Page 46 of Rude Boss 2

“I’m not pretending,” I told him with my hand still on his chest. I said, “The scar is about the size of my hand. This is neat.”

“I’m glad you can use my body for your personal entertainment.”

I giggled. “Sorry. I’m just fascinated, Stew. It’s like a tattoo.”

“Yeah—Quintessa’s handprint over my heart. I think the tattoo artist nailed it,” he drawled out.

“Aw—that’s sweet.” I lowered his shirt. “I like it. You know I’m never going to forget that, right?”

Stewart smiled. “I gotta get home before dark. I’ll see you later.”

“Okay. Bye.”

I shake my head to come out of my reverie and say, “I’ve always regretted not going to college with Stewart. I’ve looked for him—looked on social media, I went to his parents’ house and nothing.”

“Surely they know where their son is,” mom says.

“I don’t doubt it, but they sure didn’t tell me. It’s like he vanished. He’s nowhere to be found. He’s probably somewhere happily married by now, anyway.” I brush a tear from my left eye and say, “I had a chance. I blew it. So, here’s my question to you both since you want me to behappily married. How am I supposed to forget about the person who was so special to me, and move on with someone I’ve only known for a few months? Themillionaireas you so eloquently like to call him?”

“You have to move on at some point, Quin,” Mom says. “And I think now’s the time.”

“Iknowit’s the time,” Dad says. “Trust your heart, Quintessa. Live your life. I want you to fall in love and be happy. That’s all me and your mom ever wanted for you, and honestly, I think Essex just may be the man you’ve been waiting for.”

I smile sadly. “You think so?”

“I know so,” he says with conviction. “Trust me, dear. It’s about time you lived.”

Now I’m sitting here thinking about Essex. Mom is right. He was there for me at the hospital, at my apartment – he’s beenmakinghimself available for me – but there’s a good side to Essex and there’s a bad side. They don’t know the bad side. I do. And I realize nobody perfect, but I at least need the good to be enough to outweigh the bad. Is it in his case? I would say so based on recent events and if it’s not, I’ll figure it out on the way and make the proper adjustments even if it means bringing it all to an end, right?

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