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Chapter Eighteen
Lucas
My eyes burn as I lean back in my chair and lift my coffee mug to my lips. I’m on my fourth damn cup of this stuff but it’s still not helping. Of course, it would be best if I had gotten any sleep last night but between trying to check on Quinn and looking for my brother, that didn’t happen. I glance down at my phone on the table, irritated that she still hasn’t answered my last text. When I wasn’t driving around this whole damn city looking for Clay, who’s honestly probably so high he can’t see straight, I was texting her and her answers were always vague one or two word responses that tell me something is seriously wrong.
“You okay, bud?” Chance asks, sitting down across from me and I shake my head.
“Nope. Been a pretty shit night, actually.”
He nods. “Your brother?”
“And my woman.”
“What the hell is going on with Quinn?” he asks as he leans back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest. I sigh.
“No fucking clue. She disappeared from the baby shower and now she’s saying that she’s sick and doesn’t want me to come around.”
“Maybe she’s just sick…”
I shake my head. “No. She’s not acting anything like herself, barely talking to me and when she does, it’s all vague and noncommittal.”
“Ah,” he whispers with a nod. “You remember when I first met Carly?”
“Barely.”
“Well, she was… difficult to say the least - constantly pushing me away and running from what she was feeling.”
I shake my head as I glance down at my phone again. “I don’t think that’s what Quinn is doing.”
“Maybe not but the point is, if you want a long term with her, you may have to chase her a little.”
I scoff. “I already have chased her. We were together and then this happens.”
“So, what? You’re going to give up? The good ones are never easy, dude. Trust me.”
He stands as I sigh as he walks away, my gaze falling to my phone again before I scoop it up and dial her number. Irritation eats away at me as it rings and when her voice mail picks up, I let out a growl.
Time to make a move.
If she’s truly sick, I should be there with her despite all her objections and if she’s not, I’m going to get some fucking answers as to why she’s avoiding me. It just doesn’t make any sense. We were having such a good time at the baby shower and then, just like that, she’s gone and I can’t get her to pick up the damn phone.
“Hey, you headed somewhere?” Blaze asks as I stand up and set my coffee cup on the bar. I nod and slip my phone into my pocket.
“Yeah, I was just leaving. Why?”
He looks down at the folder in his hand. “Just need someone to run down this lead on Laney.”
“Chance is upstairs, not doing anything,” I tell him, nodding to the stairs and he nods.
“I’ll put him on it. How’s your brother?”
I sigh. “Missing again. I brought up rehab and he flipped out.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah.” I nod. “I got other things to worry about right now, though.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “When has anything ever been more important than your brother?”
