Page 126 of No Place Like Home

He went to where Quinny was and kneeled in front of her. He kissed her cheek. And then brought her to me.

“You're going to go with Juliet,” I said, scared to be alone with Q.

Juliet took her from me. “We’ll be with Uncle Prescott.”

I knew she’d said that more for my benefit than hers. Okay, so they wouldn't be going far. There was comfort in that.

Once they left and the door closed, I turned to glare at Quincy.

“Now everyone will know we’ve had sex!” I hissed.

He bit his lip and smiled at me. “I think Quinn was proof enough, mamas.”

My belly dipped, but I still scowled. “I mean now. That we had sex now.”

His face got serious again. He sighed and sat on the couch. It was unnerving, since I was standing, and I didn’t know where he was taking this conversation. He extended his arm, and I took it with shaky hands. He led me down to his lap.

“I always knew who I was. I’d never felt more at home than on a field, ball in my hand with the crowd cheering my name,” he began to say as he stared at me. “After the accident, none of that mattered anymore. My home stopped being on the field…”

He stopped talking and took my cheeks in his hands.

“Eventually, home felt like it was here….”

“Sunny Pines?” I breathed.

“No,” he replied. “You leave this place, Jess, and you will keep dragging around a piece of me with you.”

“Quinn?” I was trying to make excuses, but old habits died hard.

“I love you, Jessamine,” he said.

My chest was rising and falling now.

Quincy Hardwell loved me? It was surreal.

“I’m going to lay it all on the table, Jess.” He fixed a tendril of hair behind my ear. “Nothing in the last three years has fulfilled me as much as the last two days. I missed you, Jess. And I’m not saying it will be easy, but it will be worth it. You’re the mother of my child. I want to know everything about her, and I want to do it with you at our side. I want to give you everything, because I know you’ll never ask for it. I want to be a family.”

It was scary. My heart was pounding excessively. He looked at me, and I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I could see the tears beginning to form.

I closed my eyes and let go of everything for a brief second. Being with Quincy was like breathing the fresh summer air. It filled me with warmth and tasted like paradise.

When I opened my eyes again, he was still staring at me.

“I love you.” The words were hesitant but still true.

He pulled my face toward him and gave me a kiss.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-EIGHT

There wasnothing and nobody that could bring me down. The last week had been amazing. Production had continued. They were shooting the things they could without me while I got my shit together.

I was lucky enough to hire a new publicist right away.

Max was helping me with all the Leo bullshit. I knew how shitty people worked, and I didn’t want anything to come out yet. I knew the narrative was important.

“That’s a lot of money.” Max whistled as I signed the NDA.

“If It means he’ll keep his fucking mouth closed, it will be worth every fucking penny,” I told him.

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