by Beth Rinyu
“Yeah, well, let me see what she wants to do, but I swear to God if we come over there and you ambush me like that again with Sara, I will never speak to you again.”
“You have my word, Quinn. If she makes you happy, then that makes me happy.”
I hung up the phone, debating if I would even bring it up to Lacey. I didn’t want her to feel as if she had to spend the day with my parents, but on the other hand it would prove to her that she meant so much more to me than a fling. I shook my head, deciding to deal with that later. For now it was back to looking over the evidence, hoping something would turn up.
Chapter 26
Lacey
The final bell rang and Christmas break had officially begun. I hung around, putting in the last of the grades into the computer. I didn’t want to have any unfinished work to do this next week. I was going to use that time to pull myself together. Quinn was going to take me to the firing range again. I had signed up for kickboxing and self-defense classes, and I had planned on spending some time with the girls from the support group. Then, last but not least, time with Quinn. He had been spending every night with me and on the nights he had to work late he would text me every hour to make sure I was okay. I appreciated everything he was doing for me so much, but he was running himself ragged in the process.
I lifted my head to the light knock on my classroom door. “Oh, hey, Neil,” I greeted as he pulled his cleaning cart behind him.
“I’m sorry, Lacey. I could come back to clean after you leave.”
“Oh no, that’s fine. I was just finishing up.”
He nodded and went straight to work. Neil was a nice enough guy. He had just started as one of the custodians and mainly kept to himself, so Julia didn’t have the lowdown on him. But that still didn’t stop her from passing judgment upon him. He was a big, muscular guy covered in a full sleeve of tattoos, rode his Harley on some days to work, and mainly kept to himself. So, in Julia’s eyes that made him a bad person with a secret past. He did seem like the type of guy you didn’t want to mess with, but he was always nothing but nice to me, so I gave him the same respect back.
“So, do you have any plans for Christmas?” I asked as I packed up my things.
“Nothing special. Just relaxing. What about you?”
“Pretty much the same thing.” I smiled.
“Do you need some help with that?” he asked as he watched me struggle to get all of the gifts my students had given me in the box.
“Nah, I’m good.” He nodded and continued mopping. I looked down at the Starbucks gift card one of my students had given me. Neil always carried a thermos of coffee. He was a caffeine junkie. I grabbed it from the box and walked over to him, taking him a little by surprise. “Merry Christmas, Neil!” I exclaimed, placing the card in his hand.
“Wow! Thank you, Lacey.” He looked at the ten-dollar gift card like it was a million-dollar check.
“You’re very welcome.” I threw my coat on and grabbed my things, preparing for a much needed week off.
“Lacey!” Julia shouted, practically running down the hall to catch up with me.
“Oh, hey.” I turned to face her after spending the day trying to dodge her to avoid any unnecessary conversation with her.
“Can you believe I’m hitting the mall now? I still have a ton of shopping left to do.”
“Well, good luck with that.”
“Hey, Adam is spending a couple of days with me over break. Maybe we can get together with you for dinner.”
“Oh…umm.” Her eyes widened when I shook my head. I hadn’t spoken to Adam since the night I hung up on him. I was still so angry at him and wasn’t ready to talk to him yet. “I’ve got a lot going on. I really have to get going. Have a great Christmas, Julia,” I said once we stepped outside, rushing to my Jeep before she could ask any questions. I pulled out my phone to text Quinn and let him know I was leaving school. I hated doing this. I knew it was for my own safety, but it made me feel like a prisoner checking in with their parole officer. After shooting him a quick text, I checked my call log to find a missed call from Aaron’s mother. I hadn’t spoken to her in months. It was hard, and not because we didn’t get along, but because we both shared the same deep mutual pain of losing him, but I owed her a call. It was long overdue. I sat in my parked car, staring out the window, and without even thinking, I hit the call button. I closed my eyes, waiting for an answer. My heart dropped and tears filled my eyes when I heard her voice on the other end of the phone.
