Page 155 of Just Let Go

“I can’t, Car.” She’d chosen instead to watch him from the comfort of her own loft, where she could wear every single one of her emotions without worrying about anyone else reading into them.

And she’d run the emotional gamut. From panic to fear to worry to excitement to edge-of-her-seat anticipation, she’d made her way through them all, ending, of course, with pure elation as the man she’d once loved came screaming toward the finish line to capture the gold.

He was ecstatic, and rightly so. He hadn’t quit, and it had paid off.

Perhaps the best part of the whole thing, though, was watching him take that medal off his neck and walk it over to his brother, who was sitting on the sidelines, pride all over his face.

Quinn had choked back the tears long enough and melted into a puddle right there in her living room.

See? This was why she couldn’t have watched with everyone else. She would’ve given herself away.

She was so happy for him, and more than anything she wanted to tell him, but as she grabbed her phone and stared at the blank screen underneath his name, debating whether or not to send a text, something stopped her. She couldn’t. It would only confuse things.

But ever since, in spite of her excitement about the design competition, there was a hollowness inside her. A hollowness that she pushed aside as she walked through the doors to the convention center, flashed her badge, and began her trek from booth to booth.

The competition results would be announced at 2p.m. Around one thirty, she made her way to the hall where the awards ceremony would be held. In the lobby just outside the room were the three displays that were up for Best Design. As she walked by, she heard someone comment on hers, saying, “It’s just so free and full of life.”

She pulled open the door to the large room and thought of Grady.Free and full of life.And she hoped one day she could say the same of herself. After all, that was the way she wanted to live.

The room looked like a standard banquet hall. At the front was a stage with a podium in the middle, flanked by two large screens. There were people milling about and more chairs facing the stage than she’d anticipated. She supposed it felt more daunting now that her name and photos of her designs were going to be up on that screen.

As she made her way to the front, where her seat was reserved, she stopped in the middle of the aisle. There, filling up an entire row, were her dad and Beverly (holding hands!), Carly, Jaden, Calvin, Judge, Hailey, and Lucy.

Quinn’s eyes went wide. “What are you guys doing here?”

“I got them in.”

She whirled around and found Mimi standing behind her. “Mimi? I thought you were in Italy!”

“We decided to come home for a few weeks before heading off to our next destination—Bali.” Mimi opened her arms and Quinn stepped into a tight, motherly hug. “I’m so proud of you.”

“I can’t believe you’re all here.” Quinn pulled from Mimi’s embrace and studied them all. “You guys are the best.”

“Are you kidding? We wouldn’t have missed this for anything.” Her dad beamed. “We’re all pulling for you, sweetheart.”

“Miss Collins? You should take your seat now.” The woman wore an earpiece and a staff badge.

“Go,” Dad said, squeezing her hand. “We’ll see you afterward.”

She met his eyes. He’d been her mother and her father. He’d been attentive and good and kind. He’d protected her, over and over again. And she’d been oblivious to that goodness until this very moment. “Thanks, Dad. Thank you all for being here. It means the world to me.”

“Good luck, Quinnie,” Lucy called out from the end of the row.

“We’re all going to cheer really loud,” Carly said. “Hope you don’t embarrass too easily.”

Quinn laughed, and as she took her seat, she realized the outcome of the competition didn’t matter so much anymore. Whatreally mattered was sitting in that row—a collective group of people who were invested in her life.

She listened as Kitty Moore, a small woman with perfectly coiffed orange-colored hair, welcomed everyone to the competition. There were a number of other awards that came first, and Quinn listened dutifully, trying to keep her mind from wandering.

Finally, after nearly an hour, the wordsBest Designappeared on the screen. Carly let out a whoop and Quinn stifled a giggle. Her family had no tact. And that was only part of the reason she loved them so much.

One by one, Kitty presented the entries of the finalists. Photos flashed across the screen, ending with a headshot next to each name. When Quinn’s appeared, the whole group representing her let out a cheer.

“Can we get all three finalists up on the stage, please?” Kitty glanced down to where they were all sitting, and they stood, making their way up the stairs.

“Now a quick word about each competitor from our former president, Jacie Whitman.”

Quinn’s mouth went dry. She met Carly’s eyes as the image of a familiar yet unfamiliar woman appeared on the screen.

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