Something Like Redemption (Something Like Normal #2) (25 page)

It was safe to say Justin was the furthest thing from my mind. But it’s funny how you can make an impact on someone’s life, without even realizing it.

“We all good here?” Quinn asks, slamming the pitcher of beer so hard on the table it spills over the sides.

I pull back my hand, and thankfully this time, Justin lets go.

“Red?” Quinn questions, sitting near me when I don’t reply.

“Yup, all good,” I mumble, reaching for my glass and downing my beer.

Justin smirks, seeming to enjoy the discomfort between Quinn and me.

“Excuse me, I gotta make a call,” he says, standing up and heading outside.

I can feel Quinn’s eyes pinning me with a heated stare, and I bravely meet his gaze.

“What?” I ask, knowing full well why he’s scowling.

“What did I tell you? As long as he keeps his hands to himself, he’ll be fine. But the minute my back is turned, that motherfucker has his hands all over you,” he says, looking over my shoulder to where Justin went.

“He was not all over me. We were just talking about—” and I pause.

Oh shit, I need to shut up. Telling Quinn Justin had the biggest crush on me and still fantasizes about our kisses is not helping my case.

“About what?” he asks, leaning back into his seat.

“Nothing. Forget I said anything.”

“No, I will not. The more I’m around this guy, the fishier he gets. I didn’t like him from the get go, but there’s something off about him. Him just popping up, offering to help and expecting nothing in return is damn strange. Unless…”

“Unless what?” I ask, interested to hear Quinn’s thoughts.

“Unless he expects payment in the form of you.” Quinn spits and his jaw clenches.

“What?” I gasp. “That’s ridiculous!”

“Is it?” Quinn questions, raising an eyebrow.

“What do you know about this guy, Red? Apart from being an old flame from school?” The word flame has never sounded so dirty.

“He’s here on business.” I sigh, growing annoyed with this conversation as I take a big sip of my beer.

“So he says. What business? And why is his God damn phone going off every thirty seconds?”

“You’re just suspicious of everyone!” I say angrily, wiping my lips with the back of my hand, as I don’t actually know why he’s always on his phone.

“No, I’m realistic. When a guy offers to drive a girl halfway across the country without expecting anything in return, something isn’t right. The only reason I’m not breaking his nose is because you’ve asked me not to, and to trust you on this. And you’re right; he is our best option at the moment, allowing us to fly under the radar. But that doesn’t mean I have to like him.”

“Why don’t you like him?” I ask, as I really don’t understand. Justin seems harmless to me.

“Because I don’t like the way he looks at you when you’re not looking.”

I cock my eyebrow, as this is news to me.

“He looks at you,” Quinn explains, “like he wants to fuck you, or fuck you over. I just haven’t figured out which yet.”

My mouth falls open, because both options are horrible.

“You’re wrong,” I say, unconvincingly.

“I hope I am.”

But now that the seed of doubt is planted, I’m afraid it’ll just grow.

Justin returns, slipping his cell into his jeans before sitting down.

I give him a small smile, hoping I don’t look guilty, but I can’t help it as Quinn’s words repeat in my head.

Why would Justin want to fuck me over?

Chapter 21

Heartbeats

The banging on our bedroom door has me shooting up in bed, reminiscent of the last time there was someone knocking at our door, and that time wasn’t good, as it was the police. Quinn is sleeping peacefully near me, curled onto his side, his head resting on my pillow.

I can’t run again, I just can’t.

Thankfully, the banging ceases and Justin’s soft voice echoes outside our door. “Mia? Are you awake?”

The bedside clock reads 3:34a.m. What does he want?

Silently slipping out of bed, not wanting to wake Quinn, I grab his hoodie off the floor and slip it on before opening the door and stepping out to face Justin.

“Everything okay?” I ask, because he looks a little stressed out as he slips his cell into his back pocket.

Justin rubs the back of his neck before he replies. “Um, yeah. Sorry to wake you,” he apologizes.

“It’s fine, what’s up?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest, as the room has dropped to an arctic temperature.

“Um, plans have changed, and I don’t have to stay here anymore. Wanna head out, first light?”

