About Last Night (About Last Night #1)(91)

We had love.




“Mia,” Quinn whispered a long while after, sounding half asleep.

Near dozing myself, I semi-slurred, “Yes?”

He breathed deep, and then spoke slowly on an exhale, “Will you marry me?”

My heart stuttered. My mind chose that very moment to turn silent.

Then I realized I didn’t need my mind. I listened to the part of me that drove my heart.

I smiled softly into the darkness. “Of course, honey.”

His hand found mine and he squeezed gently. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” I responded. “Forever and always, babe.”

And I meant it.





Chapter FortySix



Harry




My sister was engaged. She was getting married.

This should’ve been a stupidly happy time for me and my family, yet somehow I’d isolated myself, drowning in a pit of despair that I’d dug myself into. I loved my sister. She was one of the two people I trusted most in this world. The other, she was marrying.

How had this happened? How had I let this go so far?

What scared me most was that with each day that passed, I could pretend I didn’t need Mia or Quinn in my life. What was worse? I was starting to believe that bullshit. Truth was, I was jealous. In a number of ways.

Quinn was my friend, the first real friend I’d had in years. He was one of the only people I could talk to about anything at all and not be judged. He was my friend. Part of me felt as though Mia had stolen him from me.

Also, Mia was my sister. There was a code, and Quinn broke that code. I understood that what happened between them was Mia’s doing, but still…I couldn’t ever talk to Quinn about sex anymore, because all of his current examples would be using my sister, and picturing my sister having sex…ugh.

No. Just…no.

The other thing was that I was jealous of what they had. Quitting the trade had never even been a thing for Quinn. The thought of losing Mia was enough to scare the shit out of him and find a normal job, and he did this happily. He’d changed his life for her in a heartbeat. And, once upon a time, I had something like that.

I wondered why Quinn got his happily ever after so easily, while the woman I loved left me just as effortlessly. Sure, I was an escort paid to be with her, but we fell in love. It was mutual. I knew what we had; time hadn’t distorted my memories. Yes, it was unconventional, but it worked for Mia and Quinn. I would have changed for her, given the opportunity, but she never even gave me the chance. She cancelled her time with me and cut me out without a backward glance.

Okay. I was making excuses. Why not call a spade a spade?

I was bitter.

There it was.

The thought of love made me nauseous. And my sister did not deserve that.

I walked down the hall, stopped in front of the apartment door, and knocked lightly. I heard soft conversation coming from inside and my gut tightened. No amount of apologizing could excuse what I’d done to my sister. I’d become the bully I had protected her from all those years ago. Shame filled me.

The door opened and Mia, her head turned back behind her, mock-threatened, “Seriously. I’m not even joking right now. Watch it.”

Then I heard Quinn’s, “Ooh, I’m shakin’ in my metaphorical boots.”

Her face turned and she spotted me. The smile fell off her face so quickly that something tore inside me. She blinked then swallowed hard and uttered a soft and uncertain, “H-hi.”

She was anxious. I had made my own sister feel anxious around me. If I weren’t a grown-ass man, the thought would’ve brought me to tears. “Can I come in?”

She hesitated before nodding. “Uh-huh.” Reluctantly, she stepped aside, and I walked inside, my hands firmly fisted into the pockets of my jacket.

Quinn tied the laces on his sneakers and straightened, spotting me. His body turned rigid, protective, as if I were a rabid dog Mia needed shielding from. I had done this. I deserved every ill feeling that passed through me at that moment. “Har,” he greeted guardedly.

I jerked my chin at him in acknowledgement then turned back to Mia, who stood stiff by the kitchen counter. “I need to talk to you.”

Her eyes darted from me to Quinn then back again. “Um, okay.” She turned back to Quinn, her expression unreadable.

Then Quinn stepped over to us. “I was just leaving. Got to pump my guns, if ya know what I mean.” He made his way toward Mia, reached down to cup her cheeks, and then brought his face down to place a long, soft kiss to her lips. Her eyes closed as Quinn brought his lips to her ear and whispered something. She reached up, placing her hands over his at her cheeks and nodded.

It was clear as day. They loved each other. There was no mistaking it. My mouth opened and I rushed out, “Can you stay a sec? What I need to say, both of you need to hear.”

Quinn’s brow narrowed at me, posture defensive. His arm came around Mia and he pulled her into his side. “All right. Go ahead.”

The spotlight was on me. And suddenly, words vanished. I stood there, blinking over at them, biting the inside of my cheek, my fingers twitching. Frustration caused my eyes to shut tightly and I sighed. Then, I paced. “You know, sometimes you do or say things that you wish you n…”

Oh, how cliché. Come on, Har. You can do better than this.