“Hi, Angie.” I sucked my bottom lip in.
“Lacey, honey! How are you?” Her voice faltered with emotion.
“I’m doing well. I’m finally settled here. I really like my job, and I’ve met some great people.”
“I’m so happy to hear that.”
I let out a deep sigh, feeling the same familiar guilt each time I spoke to her. Why was I chosen to live that night and not her son? I often wondered if that same thought ever crossed her mind as well. “You know, Steve and I would really love to see you when you come up again.”
“Oh…yeah. I’d really love to see you guys too.”
“Well, are you making a trip up for Christmas break?”
“No, I wasn’t planning on it.”
“Oh, well, maybe sometime in the spring.”
Yes. Spring would be perfect. Aaron’s birthday was in April, and I would be spending it with him in the cemetery, so I would definitely be in the area.
Once the ice was broken, the conversation flowed like it would back in the days when Aaron was still alive. By the time we hung up, total darkness had fallen outside. The parking lot was empty, and I had two missed calls and a text from Quinn, and my battery was signaling at two percent. “Shit, shit, shit! No!” I screamed when my phone powered off before I could text Quinn, letting him know I was okay. I had texted him well over an hour ago, telling him I was leaving, and I knew he was probably thinking the worst. I looked around my Jeep for my extra phone charger and then remembered it was sitting at home on my kitchen counter. I took a deep breath and tried not to stress. I’d be home in five minutes. If Quinn wasn’t there, then I’d charge up my phone when I got inside and call him to let him know I was fine.
“And it just keeps getting worse!” I said, throwing my head back on the seat when I turned the key and heard a clicking sound instead of my engine turning over. “Damn it!” I shouted, banging on the steering wheel. I looked around at the lone car in the parking lot, wondering if there was still someone left inside the school, and if that someone happened to have jumper cables and would be nice enough to give me a jump. I took a deep breath and got out of my Jeep. “Great!” I whispered, feeling the first cold snowflake fall upon my cheek. I was halfway to the building and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Neil walking out. “Oh, thank goodness! Please tell me you have jumper cables,” I shouted.
“Oh yeah, I’m pretty sure I do. Battery dead?”
I nodded as we headed back out into the parking lot. I paced back and forth, trying to warm up while he dug through his trunk, finally locating the jumper cables. I popped my hood and waited for him to pull over to my Jeep and set up the cables. The purring of my engine when I turned the key was music to my ears. “Thank you so much, Neil! I owe you big time!” I exclaimed as I got back out of my car with a smile plastered across my face.
“Glad I could help.”
“You were a lifesaver! My battery was dead in my phone. I couldn’t even call my boy—” I stopped myself before getting the full word out. My boyfriend? Was Quinn actually my boyfriend? We were sleeping together, spending all of our free time together, and had said the “L” word to one another. Under normal circumstances all of those things would classify him as a boyfriend, but there was one little thing—he was still someone’s husband. “I wouldn’t have even been able to call anyone to come give me a jump.” I corrected myself. “So, you really saved the day.”
“No problem, Lacey. Have a good holiday,” he replied, seemin
g a little rushed. He hopped in his car and drove off, and I was hoping I hadn’t held him up with anything.
I cranked up the heat and rubbed my hands in front of the hot air blowing from the vent, startling when I lifted my head to the set of headlights shining in my window. Once I realized it was Quinn, my heart retuned to a normal pace.
“Lacey, what happened? You said you were leaving over an hour ago.” He raised his voice when I rolled down my window as he pulled up next to me.
“I know, I know. I’m sorry. I was leaving and then I got a phone call and lost track of time, and then my phone battery died.” I paused to take a breath. “Then my Jeep decided to die too.”
“Well, how did you get it started?”
“Oh, luckily one of the janitors was still here and had jumper cables on him. I’m sorry, Quinn. I was trying to text you when my phone died.”
