Page 65 of Topping the Jock
Quinn stared out over the water just like he had on my birthday when we’d met at the pier, in the same place. As the breeze ruffled his hair, I reached up and brushed a strand aside. He turned his head to me. His expression was soft. Vulnerable, even.
“I’m bad at opening up to people,” he said, his voice thick. “Trust is hard for me. But even with my dad or Reed, I hold shit in sometimes. Communication is… difficult. I don’t always know how to say what I’m feeling.”
“Oh, I’ve noticed.”
“Asshole,” he said, smiling. Then he turned his attention back to the water. “I just want you to know that I’m trying, Monty.”
“I’ve noticed that too.” I rested a hand at his side. His green eyes returned to my face, looking black in the dark night. “You don’t know if you can trust me or not, but I see the changes you’ve made. I mean, you haven’t called me a moron at all today.”
He breathed out a laugh. “Is it too late to change that?”
“Yep. Give me this one day.”
“Fine.”
I scanned the area. We were the only ones there. A tall, dark shape loomed to the right, and I looked to see the Ferris wheel. Dark now, but it had once been bright, neon lights illuminating the night as people laughed and went up in the air, then down again.
“Come on,” I said, taking hold of his hand.
“Where are we going?” he grumbled as I dragged him along with me. As we neared the Ferris wheel, my intention became clear. “You’re not serious. That thing has to be filthy. Not to mention it could fall apart and kill us both.”
“Stop being such a pessimist,” I said, leading us over to the first car.
It didn’tlookdirty. The heavy rain we’d had the day before had washed it off pretty well. It was clean enough. I let go of his hand and lifted the small gate to sit down.
“Absolutely not,” Quinn said, staring at me like I was insane. Hell, I probably was. “Did you hear how the thing creaked when you sat down? It’s one wrong shake away from falling off the frame. The whole thing will collapse.”
“Well, you’re Superman, right?” I teased. “You’ll save us.”
“Such a villain thing to say.” Though he didn’t look happy about it, he joined me on the seat, sucking in a breath when it swayed a bit. “I swear, Montgomery, if we die, my ghost will haunt yours for all eternity.”
“Promise?”
“This isn’t funny.”
“Then why are you smiling?”
“I’m not,” he fibbed. As the seconds passed, he relaxed a little. “Why did you want to come over here?”
“You want the truth?”
“Would I have asked otherwise?”
I thought on my answer. The scene around me changed in my mind, going from the empty pier to a time when it had been the ideal hangout for teenagers. There had been other rides too, along with food stands and games. A carnival had taken place each summer and into the fall. I had gone several times with my buddies.
The Ferris wheel had always been my favorite ride. I liked being lifted high in the air, seeing the world from above. None of my friends had ever wanted to ride it, so I’d been stuck by myself. Which was fine. But one night, I had been stuck at the top of the ride and had looked down to see Quinn and Reed standing by the cotton candy stand. Reed had been animatedly telling a story, his hands going every which way.
And Quinn had smiled. It had been the first time I’d ever seen him look so happy, relaxed.
“Because I never got to ride this with you,” I finally answered, my chest constricting at the memory. “I didn’t have the guts to walk up to you and ask you to take a ride with me. But fuck, I wanted to. So bad. I was just a coward. At that time, you hated me. I had already fucked up too much.”
Quinn sat quietly, his gaze on his lap and his teeth worrying over his bottom lip. When he looked up at me again, his eyes glistened. “You wanted to ask me to ride this with you?”
I nodded.
“God, you’re such a sap.” Yet,hewas the one who took off his glasses and wiped at his eyes. “You should’ve asked me dammit.”
“What would you have said if I did?” My heart jumped up into my throat at seeing his reaction.
