she gave me her back, typing away on her cell. “Wear the gray and white striped wrap dress. If your goal is to get lucky, he’ll want to rip that off you as soon as you walk in the door.” Then she was gone, her words of advice lingering in the air behind her, making me think that it might work to my advantage to wear said dress.
An hour later, I pulled into Nolan’s driveway, parking in front of his garage, taking a few extra moments to compose myself before exiting. He offered to pick me up, but I insisted on driving just in case I had to leave for some reason, a reason I couldn’t fathom right now.
