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—Text from Quinn to his brothers
QUINN
8 weeks later
I was angry.
Livid, actually.
Two months I’d been gone, and the moment I get back, she’s on a date?
The anger and resentment inside me at the knowledge that she hadn’t waited, that she hadn’t tried to fight harder, had been like an acid burn for going on a few hours now.
That was why I’d said yes to a date.
Had agreeing been the smartest move on my part? No.
Had doing the agreeing in front of my sister been smart? Absolutely not.
Had I gone on the ‘date’ anyway? Yes.
But the date hadn’t gone on long.
She’d realized rather quickly that the date I’d agreed to had been for a different reason than her.
I.e., she knew that I was still really stuck up on Shayne.
I’d pretended, though, until I saw her walk in.
The moment she saw me, I knew.
I hadn’t necessarily seen her face, but the entire restaurant had felt like it’d gone chilly.
My date, who’d been facing the entrance to the side of the building where Shayne had come in, had seen her, and upon the look on her face, I knew that Shayne hadn’t been able to control her emotions.
She never had been great at that.
“Why did you two break up?” Dali asked.
I leaned back in my chair, wondering if I should answer honestly, and decided… fuck it.
Why not tell her why?
“Because my parents are police officers. I’m now a police officer. And Shayne’s family is a bunch of criminals,” I said. “Her brother is the hot shot gang leader of the Breakers, and he’s gone out of his way to let anyone and everyone know that he doesn’t approve of a relationship between Shayne and me. We broke up because I couldn’t continue to be with someone who would knowingly associate with a man who saw nothing wrong with attracting young, impressionable kids into his clutches, and teaching them that the only way is the Breakers way.”
Her mouth pursed. “I think maybe you could’ve allowed her to graduate first before you broke up with her, though. What was she supposed to do? Leave her family? She’s only seventeen.”
She had a point.
But…
“There was an absoluteness to the way she shared that she wouldn’t consider leaving her brother,” I said, almost a little too honestly.
“Why did you agree to this date when you’re still incredibly in love with her?” Dali continued to push.
“Because I don’t want to be.”
Anger at myself, and at Shayne, fueled me through the next few days.
