Page 42 of Home Coming

“That’s your first mistake.” Brow cocked high, Quinn shot her a glare before swiping across the screen of the cell.

Her eyes flew wide as she jumped up. “You’re answering it?”

“It’s only Josie,” he said before he focused back on the screen and said, “What?”

“She didn’t text me back. Did you tell her?” Josie asked, excitement clearly in her voice.

“Tell me what?” Bailey asked, making a grab for the cell.

All Quinn had to do was hold the cell higher to keep it out of her reach. “She just woke up and no I did not tell her.”

“Tell me what?” she demanded again. “And I did not just wake up. I’ve been up!”

With a sigh, Quinn handed the cell to Bailey. “Here. I’ll clean up breakfast.”

Feeling guilty, she called after him, “Thank you.” Then focused on the video call.

“Why didn’t you reply to my texts?” Josie demanded.

“They all just saidcall me. Which I was going to do.” After she’d checked what Axel, and more importantly the internet, was saying about her.

“Fine. But I can’t believe Quinn didn’t tell you.”

“Tell me what?” she asked for the third time in as many minutes.

“Olivia Rodrigo commented on the TikTok of your song!”

“Really? Wow. That’s really nice.”

“Right!? That’s what I thought. She’s so amazing.”

“Yeah, she is.” Unlike most of the rest of the commenters.

“Okay, you told her. Now let us get off the phone so we can finish packing and get home,” Quinn called from the sink in the kitchen.

Bailey cringed. “He’s right. I didn’t even start packing the stuff in my bedroom or the closet yet.”

“But you really might be home by tonight?” Josie asked.

Bailey raised her gaze to Quinn, who nodded. “That’s the plan,” she told Josie.

“Yay! Okay, I’ll let you go. But only because I want you to get home sooner. Not because my brother told me to.”

“Duly noted.” She smiled at the ongoing sibling rivalry.

Her life sucked, but it would suck less in the Baldwin house with her best friend… and her best friend’s hot brother.

They disconnected and Quinn came over with a box of trash bags. “So, about the bedroom and the closet. You’re not going to like this idea but I think the best way to pack up your towels and bedding and all your clothes is in trash bags. They’ll be easier to fit into the vehicle and we’re out of boxes.”

She glanced at the closet she could see through the open bedroom door and envisioned all the beautiful designer clothes inside, so many with the tags still on them, and sighed.

“I know. You’re right. Will it all fit?” she asked, doubtful.

“I’ll make it fit… carefully. Promise. You hiding anything else around here? A storage room in the building’s basement perhaps?”

“Nope. Just what you see here… and three plastic storage boxes under my bed hidden by the dust ruffle.” She cringed. “Still think it’ll all fit?”

He drew in a breath. “I guess we’ll see. I’ll grab those and run them and the cardboard boxes down to the SUV. Then we can fit the bags in around them.”

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