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“So Holden said Quinn punched him? AtThe Rowdy?They had a bar brawl? That doesn’t sound very plausible. I can’t see Holden fighting with anyone, let alone Quinn. I mean, no offense to Holden, but he’s not exactly the street fighting type.”
“Okay, Judgy Judgerton,” I said. “I’m just telling you what Holden said. And I don’t know Quinn’s side of the story because he came ‘round and saw me and Holden talking—just talking!—in the café and lost his shit.”
Mars bit his lip, his chocolate eyes wide. “What’d he say?”
“Nothing, really. Except that he’d seen all he needed to see and I’d obviously made my choice. Which is totally unfair and untrue. I haven’t decided anything. But Quinn wouldn’t know that because he never answered my calls. Or my texts.” I shook my head, a loose lock of hair falling into my eyes.
Mars swept it away, tucking it behind my ear. “He never called you back?”
“No, I don’t think so. He said he did, but I bet he was just covering.”
“Really, Lane? That’s awfully harsh and doesn’t sound like him at all. What exactly did you text him?”
“Gawd, Mars, I don’t know. The standard stuff: call me. Call me back.”
“That’s it? Are you sure it wasn’t anything more? And why was he coming over in the middle of the night? He must have wanted to talk to you.”
I shrugged, my eyes filling with tears again. “I don’t know. We never got to talk.”
“Check your phone. I want to know what you said, exactly. Maybe then we’ll get a clue.”
“Fine, but we won’t,” I said in a grumpy voice, rising to get my phone, then flipping it to Mars. “Read my texts.Ididn’t say anything.”
Mars hit my home screen and my phone lit up.
“Uh, Lane?”
“What?”
“You have a missed call. And a message. From Quinn, this afternoon. He wasn’t lying.”
“Shut up! Gimme.” I grabbed for my phone and hit the speaker button, Quinn’s voice filling the hushed silence of the apartment. “Call me.”
“Ohmygosh! How did I miss that message? He probably thinks I blew him off and, on top of it, was hanging out with Holden. Which isn’t true, for the record.”
Mars nodded. “Seems like a good assumption.”
“And Imighthave told him he needs to deal with his emotional bullshit.”
“Seriously, Lanie? Harsh.”
I nodded. “Yeah, might have been a tad much.” I regretted my cold words now, even if they’d felt right in the moment.
“You really know how to kick a guy when he’s down,” Mars said, his dark hair falling over his eye as he tsked at me.
I shook my head. “Now what?”
“Call him.”
“I can’t, Mars.”
“Fine. Sleep on it and we’ll deal with it in the morning.”
“Good idea. I need time to think about what to say.” I chewed my lip, contemplating.
“Lanie. You love him, right?”
I nodded, staring down at my couch cushions. “Yes.” The admission only made me feel worse, my chest squeezing hard at what I’d probably lost.