This is great news, as the sooner we hit the road, the better—but I can’t help but wonder what’s changed. And what work Justin is involved in. We all have our secrets, God knows I have enough for the both of us, but I feel unsettled not knowing why exactly Justin is headed for Canada.

“That’s great,” I whisper, not wanting to wake Quinn. “What changed?” I ask, hoping to get some answers from him.

Justin sniffs, looking away, and I don’t like it.

“Oh, um…” He pauses.

“What’s going on?”

I spin around quickly, knowing this doesn’t look good. Quinn meets my guilty eyes, waiting for an answer.

“Justin just wanted to let me know that we can leave first light, as he doesn’t have to stay here after all,” I reply on a breath.

“Hmm,” Quinn replies, his arms crossed over his bare chest in defiance. “And this couldn’t wait till morning?”

Justin speaks up, and this is the first time he has addressed Quinn in hours. “Sorry, dude, my bad. I just wanted to let you guys know. I’m not much of a sleeper, and forget that other people are.”

Justin’s attempt at a joke falls flat on its ass, as Quinn grunts in response, his eyes narrowed. “Whatever, dude.”

I’m so sick of this bullshit between them. Quinn isn’t helping this situation by attacking Justin, and Justin being vague all the time is totally making me suspicious of his intentions.

I turn on my heel in frustration. “Well, if you two are done being little bitches, I’m going to sleep.”

I stomp into the bedroom, not caring if Quinn is following. If he and Justin need to have a fight, or whatever boys do to prove who the bigger man is, then so be it. I’m sick of playing peacemaker between two polar opposites.

I slip under the covers, hoping to catch at least twenty minutes’ sleep. But I know I won’t, as this whole fucked up situation keeps getting worse and worse. I don’t know where my dad is, and I’m constantly looking over my shoulder, afraid I’ll see him or the police. I just can’t seem to catch a break.

And with Justin and Quinn at each other’s throats, I honestly don’t know what else to do. As much as I hate it, Justin is the only way for us to remain undetected. I just wish Quinn could get over whatever issue he has with Justin, as I don’t know what else I can do to show him that I’m his.

“I’m sorry, Red.”

Sighing, I roll onto my side away from Quinn, as I don’t want to talk to him right now.

“Don’t ignore me. I’m sorry, okay?”

The resolve in his tone tells me that he is, but I still remain silent.

The bed dips and I feel a set of strong arms wrap around my waist, pulling me toward a familiar chest.

“Please don’t be mad at me,” Quinn whispers close to my ear, his hair tickling my cheek.

“‘I’m not mad,” I reply unconvincingly.

“And please don’t lie to me,” Quinn says on a sigh.

Quinn is right, maybe if I tell him how I feel, like really tell him how I feel, he’ll stop with this bullshit jealousy crap with Justin.

Shifting slowly to face him, Quinn’s grip on my waist slackens, allowing me to turn. He’s the most handsome man I have ever seen, and he’s insane if he believes I would ever want anyone other than him.

“I’m not mad,” I reiterate. “‘I’m just tired. This whole situation we’re in, the situation that I’ve put you in—it makes me sick, Quinn. I hate that you’re in this situation because of me. And I hate that you have to play nice with Justin, because I know you just want to hang him up by his balls and let the wildlife have their way with him.”

Quinn’s mouth tips up into a small smile, but he allows me to continue.

“But I know you won’t leave me, and you know that I don’t want you to go,” I confess. “What you’ve done for me, no one has ever done for me before.”

“Red,” Quinn says, but I place my finger over his lips, silencing him as I need to get this out.

“Quinn, you are in here.” I remove my hand from his luscious mouth, placing my palm over my chest. “No one will ever, ever, take your place. No one. I promise you. So please, just please, can you try and tolerate Justin? I’m not asking you to like him, hell, you don’t even have to talk to him, it’s probably better if you don’t. But can you, for me, can we just get to Canada and—”

But this time, Quinn is the one to silence me as he places his finger over my lips, mid-speech.

“Okay,” he replies, his warm eyes meeting mine.

“Yeah?” I ask around his finger, hopeful he’ll say yes.

“Yeah,” he confirms with a nod, his finger slowly sashaying across my wet lips.

