Page 23 of Claiming His Reunion Obsession

I turn to look at him, noticing he’s not even looking at the view, he’s looking at me. He has every time he uses the word perfect, it makes me blush.

Remembering what I told myself only a few minutes earlier, about the view, about living in a place like this, I’m speechless. I do prefer this one too, it’s not as big but that’s fine by me. I don’t need an echo in my house. I like home to be homely.

“But Quinn-” I start to protest, and only out of habit. Straight away my mind wants to run to a list of reasons why I should say no, why something so amazing shouldn’t happen to me.

“If you like it, if you want to stay, we can move your stuff in whenever you’re ready. The rest of the building’s empty for about three months, plenty of time to settle in,” he says, still beaming but I don’t understand, I’m still in shock.

“But you, Quinn. You’ll be…?”

He pulls me close, hugging me and giving me another kiss.

“I’ll be right here, Chelle, I can’t live without you. I know that much, even after just one night. Don’t tell me all the reasons we shouldn’t, that’s your dad talking. Just tell me you’ll move in. Tell me we’ll both move in, that we can live together, say yes and I’ll shut up, I promise.”

I don’t have to think about it, and I nod until my neck aches. Quinn picks me up and whirls me around, carrying me through the whole place, then out onto the balcony.

“You sure this one’s alright? We can get the penthouse, more room for later on,” he says, a look coming into his eyes, but then he seems to decide something else all over again and I wonder if he’s being serious or not.

“Quinn,” I start, seriously this time. “It’s a lot of money, I don’t even know how much but I can-”

He frowns, putting his finger over my lips now.

“Don’t make me change your name to Randy,” he says and we both feel it and look out the window. Out towards the view.

“I am gonna need somewhere to stay, after we tell him, aren’t I?” I observe, and I feel Quinn’s huge hand in mine, squeezing in agreement.

“Besides all that,” he says, “I want you and me together someplace, and this is as good a place as any right now.” He grins, “I was gonna surprise you with this, after… but…”

“Don’t you have a place?” I ask, registering his look, then, “After what?”

“What’s the matter?” I ask, probing his silence.

“Let’s just say that before you, before I knew where my life was heading, I lived to work, eat and sleep. My place is a cupboard compared to this, and full of real estate brochures and security equipment.”

He teases the opening of my robe and lets one of his hands slide inside, feeling me up and making me shiver, smiling with an excitement I know only he can deliver.

“And never you mind, after what…” he says slyly, giving me no hints but if he’s thinking what I’m thinking, I might need a lay down after today, just to get over the sweet shock of it all.

Chapter Eighteen

Quinn

It’s not a moment too soon, I tell myself. I would’ve asked Chelle if she’d move in with me the first minute we spent together at the reunion, if it wouldn’t have looked and sounded too weird.

I just know we’re perfect together and it’s not just because I’m crazy about her. It’s just something I know inside.

She’s like her dad, and we’re all connected by one thing. I know what it feels like to be alone, her dad adopted her because he knows what it’s like too.

But me and Chelle, we can start a family of our own. We can become the mom and dad we never had.

We can break the cycle of feeling there’s no one, feeling there’s only hand me down parents who maybe get sick of us, or only have more foster kids for the welfare checks. That was Randy and me, that was our childhood. He did everything he could to make sure Chelle didn’t get the same treatment though, and he aced it.

I owe Randy a lot, but most of all, I owe him for bringing up Chelle, for bringing her to me. So we could find each other.

Now. We’ll have a real family, and I want Randy to be a part of that too. I just need to give him time to get used to the idea, I guess.

“We can spend today moving if you want?” I suggest and laugh out loud as I watch Chelle’s face fall.

“I mean move our stuff from upstairs, down to here.” I comfort her.

“Then we can do whatever you want, we can walk on the beach, just hang out… try out the bed.” I suggest, amazed by my own stamina with Chelle.

---