Page 66 of Infinite
She’s here now, though. Two weeks of her and I sharing space, and her only hope is that I leave without anything being uncomfortable between us. Like that’s even possible.
Just a few days ago, I put a ring on her finger. Sure, it didn’t exactly go down the way I wanted it to and it crashed into a fiery pit of crap, but I wanted to marry her. I still do.
It took one smile from her to send me right back to my knees. I fucking told her to stay with me as though it were the only option. Gretchen and Ben, newlyweds or not, would’ve taken her with no questions, any of our friends would.
But I want her close. I need to see her, touch her, and see her smile. I want to know she’s safe with me.
Then I think about the bomb she dropped on me—a girl. The baby we lost was a little girl. I think about Aarabelle and the little redhead child I’d dreamed of. “You know the baby was a girl?”
“Really?”
“Ashton apparently found out today somehow.”
“You didn’t think to ask?”
I can only process so much at a time. Her being in front of me was shock enough. “Not yet. I don’t know that it even matters anyway. But . . . a girl. I would’ve had a little girl.”
Liam stands, walking toward me with another beer. “She would’ve been spoiled with her uncles and father.”
She sure would’ve been. This group of guys has zero restraint when it comes to the girls. Aarabelle owns this team, but Erin and Makenna, Mark’s little girl who is still a baby, are well on their way to having us all wrapped around their fingers. It’s always the females who bring us to our knees.
“I would’ve loved her.”
Liam’s hand rests on my shoulder. “You wouldn’t have been able to resist. Which is why I’m worried about you and Ashton doing this again. Neither of you have the ability to resist each other either. If you’re going to leave her, why hurt her more?”
I’m not leaving her. Not in the same sense. I’m leavingforher. This is what she wanted in a way, and it’s the best I can do to provide it.
“I won’t lie and say it’ll be easy, but she’s made it clear that she’s here to heal, not for us to work our shit out.”
“You really believe that?”
I shrug. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because she watched you all night, and her eyes kept doing that . . . oh, Quinn, I love you, please don’t leave me,” Liam says in a horrible imitation of her.
“You’re ridiculous.”
“Am I? Want to wager on it?”
I’m not wagering on Ashton with him. “Fuck off.”
“If you’re so sure, put your money where your mouth is.”
I hate his stupid ass. “And what do I win?”
“If you and Ashton get back together, you get the girl. If you lose her, then you’re going where you want, right? Either way, I think you win, buddy.”
If I don’t get the girl back, I definitely don’t win, but I sure as fuck won’t tell him that. I need to resign myself to the possibility of there not being a reunion between Ashton and me, only a place of understanding.
At least that’s the lie I’m going to feed myself until I’m wheels up on my way to the desert.
23
Ashton
“I can sleep on the couch,” I offer.
Quinn looks at me as though I’m nuts, which maybe I am. This entire plan is crazy, and I clearly wasn’t thinking. How I’m going to spend two weeks with him and not end up with my heart decimated, I have no clue.
