Page 63 of Shuttered Hearts

“It’s just … I know if I talk to her, things will change, no matter what she says.” She slowly lifts her head, her eyes finding mine. “What if it’s not for the better?”

“What if it is?” I counter. “I know change is scary, but sometimes it brings with it some of the best experiences.” I roll us, still holding her, so we’re lying on our sides and can easily look at each other. “Look at what’s changed in your life since moving back home. It hasn’t all been bad, has it?”

“No!” she says forcefully. “Of course, there’s been amazing things that came from that change.”

“Exactly.” I smooth her hair, needing to touch her. “That’s my point. You don’t know what might happen if you talk to her.” She nods her head slowly. “It’s entirely up to you. I’ll support you either way, and I’ll be by your side no matter what.”

“Why are you so good to me?”

Because I love you, but I know she’s not ready to hear those words so I say, “Because you’re important to me, and I care about you.”

She leans forward, pressing a fierce kiss to my lips as if trying to tell me she feels the same way I do. And boy, do I hope that’s true.

thirty

DECLAN

“You ready to go?”I ask from the door to Quinn’s classroom.

“I need one more minute.”

I can see how nervous she is from how meticulously she’s organizing her desk—something I haven’t seen since the first week she was here.

I know she’s scared of how today will go, not just seeing Nicole in court but also what the judge will say and his decision.

Ava has prepared all of us for every outcome of today’s hearing. The worst-case scenario is he orders weekly visitation for Nicole starting immediately, but she feels pretty strongly that won’t be the case. Nicole abandoned her two-year-old son and has never attempted to contact him over the last ten years. It will take more than filing a lawsuit to convince anyone she deserves to be back in his life.

Of course, knowing that doesn’t make it any less scary.

I step into the classroom, making my way closer to Quinn. “Bug?—”

“I know,” Quinn interrupts. “I have nothing to be nervous about. Ava is more than ready for this. With Ava being the fancy lawyer she is, this is probably one of the easiest cases she’s ever had. And I don’t even have to look at Mom. But I just …” She finally looks at me, a pleading look on her face.

“Come here.” I reach for her, pulling her into my chest. “It doesn’t matter how prepared we are for today; your feelings are valid.”

Her arms move around my waist, holding on tight. “I don’t know what I would do if you weren’t here.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. I’m not going anywhere.”

Only when Quinn loosens her hold on me do I do the same. She leans back and lifts her face to mine for a tender kiss.

“You ready?” I ask quietly, my lips still against hers.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” She presses one more quick kiss to my lips and pulls away to gather her stuff, placing her hand in mine when she’s ready to leave.

“Thank you,” she says as we get outside to my truck.

“You don’t have to thank me.” I open the door for her and wait for her to get in before carefully shutting it.

I understand why she’s feeling anxious. I remember feeling similar the first few times I returned home to see my parents after moving to Ashford Falls. But my relationship with my parents was never as complicated as Quinn’s with her mother.

I hate seeing her like this. I wish I could whisk her away so she wouldn’t have to deal with it. But I also know dealing with this will be the only way she can move on and live her life. She has to let go of this belief that she is like Nicole. Until Quinn does that, she’ll always question if she’s capable of having the future she wants.

If I could do it for her, I would. But I’ll stand by her side through all of it, so she’ll never have to deal with it alone, or at least as long as she’ll let me.

“I never want you to think I don’t appreciate everything you do for me,” Quinn says as I climb in and start the truck.

“Bug, I’ve never thought that. You would do the same for me if the roles were reversed.”

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