Page 72 of Home Coming

“Then the song hit and the internet went wild,” Carter continued.

“Because it’s so good?” Quinn asked.

The first one had been amazing. He couldn’t imagine the second one could be any better.

“Because it was about you,” Mark supplied.

Quinn’s eyes widened. “What?”

“I daresay except for her first song, the whole damn album is about you. She named the single and the albumUnrequited,” Mark added.

Well, shit. That title gave him a clue of what the new songs might be about.

“You haven’t heard it?” Mark asked as Carter whipped out his cell from beneath the bar.

Carter tapped the screen and suddenly Bailey’s voice came over the sound system.

Quinn swallowed hard, surprised at the visceral reaction hearing her voice caused within him. He felt the blood drain from his face as he listened.

“I’m gonna go out on a limb and say he hasn’t heard it before,” Carter said.

“Yup,” Mark agreed. “He always was a little clueless when it came to women.”

“True that,” Carter said before moving to pour another beer for the lone patron seated at the end.

When he returned, Quinn was still trying to digest what he’d just heard.

Carter hooked a thumb in his direction. “This guy. I swear. Women are writing songs about him and look at him. He looks miserable.”

“Why is that, Baldwin?” Mark asked. “Do you not like her in that way?”

Quinn shook his head and admitted for the first time aloud what he was feeling. “I do like her. A lot.”

“Then what’s wrong?” Carter asked.

“What’s wrong is I can’t give my best to both my career and my personal life. And if I try I’ll just fuck up both and end up hurting Bailey, just like I consistently upset my mom by not being around more.”

Mark shook his head. “You haven’t changed one bit.”

“What do you mean?” Quinn frowned.

“You’ve always been like this. You broke up with Cassie after high school for the same reason.”

“Yeah. I remember.” Carter nodded. “You spilled your guts to us about why you dumped her when we were trying to kill that keg at that party at the dam.”

“Did I?” Quinn let out a snort. “Great.”

“Yeah.” Mark nodded. “You know, Cassie was good friends with my sister. That girl went into a deep depression after you left. She wasn’t eating. Dropped out of theater camp that summer.”

“Jeezus.” Quinn ran a hand over his face. This was not what he needed to know right now.

“Quinn, maybe you need to consider that your trying to prevent these girls from being hurt is actually just hurting them more,” Mark suggested.

“And you’re the relationship expert now?” Quinn asked, remembering his old friend’s playboy ways.

“Happily married for going on eleven years. So yes. Why are you so convinced any relationship will fail? What if it works out?”

“How can it? You guys know what I do,” he said, keeping his voice low.

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