“It’s okay. I just got worried.”
“Well, I’m fine.” I smiled. “Starving, but fine.”
“So am I. Do you want to get something to eat?”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Where do you want to go?”
“You decide…I’ll follow.” He stared straight ahead, deep in thought.
“Okay.” He tossed his phone charger into my car through the open window. “Use it…in case you lose me in the five-minute drive to the restaurant.”
I smiled and shook my head. “Thanks.”
He rolled up his window, and I rolled up mine, plugging my phone into the charger… just in case. I followed behind him and waited to pull out. The snow was really starting to come down and the roads were almost covered. A chill shot through my body when I peeked in my rearview mirror and caught a glimpse of a car off in the distance. I tried my hardest to make out anything about it, knowing it wasn’t there before, but it was impossible between the dimly lit parking lot and the snow. It looked similar to Neil’s car, but I knew it couldn’t have been him. I’d watched him drive away. Maybe he had to run back into school for something, or maybe I was going crazy. It may have been there the whole time, and I didn’t see it. I shook my head, trying to shake off my paranoia. I was going to forget the past hour and a half ever happened and focus on the week off that lay ahead, and spending time with the loving, caring man in front of me.
Chapter 27
Quinn
I looked outside the restaurant window at the blinding snow, wishing Lacey would finish up with her burger so we could finally get going. She had been talking nonstop about her Christmas party with her kids at school the entire time she should have been eating.
“I’m almost done.” She raised her eyebrow and smirked as if she was reading my thoughts.
“If it was just me driving I would have no problem with you taking as long as you wanted.”
“Excuse me, but I’ve told you before I know how to drive in the snow!”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah! You’re a girl.”
Her jaw dropped, and she tried to hold back her smile. “And…what does that have to do with anything?”
“I’m kidding.”
“You better be!” She stuck her tongue out at me and took another bite of her burger.
I took a deep breath, preparing to ask her the next question. “So, my mother invited you to come over for Christmas.”
The smile that was on her face quickly vanished. “Oh, ummm…that was really thoughtful, but…” She feverishly shook her head.
“I told her all about you, Lacey. She knows how much you mean to me.”
“Quinn, that’s so sweet…but—”
“That’s fine. If you don’t feel comfortable, then we don’t have to go.”
“No, no, no. You should go even if I’m not.”
“Lacey, I want to spend the day with you.”
“Well, we can spend time together after you’re done at your parents’.”
“No. I want to spend all day with you.”
“Quinn…I don’t want you blowing off your family for me.”
“Lacey, stop. I want to spend the day with you. I don’t care where it’s at, or who it’s with or not with. As long as it’s with you.”
She tilted her head and reached over the table for my hand, rubbing her thumb over the top of my hand. “And I want to spend it with you too, but I want you to be with your family as well.” She took a deep breath. “I’ll go with you.” She still seemed unsure of herself.
“Lacey, really, it’s not a big—”
She shoved a fry in my mouth to stop me from talking. “I’m going, now shush.”
My eyes widened when she took one last sip of her soda and placed her napkin on the table. “Wow, are you finally done?” I asked. Just as the waitress dropped the check off right on cue.
“I think I want dessert.” She busted out with laughter when she saw the look on my face. “I’m kidding!”
I shook my head and smiled as I threw some money in the check folder. I stood up and put my jacket on, waiting for Lacey to button up hers. “Are you ready?” I asked with a raise of my eyebrow. She nodded, and I grabbed her hand as we prepared to exit.
“Hey, Lacey!” I heard a female voice shout as we almost made it to the door.
“Oh, hi,” Lacey responded with her voice sounding a little shaken.
I turned around to find some dude and the same girl Lacey had been with that night when I was in the parking lot with Liza. “Hey, Lace, how are you?” the guy asked.
“I’m...I’m good.”
I could tell she was nervous over something.
“Quinn, this is Adam and Julia.”
