Page 29 of Never Again

Quinn threwanother log on the fire before turning his attention back to the truck and-

“It’s not happening, you sick bastard!” the small woman refusing to climb out of the truck said.

“Bailey-”

“No!” came the immediate reply that had Quinn sighing as he glanced from the truck that he’d backed up to the small clearing in front of the lake behind him as he debated his options.

He could take her back to the cabin and spend the rest of the night trying to keep an eye on her or…

“I want to live!” Bailey yelled from the safety of his truck as he leaned down and picked up his backpack.

Quinn didn’t bother saying anything as he reached into the bag, but then again, he didn’t need to as he grabbed one of the cans of Coke that he’d packed before placing the bag back on the ground and popped the top. He watched as the small woman that had dropped to the floor and curled up into a ball when she saw where he took her climb back onto the bench seat so that she could watch him through the back window.

“Is that…” Bailey said, anxiously licking her lips as her gaze locked on the can in his hand, “Coke?”

“Mmmhmm,” Quinn murmured as he took a sip.

“Did you bring one for me?” she asked, sounding really fucking hopeful.

“That depends,” he said, taking another sip.

“On?” Bailey asked, never taking her eyes off him as she reached over and blindly shoved the door open.

That was followed by quickly shifting so that she was peeking at him from behind the door. She really was too fucking adorable for her own good, Quinn thought, taking another sip of Coke as he reached back down and grabbed the other items that he’d grabbed on his way out of the cabin and waited. He watched as Bailey’s gaze flickered between the Coke in his hand to the bag of marshmallows and chocolate candy bars in the other hand and back again.

“On how you like your s’mores,” Quinn said, taking another sip as he tossed the marshmallows and chocolate bars on the sleeping bag facing the truck and focused on finding a stick.

“Toasty,” Bailey mumbled absently as she slowly exhaled before pushing the truck door open more and-

“Nope, not happening,” she said, shaking her head frantically as she closed the truck door when something rustling in the woods nearby caught her attention.

“I didn’t know that you were a little coward,” Quinn drawled as he watched a bunny make its way out of the woods.

“Yes, you did!” came the immediate reply that had his lips twitching as he grabbed a stick off the ground and sat down on the old log that he’d helped his grandfather drag out of the woods when he was fifteen.

“Are you planning on spending the night in there?” Quinn asked as he pulled his pocket knife out and sharpened the tip.

“That really went without saying,” Bailey said as his gaze flickered back to the truck to see her watching him through the back window again.

“That’s a damn shame,” Quinn said with a sad shake of his head as he took another sip of his Coke before placing it back down on the ground next to him and grabbed a marshmallow.

“Are you going to make one of those for me?” Bailey asked with a hopeful look as she pressed her forehead against the window.

“Maybe,” Quinn murmured as he took another sip of his Coke as he shifted his focus back to toasting the marshmallow. A few minutes later, he was carefully placing the toasted marshmallow between two graham crackers along with a piece of chocolate and-

Watched as the small woman afraid of her own shadow settle on the log across from him and took a bite of her ill-gotten s’more as she pulled the sleeping bag over her head, all while glaring at him. God, she was fucking adorable, he thought as he watched her nibble on the s’more and-

Fucking sighed when she went to wash it down with his Coke.

“Why are you toying with my emotions?” Bailey murmured when he reached over the fire and plucked the Coke out of her hand.

“Because I can,” Quinn said, shooting her a wink as he finished off his Coke.

“Are you sure that you want to do that?” she drawled, watching him curiously as she continued nibbling on the s’more.

“What exactly am I doing?” Quinn asked as he reached into his bag for the other Coke and-

“Falling in love with me.”

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