The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller(47)

Her tone crescendos with each question until she’s practically screaming. Glaring at her mother, she says nothing else, but throws her napkin on the table, yanks her clutch off the table, and storms off toward the front entrance.
Her mother eyes dart around the table, but not out of anger or embarrassment. It’s almost as though she’s searching for an explanation.
“Get back here, young lady!” Quinn’s father bolts up and follows her, prompting her mother to do the same. My eyes are trained on them as they corner Quinn by the hostess stand and I watch with concern as she continues her rant. Her arms flail around wildly as she speaks to her parents, the ire in her features evident from clear across the room. When her mother tries to console her by wrapping her arm around Quinn’s shoulder, she forcefully shrugs it off and bursts through the front door. Her parents stare blankly at one another before scurrying after her.
Tearing my stare away from the turmoil, I glance back to Kaeleb whose troubled expression mirrors mine.
“Do you think she’s okay?” I ask under my breath.
Kaeleb’s jaw ticks as he deliberates my answer. “Not sure.”
He exhales and runs his fingers forcefully through his hair. “The weird thing is…it’s almost as though she provoked that fight. I watched her the entire time. She wanted something to go down tonight, I’m just not sure what.”
I nod in agreement. “Yeah, but maybe she just needed to get angry, you know? We both know that anything is better than the complete lack of it these past months.”
“Maybe…”
Kaeleb’s tone is uncertain, but as the servers arrive to refill our drinks, he masks his concern and smiles at the waitress.
Just as the drinks are poured, Quinn’s parents arrive back at the table. Her mother’s eyes are tear-filled and bloodshot, and her father’s expression is tightly drawn. Grabbing his jacket off the back of the chair, he looks directly at me. “Quinn has chosen to take a cab back to your apartment. Please have her call us in the morning.”
“Yes, sir,” I reply.
My tone is surprisingly gentle because as I take in the heartbreak demonstrated on their faces, my anger quickly subsides. I watch each remorseful tear that falls from her mother’s chin, and I realize that her actions were never to intentionally hurt Quinn. Continuing to hold her eyes, I silently hope for her sake that whatever damage she’s done, no matter how misguided those actions were, can be repaired. No one knows more than me how much unconditional love Quinn has to give, and as I watch her mother’s face contort with sorrow, I find myself saddened that she may never be on the receiving end of it.
The server arrives shortly after, and Quinn’s father pays the entire bill before both parents offer their apologies and leave the restaurant.
The remainder of dinner is relatively quiet, the awkwardness of the evening dwindling the conversation to nothing. Lost in concern for Quinn, Kaeleb and I eat our meals quickly, practically inhaling our food so we can get back to the apartment.
Everyone at the table must grasp our need to hurry because we’re given no grief as we bid Kaeleb’s grandparents a quick goodbye with the promise to call them tomorrow.
Shrugging on my coat, I glance up at Kaeleb who’s throwing his jacket on just as hastily. His worried eyes meet mine, but as they slowly drift over my shoulder, his hardened features relax into a soft, genuine smile.
“Hey!” Linda’s voice calls from behind me. I whirl around as she approaches, purse in hand. “Mind if I steal her for a bit, Kaeleb?”
His grin widens as he shakes his head. “Of course not. I’ll just head to the apartment and check on Quinn. Meet you there?” he asks, his question directed at me.
I nod in response and he leans into me, brushing his lips against mine. I breathe out a sigh of relief knowing she will be in good hands with Kaeleb there.
He gives me another tender kiss on the forehead before embracing Linda. Her face brightens and for the first time tonight, I notice how tired she looks. She mentioned working nights at the hospital a while back, and I immediately feel guilty for asking her to come. The day is already gone, and our dinner was a lost cause due to Quinn’s outburst. I feel like I’ve hardly had a chance to see her.
She hugs Kaeleb tightly and waggles her eyebrows at me over his shoulder, forcing me to cover my mouth as I stifle my laughter. Releasing Linda from his hold, Kaeleb turns and kisses my cheek tenderly. “I’ll walk you ladies out,” he offers, which earns me another approving grin from Linda.
After we arrive at her car, he opens Linda’s door, shutting her inside before rounding the front and opening mine. With his hip against the doorframe, he leisurely tucks a strand of hair behind my ear as his lips lift into a small smile. “See ya at the apartment, Sunshine. You’ll know where to find me.”
I give him a nod and slide into Linda’s car, painfully unaware that in just a couple of hours, Kaeleb McMadden wouldn’t be the person I’d be searching for.
It would be Aubrey Miller.

Chapter Twenty-Two

“Well, that was interesting,” Linda remarks, shifting into drive as I snap my seatbelt into place.
“Quinn?” After I’m buckled in, I glance over to her and watch as she nods her head.
Facing forward, my hands find their way to my lap as I inhale deeply. “Yeah, she’s had a rough couple of months.”
“Is she okay?”
Exhaling, I ponder Linda’s question before answering.
“I hope so. I really hope so.”
Silence fills the car until Linda finally breaks it with a deep breath through her nose.