“Hey, what’s up?” I took my free hand and shook the guy’s hand.
“Quinn! Do you remember me?” the girl asked as she stared down at my and Lacey’s intertwined hands.
“No…I’m sorry. How do we know each other?”
“High school. You were two years older than me, so I don’t expect you to remember me, but I remember you.”
I nodded as she continued to stare at me and then at Lacey.
“Adam surprised me by coming down earlier. He was waiting at my place when I got home from the mall! Wasn’t that sweet?” She focused her attention back to Lacey.
“Oh, yeah, that was nice.”
I couldn’t help but notice Lacey staring intently at the guy while he stared back.
“Umm…I work with Julia, and Adam is an old friend of mine,” Lacey explained to me, totally flustered.
“Actually, I was best friends with Lacey’s husband.” He clarified, setting a deep gaze upon me.
Lacey closed her eyes for a brief second and squeezed my hand tighter. I could tell she was feeling totally uncomfortable, so I decided to put an end to it. “Well, it’s nice to have met you…and you too, Julia.”
“Oh, yeah! It was really good seeing you again.” Julia smirked.
Lacey nodded, a small smile on her lips. “See you guys.”
“Hey, Lacey!” the girl shouted as we took a step away from the table. Lacey reluctantly turned around and faced them once again. “Adam is here until the day after Christmas. It would be great if we could all get together.”
“Umm…yeah, maybe,” Lacey replied with reluctance before turning back around, now matching the same eagerness I had to leave.
It was as if all of the tension was released once we walked outside into the falling snow. “Wow!” Lacey exclaimed with a mile wide smile as she lifted her head up at the light post and the flakes of snow fell onto her face.
“Come on…it’s too cold to be playing in the snow.” I grabbed her freezing cold hand, not surprised to find it was gloveless. “Get in your Jeep and get warmed up.”
“Quinn, I can do that!” She protested when I began to clean off her windshield.
“Lacey…get in!” I demanded.
“Fine!” She pouted, turning around on one foot and getting inside, turning the engine on.
I finished up with her Jeep and quickly cleaned off my truck, making sure I followed behind h
er the entire ride home.
After we arrived home, I took Gus out for her, taking extra time to look around the property to make sure nothing seemed off the norm.
“You look like you’re freezing,” Lacey exclaimed as I walked through the door.
I looked over at the fire place and widened my eyes. “Wow! Did you start that all on your own?”
She nodded and smiled, handing me a cup of hot chocolate.
“I’m impressed.”
“Come here and let me warm you up,” she said as she took a seat on the couch, pulling the blanket off the back. I sat down next to her, and she covered us both up before flicking on the television.
“So, what was up with you and that chick you work with?”
“Oh God, don’t even get me started! The two of them got to know each other through Facebook. It makes no sense.”
“Why is that?” I asked, playing with her hair as she rested her head upon my shoulder.
“Well, for one, Adam has the women flocking to him. He would never travel miles and miles away to come and visit a girl. They fall at his feet. Not to mention, Julia is just…so not his type!” She shook her head, genuinely pissed.
“Well, you never know, people change.”
She lifted her head from my shoulder, still trying to plead her case. “It’s not just…Julia is the biggest busybody I know. I’m so afraid Adam is gonna tell her about my past, and that’s the last thing I want.”
“Did you tell him not to say anything to her?”
“I did, and then we kind of got into it. He…umm…got pissed at me for not trusting he would keep quiet, and then I got pissed at him. I know if Julia finds out, the whole school will know. It’s bad enough she saw us holding hands tonight.”
“Who cares, Lacey?”
“Well, I don’t want it to affect you negatively.”
“It’s not going to. Will you stop worrying about that? I told you before, I don’t give a shit what people say or think. I’m finally happy and that’s all that matters.”
“I am too.” She stretched her neck and pressed her lips to mine. “Very happy.” She smiled, wrapping her arms around me and squeezing me tightly.
