Page 81 of Roommate's Guide to Love

And no one hurts Quinn Banks while I’m around.

“You know what, Emily? Fuck you.” I stand up, Grace in my arms as she drinks out of her sippy cup.

“Excuse me?”

I also realize an audience is gathering, but I don’t care. Emily and her antics have been ignored far too long in this town.

“You heard me. First off, where do you get off going around calling people names? Especially something so juvenile. It’s classless. Just like you.”

Emily’s mouth drops a little, but she has no idea what’s coming. “I could go on and on about how no one in this town likes you. How you’ve ruined relationships and friendships. Marriages. But you know that. You just don’t care. But you know what, Emily? I’m not going to let you ruin my life. I’m not going to let you ruin Quinn’s. And I’m sure as hell not going to have you sticking your nose into my business.Ourbusiness. Because my family? No one talks about my family like that.”

I look back to Quinn, her mouth open in awe. Emily might not realize what I’m saying, but Quinn sure as hell does.

“But Porter!” Emily squeals. “What we had?—”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Emily. What we had was a dumb, drunken, hookup when we were in high school. It wasn’t this great love affair that lives in your delusion. I was a dumb kid who was hurt because the girl I was in love with didn’t want me and you were…well…available.”

Emily gasps, and the gathered audience snickers at the show in front of them. “Porter…you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, I do, Emily.” I take another step closer to her, and I realize at this point I shouldn’t be holding my niece, but we’re in it now. Plus, this is good for her, to learn how to stand up for the people that mean the most to you. “What I’m going to need you to do is walk out of here. I also need you to never come back into my bar. Hell, you should probably look for a new town to live in. Because if you ever, and I mean ever, talk to Quinn like that again, or even look at my child, you’re going to wish you moved a long time ago. Because I will make your life a living hell. And that’s a promise.”

“Uh! Ah! Uh!” are the only noises that comes from Emily. And as I stand there and wonder why she hasn’t left yet, it’s then that I witness, as if in slow motion, as my niece picks up her sippy cup, winds her arm back, and whips it at Emily. And no shit, it’s a perfect bullseye off the forehead. With some speed to it. The cup bounced back and everything.

That’s my girl…

“Ouch!” Emily squeals as she finally takes the hint and turns on a heel to leave. This makes Grace start clapping and laughing as Emily storms out of the diner.

But as Grace’s laugh fades and I put her back in the high chair, I turn to Quinn, who’s still sitting in the booth, motionless. Speechless.

“Hey,” I say, as I quickly sit back down and reach for her hand. “Talk to me.”

She shakes her head. “You want to know why I won’t live here? That. That’s why.”

I look back as Emily stomps across the street. “Her? Quinn. She’s not going to be a problem again.”

“It’s not just her. But what she said? It’s what most people in this town still think of me.” She’s quiet as I can tell she’s trying to figure out what to say next. “Forever I’ll be Quinn Banks, or, as our peers liked to call me, Big Girl Banks, because that’s what happens when you’re sisters with supermodels and I’m…me. Or if I’m not known as that, I’ll forever be the prankster who rigged the homecoming queen ballots to make sure that bitches like Emily didn’t win. And no matter how much I change, or what good I did as a teacher, none of it matters. Everyone knows by now what happened in Arizona and have put it down to me being same ol’ Quinn and not the teacher who stood up for what she believes in. To this town, I’m always going to be that girl. And even though you defended me against her, you can’t be there for every time this is going to happen. Because at the end of the day, I’m still the same Quinn Banks.”

“Quinn—”

“I’m going to go.” She quickly grabs her keys, and before I can stop her, she runs out of the diner.

I stand up, grabbing Grace’s things to follow her, before Charlie puts a hand on my shoulder.

“Don’t. Let her go.”

I look out the window to Quinn, then back to Charlie. “But?—”

She shakes her head. “But nothing. Let her go. She needs her space. Trust me on this.”

I do as Charlie says and sink back down into the booth.

I’ll let her go for now.

But I won’t let her go forever.

guide to love rule #89

The hardest thing to decide in life is what to do with your future. Oh, and what to eat for dinner tonight.

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