Page 136 of You Found Me
She smiles, rising up to kiss me, when we hear Mia say, “We’ve got a little over a minute until midnight people. Grab someone to ring in the new year with.” She looks around, zeroing in on Beckett, “Clark, don’t you dare fly off. You’re getting a big sloppy smooch on the cheek. I’ll let you decide which of your four cheeks I kiss.”
His face goes impossibly red before excusing himself. Everyone chuckles when Mia goes after him. Emmy looks at me and rather than comment on her friend and my brother, I take a deep breath. “I want to ask you something, Emmy.”
When she turns to me, the countdown begins. “I don’t like how serious you sound—and look. If you’re about to do what I think you are, I need you to know I don’t want you to ask. This is when Chance did it and I thought it was cute. Granted, I would say yes to you any other time.”
“Buttercup, I’m not asking you to marry me. However, it’s good to know you won’t say no. But what I wanted to ask you— even though I’m even more unsure of the answer to since our conversation earlier—is will you move in with me?”
Eyes wide, she doesn’t say anything, so I continue, “And not in the apartment. I found a three-bedroom house on Magnolia Cove that needs a little TLC, but I think it’s got so much potential.”
“What are you going to do with your apartment?”
“Beckett is going to take over the rental agreement. He said he needed a break from Willow Beach. It worked out perfectly. And I know you said you were thinking about moving out of your place and if you don’t want to move in with me, that’s okay. I just know I’d love to wake up every day lying next to you.”
With ten seconds to midnight, I grab Emmy by the waist pulling her into me. “Take as long as you need to think about it. I made you a key either way.”
She smiles, “Thank you, Daredevil.”
“Anything for you, Buttercup.”
Chapter 42
Emmaline
Today is the day of my interview with Quinn, the sports and leisure journalist Shiloh suggested.
Spencer is supposed to be here with me, but he called ten minutes ago letting me know he might be a little late. That something came up with work. I know that whatever it is, it’s a big deal for him to not be here already. He’s been very hush-hush about a project that he thinks I’ll really enjoy. If I were like Mia, I’d have already looked in his briefcase at his designs. Which sheactuallysuggested.
I check the time, noting Quinn will be here soon, when I feel a hand brush the top of my back and then a kiss on my head. “I’m sorry I’m late, Buttercup. There was an issue with a permit and I had to go to Mr. Callahan for help.”
“Is everything okay now?”
He smiles, big and bright. “It’s perfect. I can’t wait to finally show you everything.”
Before I answer, I hear a voice calling my name. Spencer and I turn at the same time and while I expected it to be Quinn, Idid notexpect her to be someone I’ve seen before.
My eyes widen and when I look at Spence, I see the moment it finally clicks for him thatsheis the woman in the photos with my biological father.
“Quinn?” I ask. Hesitation in my voice, as my mind runs at a million miles a minute, since I’m trying to figure out why her name is different from the one I saw on the picture.
“That’s me! It’s nice to meet you. Shiloh didn’t say much about you, other than you needed help to set the record straight with your douchey ex.” She turns to shake Spencer’s hand. “I presume you’re Spencer?”
He nods.
Quinn claps her hands together then sits across from me. “So, I’d like to jump right in and gather your side of the story. Does that work for you?”
“That’s good with me.”
Throughout my whole story, Spencer never takes his hand off my thigh, squeezing subtly when I talk about walking in on Chance cheating, and again when I recount the time he laid hands on me. Quinn is an incredible listener and only interjects when she needs more information.
When I finish, Quinn puts down her notebook and pen. “I really would like to find Chance and kick his ass for you. My god, he sounds like a piece of work, and you seem too sweet to have dealt with that. The people who write for the Cougar Callout stay on my shit list, so I’m sorry you had to deal with them.”
I chuckle. “You’ll have to get in line after quite a few people. Yeah, that whole thing was new for me. Atlanta didn’t have anything like that.”
“Consider Atlanta lucky then. So, are you satisfied with how things have turned out for Chance? He was let go from the team and has been put in a rehab facility by his manager.”
“No, because despite our differences, I did love him at one point. It’s hard for me to just cut someone off once I’ve loved them. My only hope is he gets the help he desperately needs.”
Quinn smiles, shaking her head. “Unfortunately, I’m the opposite. Do me wrong and I’m done.”
