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“Dammit, dammit, dammit.”
My vision is blurry from the tears I’m trying to hold back.
Finally,fucking finally, the key slips into place, and I start the car, quickly blinking away the tears as I put it into drive. I’ve never been more grateful that the parking lot is empty as I am right now as I abruptly pull out of my parking space.
Eight years.
I’ve given him eight years of my life.
“I hate you, John Tyson,” I mutter, my fingers clenching tightly around the steering wheel. So tightly, all the color has drained from my knuckles. “I hate you, I hate you, I hate you. I never want to see you again.” Not bothering to look in the rearview mirror as I speed away. “Why is this happening to me a-again?”
A hiccup breaks the last word in two, and it’s like the dam has been broken, and all the feelings I’ve been pushing back as I tried to keep my head high in front of them come rushing back.
I’m crying so hard I have to pull to the side of the road because otherwise, I’d end up in an accident.
“Why?” I curl my fingers into fists and pound them against the steering wheel. “Just, why?”
CHAPTERTHREE
QUINN
“There’s nothing like spicy chicken wings after a workout,” Nate rubs his hands together before grabbing one wing.
I give him a dry look. “Dude, you haven’t even been at practice long enough to get sweaty, much less hungry.”
I bite into my own wing savoring the crispy texture of it. Seriously, Moore’s has some of the best chicken wings in the state. I’ll miss them so damn much if I end up moving away.
Nate wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “Hey, it’s not my problem that the class went longer than intended. I swear that professor does it on purpose too. The asshole. Besides, studying burns more calories than working out. It’s a fact. Look it up.”
“I’m not looking anything up. I’m done with college, so no more studying or looking up any facts. The only burning of calories I’m planning to do is out on the court.”
“We’ll see about that, old man,” Mark grins and picks up his hamburger. “Soon, you’ll get a beer belly, and the court will be a thing of the past.”
“I’ll give you a beer belly.” I connect my elbow with his side. Hard. “Still got the moves and the abs to prove it.”
Mark shakes his head. “We’ll see how long they last once you find that teaching position.”
“Oh, like you’ll be any better, Mr. Engineer. How’s that desk job in Boston treating you? Can’t be that good if you’ve come back to play basketball.”
Even before he officially graduated, the firm he interned for offered him a position. So soon after, he moved down to Boston.
“The job’s busy, but I love it, so I can’t complain. Well, except for one thing. None of my colleagues play ball.” He shakes his head, an incredulous look on his face. “I was thinking of inviting them, but I figured it’d be bad for my position if I wiped the court with my colleagues so early on.”
“So you came here, so we can wipe the court with you?” I nod my head. “Makes perfect sense.”
“Fuck you, McLannister. What’s with your job, anyway? Any info on that front?”
I shrug. “Still working on it.”
“What he wants to say is that he’s still trying to figure out if Miss Vanessa will give him the time of day so he has a reason to stay.”
I ball the napkin and throw it at Nate. “It’s not like that. I’m waiting to figure out which is the best course of action. I do like the idea of staying in Blairwood and working with the kids here. And yeah, maybe I’d like to stay and volunteer at the community center in the future too.”
Not only didBright Havenhelp me get where I am today, but I’ve volunteered at the center since my freshman year of college. I love the kids here and have a fun time doing it. Is it so wrong to want to stay?
Mark shakes his head. “You’re such a sap, Quinn.”
“More like he has had it so bad for that manager since day one.” Nate wiggles his brows.
