Page 60 of Stick Around,
“Not weird. Surprising.” I laughed nervously, looking around like someone was going to jump out and tell me I can’t be with three men at once. “What did you have in mind? Do we all squeeze into one side of a booth at a restaurant while the server judges us silently?”
Reid’s fingers brushed against mine as we both reached for the same package of scissors, sending a tiny jolt through my system. “I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”
“You know, I never expected any of this.” I gestured vaguely between us. “When I came here, I was trying to escape my life for a bit, not... whatever this is becoming.”
Reid stepped closer, his voice dropping to a rumble. “And what is it becoming, Quinn?”
An energy swirled in my chest that was somewhere between nervous excitement and free-falling that I hadn’t felt since... well, ever. “I don’t know yet. But I like it.”
“That’s good enough for now.” His voice held a note of patience that said whatever I was feeling was perfectly fine and acceptable. No pressure or timeline, just acceptance of whatever this undefined thing was becoming.
I quickly turned back to the shelves, grabbing whatever my hand landed on. This man could undo me with one look, and somehow I was supposed to handle three of them? This wasn’t safe, or smart, but it felt right anyway.
Chapter 20
Giddy Up
Reid
Ipulled the office door closed, wincing at the high-pitched squeal that erupted from the indoor arena. It wasn’t quite the sound of a child being murdered, but close enough that I checked twice.
“How many of those little gremlins are out there now?” Enzo collapsed into the rolling chair behind his desk, massaging his temples.
“Five.” I leaned against the doorframe, watching through the small window in the door as Quinn directed traffic at the craft table.
Kellan sprawled on the loveseat, legs dangling over the arm. “They were all so excited to see the glitter too.”
Enzo groaned. “We’re going to be finding that shit in the horses’ hooves for months.”
I grabbed three waters from the mini fridge, tossing one to each of them as we fell into a comfortable silence. The quietbetween us lately felt like we were all thinking the same thing but waiting for someone else to say it first.
Kellan finally cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably on the loveseat. The leather squeaked beneath him as he repositioned. “So... we should probably talk about Quinn.”
“What about her?” Enzo’s expression remained neutral, but a muscle in his cheek jumped. We all hated talking about feelings, but he was the worst offender.
Kellan waved a hand between us, like he was trying to trace whatever invisible thread we were all pretending not to see. “The fact that we’ve all slept with her, for starters.”
I shifted my weight against the doorframe, feeling the wood dig into my shoulder blade. Part of me had been waiting for someone to finally name the thing we’d all been tiptoeing around.
I took a long drink while I collected my thoughts. Through the window, I saw Quinn laughing with one of the kids, completely unaware of our conversation. A quiet pang of longing settled behind my ribs as I watched her.
“Are you okay with that? You made a move first.” Even though we’d both been with her at the same time, the possibility was there that Kellan wasn’t, in fact, okay with it. He had the tendency to go along with things to keep the peace.
Kellan frowned, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I think so. Sometimes I do wonder if she’s comparing us or something. It would be hard not to, right?”
“Like keeping score on a report card?” I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Excellent in enthusiasm, needs improvement in duration? Little checkboxes for creativity and technique?”
Enzo snorted water through his nose. “Fuck you,” he spluttered, wiping his face with his sleeve. “Although if we’re being graded, I deserve extra credit for size.”
Kellan threw the cap from his bottle at him, hitting Enzo square in the forehead. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.” There was an edge to his voice now, a rare flash of the vulnerability he usually buried under layers of charm and deflection.
I crossed my arms, considering. “It’s Quinn we’re talking about. Does she strike you as the type to keep score?”
“No, but she’s leaving soon. What happens when she goes back to her regular life?” Kellan’s question hung in the air, making the room feel smaller.
I’d been avoiding thinking about it, focusing instead on each day as it came. I traced the condensation on my water bottle with my thumb. Some things were meant to be temporary, but knowing that didn’t make them any easier to let go of when the time came.
Enzo spun slowly in his chair, his head resting against the headrest as he stared at the ceiling. “I think what Kellan is really trying to say is, what if she decides to stay and she only wants one of us?”
