Page 49 of Avoiding Temptation
“Who? Lauren?”
“Yeah.”
“She’s…” he sighs, a small smile playing on his lips as he thinks of her. “She’s incredible. One of the strongest women I know, and not just because she’s put up with my shit all these years. We met at a pretty low point in both of our lives, almost like fate. She’s been my rock.”
“She really means a lot to you, doesn’t she?” I don’t know why I ask; it’s obvious from his tone how important she is to him.
“You’ve no idea.”
A weird feeling twists my insides. Is that…is that jealousy? The more I try not to think about it, the more it starts to fester.
“Have you known each other long?”
“Six years or so. I turned up at the office of the company I work for and she was there, the boss’ daughter.”
“I thought she was banging the boss?”
“Long story, but her dad passed away and Ben took over. They now live together, and I’m waiting for a proposal to happen any moment now. What about you, did you leave a best friend behind?”
Sadness washes over me as reality hits me once again. “No. Eddie is actually the closest thing I’ve had to a real friend in a very long time.”
“Eddie?” he asks, his brows drawn together when he glances over at me.
“Yeah. Mr. Boring.”
“Oh, him. I wouldn’t have put you two together.”
“He’s a good guy. He set me up with my flat and got me the job. I just have to look past the fact that he’s from my previous life and knows things about me that I’d rather no one did.”
“Even me?”
I blow out a long, slow breath. “I’ll tell you everything, just…just not all at once.”
Reaching across the centre console, he takes my hand in his, his thumb rubbing the inside of my wrist. It’s a move I’ve never felt before, and it’s more comforting than I want to admit.
The van falls into silence, but it’s not uncomfortable. I run the events of the past couple of days around my head in order to keep my past out, and I can’t help but wish it was Friday night again and that we were driving in the opposite direction.
We’re in the city long before I’m ready, and even sooner Joe is pulling up into my building’s car park.
We both remain seated. The only sounds in the van are that of our deep breathing. I don’t want to get out and, from the tense set of his body, I don’t think he wants to allow me to leave either.
The moment I step out of this car, reality is going to come crashing back down on me. Tomorrow is the start of a new week. I’ve got to walk into college with my head held high like I haven’t spent the weekend with one of my students. I’ve got to pretend that I’m not as bad as the people I left behind. That thought has my heart racing.
I’m not one of them.
I’m nothing like them.
This is…this is more than the nightmares and ruined childhoods they caused.
“Quinn, it’s okay.” Joe’s warm palm gently touches my cheek and encourages me to turn towards him.
“We shouldn’t be doing this, Joe. It’s wrong.”
“Nothing, and I mean nothing, about this feels wrong.” His thumb brushes over my bottom lip. “If it’s too much, just tell me and I’ll quit. I’ll see if I can find a course somewhere else or something, but I’m not allowing it to come between us.”
“You can’t do that. This is your dream, your future.”
“Bettering myself and improving my career is only part of my future. Right now, there’s something else I need more.”
