Page 41 of The Pursuit of Her Happiness

“I am obsessed with you, Quinn. Love isn’t a strong enough word for the feelings that have taken over my rational mind.”

Dropping my cheek to the mattress, silent tears begin to fall even as my lips stretch obnoxiously into a bright smile. “Fuck me harder. Fill me up. I want to carry the reminder of your obsession inside me for the rest of the day.”

“Jesus, fuck!” he roars, ramping up his speed, forging deeper and deeper with each manic roll of his hips. His cock touches places inside me that I didn’t know had nerve endings. I’m so wet, the lewd sounds of my arousal fill the room.

“I love you, Bently.”

“Yeah, you do. I’m your man. I’m the only one who can fuck you like this. Make you this wet. You’re fucking drenching my cock; it’s dripping down my balls. Fuckin’ hell, baby! I’m gonna cum. But I want to feel you gush.” He slips his right hand under my body, his fingers finding my clit quickly. Seconds later, I am in fact gushing, screaming my release to the heavens.

His rhythm stutters, broken moans escaping him as he presses flush against me, practically pushing me into the mattress, as he finds his own release. Bent kisses me softly along my shoulders, neck, and down my back as he stands up and pulls out of my spent body. “You look so fucking sinful, you dirty girl.” He slaps my ass again with a chuckle.

“I’m gonna need your help.” I won’t lie, it is a little painful to admit that, even in this post-coital moment. “I don’t know what my hair looks like.”

“I’ll fix it, darlin’. Come on, I’ll clean you up first.” He leads me to the bathroom and gently wipes me between my legs. He hums a song I don’t recognize as he plays with my hair. Then he kneels in front of me and helps me redress, adjusting my clothes when he’s done. He kisses the tip of my nose, then my forehead, “Beautiful.”

An hour later, Polk is storming out of the eye doctor’s office, pulling me along with him as he mutters expletives under his breath. He helps me into the passenger seat, buckles me in, then gently shuts my door. He holds my hand as he drives us back to my house. In the living room, he sets me up in the corner of the couch, then disappears for a few minutes.

I understand. He’s furious. I am too. I have never been treated so poorly by a physician. An adult professional.Nothing wrong, waste of his time. I’ve been diagnosed with MS, but it’s insulting to the others who suffer from the debilitating disease to fake symptoms for sympathy.If Polk wasn’t so concerned for my well-being, he would have beaten that fucking asshole to a pulp. And under other circumstances, I would have cheered him on.

But this is my life. My new normal. And I need to adjust quickly and plan.

“Here, baby. I made you a sandwich and got you a can of soda. You need to eat.”

“Thank you.” I accept the plate absently, and hear him place the can on the coffee table. He sits next to me, the couch cushion dipping under his weight. I take a few bites of my sandwich, but I barely taste it. My mind spins with everything I need to do.

“We’ll see someone else.” He grits out, but I don’t want to think about that right now.

“Salvatore’s DI competition is coming up. I cannot lead the practices. I’ll need to contact the school to find another coach. Hopefully one of the other parents can step in. Enzo has karate twice a week. I got a message from the school for Marco, he needs volunteer hours to receive his Academic letter. Then Wilson and Tilly’s wedding is only a couple weeks out. I’m a bridesmaid, but I wonder if she’ll be too hurt if I excuse myself from the ceremony.”

“QUINN!” I startle at the rise in his voice. “Jesus. I’ve been saying your name for two minutes.”

“Oh.” I must have been really in my head; I didn’t even hear him.

“Joe and I will completely take over Sal’s DI team. I already know what needs done, so I’m the logical choice to step in. Audrey can take Enzo to practice. And Marco and I already talked about his volunteer hours. He’s going to help me at the clinic. And if you think for one God damned second Tilly is going to let you be anywhere but next to her at the altar, you’re fucking delusional.” He sighs heavily, grabs my hands and leans his forehead against mine. “The brothers will fill in wherever and whenever they can. You’ve lost your sight, Quinn, you aren’t a vegetable. It will take some getting used to but I don’t think that doctor knows anything. We’ll see someone else, get a second opinion, or a third if we have to.”

“I hate this.” I murmur against his soft lips. “My body decides to mutiny, and I have no control over it. I feel so…helpless.Weak.” I spit the words out, hating how they taste in my mouth. This isn’t me, but that appointment…any high I’d been riding from the epic fucking before we left, was quickly eradicated by the doctor’s callousness. “It’s so, ugh, it’s unfair.”

He chuckles, “Life isn’t fair, wear a helmet.” I collapse against him, my laughter turning into tears as I burrow into the safety of his hold. He’s my partner, my protector, my shield, but he can’t shield me from this.

“I’ll be alright. I’m just having a moment.”

“Quinn. You don’t have to be strong and on top of things all the time. At least with me. Be soft. Be vulnerable.” I shiver exaggeratedly in disgust. The sound of his laughter echoes beneath my ear, his chest bouncing with the effort. “I’ve got you.”

“I know. I believe that you do. This is…right now, this feels bigger than us.”

Polk 22.

I’ve about had it with medical personnel. “Professional” my ass. Bunch of distracted, condescending pricks. I may have insinuated to my brothers in Church the other day that we let McKinley find inventive ways to punish them. He was all for it, but Madison shut us down, claiming four injured/maimed/super dead eye doctors within a 30 miles radius would draw suspicion. And Quinn’s link to us would turn that suspicion our way.

Why he gotta be all logical and shit? My woman is distressed and trying like hell to hide it. Joe and I had it out two days ago, after I blamed him for her insisting that she carry the weight of her disease and new-onset blindness alone. It took the wind right out of my sails when he accepted responsibility, though he heaped a good bit on her parents, rightly so. Surprisingly, Joe and I have struck up a friendship. He’s a cool guy, he loves his kids, and he loves Quinn, but he is man enough to recognize that he has enough of his own demons to contend with that being a full-time dad or husband isn’t in the cards right now. Also, he thinks Quinn is as beautiful as ever, but he isn’t attracted to her sexually anymore. To be fair, he claims he isn’t attracted to anyone sexually because of his medications.

That sucks.

And I can relate a little. Since her first eye appointment she’s been withdrawing slowly. We haven’t made love or been intimate more than a quick kiss goodnight since. It’s frustrating. Not because I’m horny, but because I miss her. Intimately, emotionally and physically. I refuse to sleep anywhere else but beside her. She can have all the time and space she needs with me right next to her every night. I know how ridiculous that sounds, but I love her, and she isn’t going to face any of this alone. With each subsequent appointment ending in disappointment, she curls in on herself and it tears me apart to witness. She’s a strong woman. She’s Quinn Fucking Palomeni.

Not even Audrey can get through to her. She roams aimlessly around the house, unable to work because of her loss of sight. She can’t drive the boys to school, pick them up, or take them to practice. She’s lost more than the ability to see, she’s losing more and more of herself as the days go by. She’s not eating, either, and she’s lost weight. The boys are worried but have been busy taking care of things around the house. And Joe has popped in and out with meals and picking up or dropping off the boys when he can.

I feel impotent, unable to help her and it is not a feeling I’m digesting well.

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