“Thank you, Quinn.”

Quinn nods, his eyes transfixed on his finger as he plays with my lower lip.

“You’re in here, too,” Quinn replies softly, reaching for my palm and placing it over his warm chest.

His beating heart drums steadily underneath my hand, and the feeling is the most comforting one I have ever had. Knowing that his heart beats for me makes all of this, all this bullshit worthwhile.

“Kiss me,” I whisper, my palm still resting against his chest.

At my suggestion, I can feel his heart rate speed up, and it’s nice to know his heart is beating as fast as mine.

Chapter 22

Unlucky

It’s now 7:30 a.m., and we’re checked out and ready to hit the road.

After our chat, I feel like Quinn and I reached some kind of agreement, and we also made some headway with what’s going on with us. There’s no doubt in my mind that I’m falling for Quinn, and falling hard. And for once, I’m not scared or confused by it. I feel alive.

Justin has been quiet, and I really want to ask what’s up, but I have a feeling he wouldn’t tell me. There’s more to Justin, and Quinn is right, what do I really know about him? The Justin I now know has changed from the Justin I knew in high school. This Justin is guarded, and this Justin is definitely hiding something.

I just don’t know what.

“So, where we headed?” I ask, jumping into the passenger seat with Lucky sitting on my lap.

“Wisconsin,” Justin replies, placing his paper coffee cup in the cup holder and starting the engine.

“Cool,” I reply, even though I have no clue what happens in Wisconsin.

Quinn chuckles, and I love that the air has cleared somewhat. I don’t expect Quinn and Justin to become best friends, but if they can at least tolerate one another, then I’ll settle for that.

***

“Wakey, wakey, Sleeping Beauty.”

If that voice was anyone’s other than Quinn’s, they would be receiving a headbutt to the nose for waking me up from a very nice dream.

The dream, of course, was starring the man who is currently kissing my neck softly.

“Go away,” I mumble in a sleepy voice.

“You don’t mean that,” Quinn chuckles huskily.

“I do too,” I reply, eyes still closed tight.

“I know how to wake you up.” I feel a familiar hand walk down my shoulder and gently cup my right breast.

My eyes snap open, afraid Quinn is feeling me up with Justin nearby.

Quinn laughs, and I turn to face him as he’s leaning forward from the backseat, his huge frame filling the truck.

“You don’t play fair,” I pout, pushing my bottom lip out playfully.

“Fair is boring,” Quinn replies, thumbing my bottom lip.

The instant his finger touches my lip, a zap courses through my body, and I shiver in desire. Quinn can visibly see the response my body has toward him, and judging by the way he’s nibbling on his lip ring with a heated stare, I dare say he feels it too.

“Okay
guys, let’s eat,” Justin says as he opens the driver’s door after visiting the restroom.

Shrinking back, slightly embarrassed to be caught out panting in need from Quinn’s touch, I give Justin a small smile.

“Sounds great,” I reply, sounding breathless.

Justin looks at me, giving me a genuine smile, and for once, I smile back.

Maybe things are looking up.

***

Justin suggests Quinn and I do some sightseeing while he checks in with work. He still hasn’t elaborated what his work involves, but I don’t question him, as I have a feeling I just may not like the answer.

Quinn and I are walking hand in hand, strolling the city streets with Lucky sauntering by my side. I know we should be keeping a low profile, but I’m getting a severe case of cabin fever, or should I say car fever.

It’s so nice to be outdoors, I just wish the circumstances were different.

There’s a lot to do here, and it’s a shame we don’t have enough time to explore the sights and sounds of such a wonderful place. There’s one thing I want to do, and as soon as I see it, I yank on Quinn’s hand, leading him into the direction of where I know he wants to be.

An art gallery.

It’s nothing fancy, and quite frankly looks like a rundown factory, but I know it’s what’s inside that counts.

Quinn follows, chuckling at my enthusiasm, but this is something I know he will enjoy. That night, all those months ago when I stumbled into Quinn’s room by mistake, and saw all of his drawings pinned to his wall, I remember thinking his work needs to be in a gallery somewhere, where people come from all corners of the globe to appreciate his talent.